Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

Technical => Misc Tech => Topic started by: rodsterh on July 06, 2006, 11:01:56 PM

Title: Engine Damper
Post by: rodsterh on July 06, 2006, 11:01:56 PM
I've searched around but didn't find any previous threads regarding engine dampers. What????  Does everyone just take them off and throw them away? ;)

Is there a source for replacements?

Do the 87-88 2.3L cars use them also? (I know the Mustang SVO uses them.)

They must serve some purpose…..
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: CougarSE on July 06, 2006, 11:34:23 PM
You've not read enough then!  Every engine has one, and without it you will grenade your bottem end!
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: rodsterh on July 07, 2006, 12:10:21 AM
Hmmmm….. not damper as in harmonic balancer (those I know about)…..damper as in hydraulic damper..aka…engine shock…engine mount damper…the 2 little shocks that attach to the engine block.
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: Ifixyawata on July 07, 2006, 12:14:54 AM
I think only the 2.3T's got those, right?  Maybe?
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: BobNorway on July 07, 2006, 03:21:57 AM
Every modern car has them.
Unless your making a drag racer keep them.
Otherwise you'll shake out your tooth fillings and your eyes will blur.
A 12 cylinder engine can be run without them.
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: rodsterh on July 07, 2006, 12:03:21 PM
That was my thought Bob, but are there replacements available? Both of mine are shot ...after 135,000 miles and 23years..go figure! ;)

I've looked around but haven't found any sources yet.

By the way..I saw your signature..any hints on how to fix them with duct tape and WD40? :)
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: BobNorway on July 13, 2006, 04:18:01 AM
This is obviously a job for double-sided tape.:)
True if you don't have a V8 I couldn't find any for you either.
I had a 68 Bird with a 460 and mounts split in two.
The heat gets them more than age I think.
This motor was so heavy it just sat in place.
Finally broke the oil presure sensor though.
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: MasterBlaster on July 13, 2006, 10:12:58 AM
Okay, I think we ( or at least *I* ) need some clarification here.

You've said you're not talking about the harmonic balancer.

I assume you're not talking about what we all call "motor mounts", as you really can't "take them off and throw them away" without the engine falling out onto the ground.

You seem to be talking about some kind of small shock absorbers that control the side-to-side shaking of 4-cyl engines.

None of my manuals (Haynes) show them, and a search of a few online parts stores don't seem to list anything like that.

Do you have any pics that show what the heck we're looking for?
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: Haystack on July 13, 2006, 11:17:34 AM
I am assuming the isolators on the motor mounts is what he is talking about. Motor mounts are rare now. You can buy some of chucks, or you can look for NOS (new old stock not nawwwsss) or swap in a mustang k-member  from 79?-93, or 83-85 tbird/cougar, and use mustang mounts.
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: softtouch on July 13, 2006, 02:55:05 PM
I see what he is talking about in the '84 shop manual. Unfortunately since I upgraded to Windows XP I don't have a scanner.
The damper is not used on 2.3L Mustang. Is used on T-Bird/Cougar and LTD.

The bracket for the top of the damper shares one of the motor mount bolts and has a second bolt directly to the engine block. The bracket for the bottom of the damper is on the rear side of the crossmember.

The damper is called  6F031-Assembly.
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: MasterBlaster on July 14, 2006, 10:17:22 AM
Quote
since I upgraded to Windows XP I don't have a scanner.
Is used on T-Bird/Cougar and LTD.
Well, then... Windows 95a, a "dumpster" Epson scanner, and Haynes "Ford Mid-size" manual to the rescue.
.
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: softtouch on July 14, 2006, 05:23:35 PM
Yeah that's it. The T-Bird/Cougar uses two of them, one on each side. And the mounting hardware is different.
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: Thunder Chicken on July 14, 2006, 08:16:10 PM
The '87 TC I sped didn't have anything that looked like that in it...
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: Ductape91 on September 14, 2007, 02:49:51 PM
sorry to drag this old thread up but my 84 mustang vert. with the 3.8 v6 has an engine damper on it(the mount is welded on the innerfender and not bolted like on the pic posted) my thunderbird doesnt have any that i could see and i was thinking of adding it to my thunderbird ;)
not really sure if it would make any difference though
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: rodsterh on October 16, 2007, 09:00:05 PM
Here's a great picture of an almost NOS pair for an SVO recently sold on ebay.

These are very similar to what is on a 83 TC.
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: Chuck W on October 16, 2007, 11:25:59 PM
Those were not used on the 85-88TC's

I think only the 83 TC's used them.  I didn't have a set on my 84 XR-7 that I recall.  I didn't look close enough at the 84TC I had before I sold it.

The SVO-type mounts (the flat rectangle ones) have a lot more slop in them than the type used on the 83-84 TCs, and thus the need.
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: rodsterh on October 17, 2007, 11:10:14 AM
Thanks Chuck,

I know an original owner 84TC so I'll check with him to see if his car has them. If not, maybe the 84's used a different motor mount.

So the 85-86 TCs had different (better?) motor mounts?
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: Chuck W on October 17, 2007, 11:39:26 AM
83-84TC's used the same motor mounts, which are pretty much identical to the 87-93 2.3 EFI Mustangs.

85TC's used a similar mount to the 83-84's, but are not interchangeable unless you change the adapters on the K-member.  These were only used one year.

86-88 mounts are all simlar and interchangeable.


BTW, these things aren't needed if you're using my mounts ;)
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: rodsterh on October 17, 2007, 11:54:28 AM
Great info...so basically the dampers were there to compensate for a sloppy motor mount?

I thought your motor mount application was for 87-88 only. I've been working on other projects so I need to go back and revisit your motor mount specs.

Feel free to update us with any new info. :shameless plug for you: :)
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: Chuck W on October 17, 2007, 09:32:51 PM
Quote from: rodsterh;182972
Great info...so basically the dampers were there to compensate for a sloppy motor mount?

I thought your motor mount application was for 87-88 only. I've been working on other projects so I need to go back and revisit your motor mount specs.

Feel free to update us with any new info. :shameless plug for you: :)


I've had mounts for the 83-85 2.3T cars as long as I've had ones for the 86-88 (for almost 4 years now).  I can also cover the 3.8's and 5.0's in the 86-88 cars as well.
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: grutinator on October 18, 2007, 12:01:41 AM
wtf everybody? hes talking about a little shock absorber between the frame/body and the engine. on modern cars, mostly 4 cylinders, the motor mounts really dont do much more then let the engine rest on the frame without shaking real bad. the shock absorber is mounted 90* from the engine movement(torque) to soften the blow the motor mounts take when the engine torques around, without it, mounts will eat up quicker and youll feel the engine getting thrown around. i didnt know that our cars had em, but i only own 5.0's also.


Quote from: BobNorway;92697

A 12 cylinder engine can be run without them.


dont give anyone any ideas now
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: CougarSE on October 18, 2007, 12:03:04 AM
They must have installed those to dampen the poor idle caused by the ecu with less power than a calculator.
Title: Engine Damper
Post by: Chuck W on October 18, 2007, 06:41:19 AM
Quote from: grutinator;183103
wtf everybody? hes talking about a little shock absorber between the frame/body and the engine. on modern cars, mostly 4 cylinders, the motor mounts really dont do much more then let the engine rest on the frame without shaking real bad. the shock absorber is mounted 90* from the engine movement(torque) to soften the blow the motor mounts take when the engine torques around, without it, mounts will eat up quicker and youll feel the engine getting thrown around. i didnt know that our cars had em, but i only own 5.0's also.


dont give anyone any ideas now


Yes..we know what he's talking about.

They were used on the 2.3Ts (and a few others) because the engines "required" such soft motor mounts to keep the overly sensitive types from complaining about NVH.  As the mounts "improved" over the years, the damper was no longer needed.

Look at 79-82 2.3 or an SVO w/o stock mounts missing those dampers.  It looks like the engine is going to come out of the engine bay at any moment...