Sam Buchanan

Just got off the phone with Berbaum, was told the mounts I received were from stock they received about a year and a half ago. I asked if they had gotten any feedback about too-firm mounts or if any other mounts were available and the answer to both inquiries was "No".

Joe, I think by having the bolts loose enough to not compress the mounts I've accomplished pretty much the same thing as leaving out the bottom mount. But it might be worth a try.

Those mounts "look" identical to what I have and to all the other mounts I found. Steele's revulcanization service is the only exception I've seen. Compare the bottom mount to what is in the Service Manual illustration.....it ain't the same. But they should work fine with a longer bolt if they are soft enough.

@Dodgeb4ya stated the following in posts in a different thread: "Some new replacement mounts have rubber that's way too hard. Will cause vibration." "The rubber should be soft enough to push a thumbnail into it." The mounts I installed are much firmer than that. I think it is obvious that the mounts are just too hard.

The diagram does not match the mounts that are sold for our application. The tube is not long enough to extend all the way through the thick bottom mount. Tightening the bolt compresses the mounts and makes them "harder". I have the bolt set now so the mounts aren't compressed. Yes, the mounts now available appear to be different from what was originally installed. The photo Don posted is what is now shipped if you order mounts from any of the sources I found. Compare the bottom mount with the one in the manual illustration and you will see it is very different. The education continues. ?

Looks very similar to what I installed. I had to use a 4" bolt instead of the shorter one that was removed. There was no bottom mount, I assumed it had deteriorated to the point it had fallen out. But maybe it never was there since the old bolt was shorter?? The illustration in the manual doesn't show a "thick" bottom mount.

Interesting thought. The front mount has not been changed. But not the driveshaft, can depress clutch at speed and vibration goes away as engine rpm decays.

Were they soft enough??????? ?

No stripes. Interestingly, the mounts I have and all the ones I've seen listed in ads except for Steeles, don't match the illustrations in the manual (which I now have memorized...). The bottom mounts are so much larger than the ones in the manual that I had to use longer bolts. I'm wondering if whoever makes these mounts is shipping combinations of mounts that are different than they were in the original installation. Or maybe the illustration in the manual is for a different installation than the '48? I've learned (?) far more about engine mounts than I ever wanted to know...... ?

I haven't seen any hardness info in any of the listings. All the ads I've seen except Steele look like the same mounts. Inconsistency batch-to-batch would make this a real crap shoot....

I don't have any reason to think these are NOS, they looked very fresh to me, were not in any marked packaging. Price was about the same as other sources I checked, just figured AB would be more likely to sell more of them and not have any problems. But...... I have not contacted any other vendors....yet. Just looked at Steele, they only offer revulcanization service for the upper mounts. Not sure what you use for the lowers....or if you even use a lower, maybe just the big washer.....I'm kinda confused on this.

Andy, I have not, and I don't have any interest in throwing a vendor under the bus. This entire situation is still unfolding for me and my learning curve is steep. I didn't realize there were issues with some mounts until two days ago (had never purchased or installed old Mopar mounts) so I'm still in the process of evaluating my options. There are Mopar guys on the forum with far deeper background on this matter than I and I'm waiting to see what alternatives are available for those who need engine mounts. For some reason there doesn't appear to be much firm info bubbling to the surface, folks are laying low. I don't know how many manufacturers of mounts there are and how many of the mounts seen on various ads are coming from the same sources. Without definitive details I'm kinda in the dark. But I will contact AB soon.

Joe, I'll check out the bushings....did you find them at a local store (I haven't searched yet)? The new mounts did eliminate most of the clutch chatter.....now it just vibrates......

I relieved the torque on the bolts to the point where the washers on the bottom are just barely captured and the ride isn't too bad. Still enough vibes to feel but not enough to keep me from driving and enjoying the car. But, yes, buy soft mounts if you can find them....and let us know!

The information in this thread is scattered over multiple threads with unrelated titles. For archiving purposes the info is condensed in this thread so future owners can more easily find it. The rear engine mounts in my '48 P15 were totally shot so I ordered new ones from Andy Bernbaum. They arrived promptly and looked like the mounts I've seen advertised from other vendors. The lower mount was thicker than my old set so longer, 4-inch bolts were necessary to install the mounts. The engine could be jacked up sufficiently to insert the upper mount into the frame crossmember. I noticed the new mounts were quite hard....it wasn't possible to press a thumbnail into the material. I pulled the bolts up snug and everything looked as it should. As soon as the engine fired for the first test drive it was obvious a large amount of vibration was being transmitted into the car. Matter of fact, it was really unpleasant. After the first test drive I backed off the torque on the bolts and tested again. Significant vibration was still present, especially around 40mph in third gear. The engine smoothed out at higher speed. I have changed to nyloc nuts on the bolts so they can be torqued only enough to hold the mounts and lower washers in place. There is still more vibration that I like....but it seems obvious these mounts are made out of a material that is much firmer than needed. The reason for this thread is to caution owners that hard mounts are out there.....and you don't want them! Posts on the forum have indicated that softer mounts are available and if anyone knows a source for softer mounts it would be greatly appreciated if that info could be provided. This is another case of replacing worn-out parts but ending up with a situation that is not what we expected.....old cars can be a character-building process..... UPDATE; See post #54 for the remedy to the harsh mounts....the lower mounts were the problem.

After a few short test trips around town it appears the transmission leak is fixed. I think the key was getting the bearing retainer sealed so it will drain oil back into the transmission instead of on the shop floor.

Engine mount travails are being discussed in this thread: http://p15-d24.com/topic/47787-48-plymouth-reverse/?tab=comments#comment-539428 New mounts have been installed but it seems likely they are made of rubber that is too hard and causing vibration problems.

The ones I got are harder than that....... Where do we buy "soft" mounts?

Might be the case.....that would be disappointing.... Mine came from Andy Bernbaum, any field history with those?

Resting height is maybe 1/2" higher at most, considering I was able to raise the engine at least 4" I don't think the engine is touching the body. I didn't replace the front mount so never got closer than a couple of feet to the balancer. I can see how firm mounts could transmit some vibration but the old engine has really been smooth thus far. I'll take a close look at the exhaust tomorrow.

Reverse is back, just needed to tighten the gear selector rod adjustment a few turns. Still have significant vibration at lower engine speeds but I suspect the exhaust pipe may have gotten tweaked enough in the course of jacking up the engine to replace the mounts that it is now touching the frame crossmember at certain rpm. It's a hard mechanical vibration....the engine runs smoothly and it isn't the driveshaft. Need to take a look.....

Haven't really looked at those yet....on my list.

The totally shot rear mounts on my '48 P15 have been replaced. I tightened the mounts down until they snugged up against the spacer and took the car for a drive. First thing I noticed was a significant amount of vibration being transmitted into the car at low speed, really not very pleasant. It was smooth at highway speed but not nearly as smooth at low speed as the old, smushed mounts. I also noticed a bit of notchiness going into second. However, it seems the previous clutch chatter has been minimized. Back in the shop I loosened the mounts 2-3 turns and the car is now much smoother. However, it won't shift into reverse. Is this because the gear selector rod is now too "long" since the transmission is sitting higher on the new mounts than it was on the sacked out mounts? Will backing off on the selector rod nuts allow reverse to be engaged? I've studied the manual and training film, just thought someone who has already been down this path might provide confirmation or suggestions. Thanks in advance!

UHaul has a really nice trailer......

These motor mounts should have a few more years in them.....but I decided to replace them anyway......pretty bad when you have to replace stuff every 72 years..... The reason there is no photo of the lower mounts is because they were.......GONE! As in "they done left the building....gone". I was dreading getting enough clearance to swap out the the mounts but there was more than enough to pull the old and insert the new. PlymouthyAdams, think this might help my clutch chatter?