Lower Engine Mount OEM vs Others.
 

As some of you may know we or you may have had trouble with the lower engine mount on your R75 or MGZT and the difficulty in obtaining the OEM mounts and the cost of them if you have been able to obtaim them. I/you/we have gone down the road of trying powerflex mounts Red for diesel and Yellow for petrol with some good reports and some not so good reports of there use.
Some members have reported bad vibrations some have reported that the car is now smoother so the real reason for this thread is to try and gauge what and how the engine mounts you have fitted are working with your car now in the past and the near future.
Another reason is there is a new mount on the block so to speak from (roverlink)a chinese mount used on the Roewe/MG i am at the moment testing one of these and must say first impressions are very good no vibrations smooth gear change and also it is as near to the OEM mount as you can get if not better.
I am in talks with powerflex and Brown & Gammon at the moment with regards to the Red and Yellow mounts which i will reveal later after they have got back to me over a certain problem i/we have had with the mount,they have informed me of modifed or newer version which is in the process of being made and have also asked me to road test a couple which i am willing to do and report back to them and you the members.
But at the the moment we are testing three kind of mounts well four if your including the new OEM mount on my MG ZT
OEM fig 1
http://i46.tinypic.com/34s0504.jpg1

Powerflex fig 2 on a few cars both Red and yellow
http://i45.tinypic.com/r9ijix.jpg2

Powerflex Red Diesel mount with a original metal and nylon insert from a OEM mount on trebors car cheers Rob.fig 3
http://i49.tinypic.com/34zkmmu.jpg3

Chinese (roverlink)Roewe/MG mount on my Diesel tourer Fig 4/5
http://i46.tinypic.com/t6wgba.jpg4
http://i45.tinypic.com/2ild43q.jpg5

Hopefully this last mount (roverlink) is going to be the one which will out last the cars life but we will see in time, please feel free to add your thoughts you have experienced on this subject and if you have any good or bad points on any or all of the mounts involved that way we can gauge which is best of the bunch cheers Arctic

I replaced my OE engine stabiliser with a brand new OE engine stabiliser, and it really made hardly any tangible difference if I am honest.

The diesels vibrate, thats pretty much it. A knackered mount will give you clunking and excess engine movement.

Dont forget, the diesels vibrate more when they are cold, and are much smoother when up to temperature.

As for the powerflex, well, you have to be a bit special to fit one to a diesel surely? It can only make the vibration worse than a standard one!

HI Ross.
thank for your imput regarding the OEM mount you fitted and said you found no difference others have said they have their flying carpet car back :D when a new OEM mount has been fitted ? and also some membesr have said after fitting the powerflex they to have found an inprovement others not hopefully this thread will give us the insight to what preportion have found them ok better or no change.

Ok it made a TINY bit of difference, but the most difference is between cold and warm engines.


Looking at the construction of the Chinese one vs the Rover OE, I cannot see how there can be any performance difference between 2 new ones. They are literally identical for all intents and purposes.

Ross hopefully the (roverlink ) one will be either slightly better given the difference of the rubber insert makeup there are a few members including myself testing or have one fitted at the moment and i have found that the vibration is less with the (roverlink ) one when starting from cold compaired to the OEM one, also to be taken into consideration is if the lower wish bone bushes are in a good condition somehave split this will add to stress on the lower engine mount.

If you are going to do a comparison, it might be worth also including the popular adaption of the Modeo lower mount too. I have had one on my CDTi for around two years now and no issues at all.

If I were replacing now, my inclination would be to try the Chinese mount, because assuming it caused no vibration issues, the built in limit buffers suggest it is likely more robust than the OEM unit. It is the lack of the buffers and extra movement, which causes the OEM units to split.

Hi Harry.
never seen a Modeo one but if yours as been on for two years i should imagine it would need no more testing than that ;) but for those whom would like to have as near an OEM mount the (roverlink) looks to be the jobby and as you point out with those extra buffers it should be better and last longer, Arctic.;)

Posted this before but my experience again:- I changed to a P/F mount because I got the dreaded 1800rpm shudders in top (automatic) in the belief that the original was knackered. When I got it off there was nothing wrong with it but I fitted the red P/F in the hope that it was better - it was worse. I had vibration at tickover (never had that before) and it felt rougher through the rev range. Remember I'm comparing a Powerflex one with an original in perfect condition. I will wait for the results of Arctic's test, I'm inclined to think that the Chinese one is my best option.

I have the red PF bush; it replaced a dreadful OE one (in terms of it being broken). I have found it to be great. It is a solid flexible mount so it is bound to give some vibration transmission. However all the servicing and fettling of the engine, filters, fluids, exhaust etc have done allot more to getting rid of vibration than I think I could expect from moving back to the OEM mount. Now my water bottle in my cupholder in drive has virtually no ripples in it at the lights and when pulling off whereas it was quite shakey prior to sorting out all the engine issues.

Looking at the Roewe option I think it looks a better design in terms of where the forces will come so I think I will go for one of these if it goes again (simply to allow a quicker swap although in reality the red rubber is easy to swap).

If I was new to the situation and looking to do the mount I would definitely do the Roewe mount to save time trying to get the OEM mount appart which is the time consuming bit as it seems for most.

I fitted a yellow poly bush to my 1.8 about 6 months ago to cure a knock when setting off.

It did cure the knock but produces more vibration on tickover especially when the engine is cold.

They are also a pig to fit!