SHO NUT Performance
Reinforced Motor Mounts are NEW Ford mounts that we personally
reinforce. We call these mounts 'zero-clearance' because we make sure each
mount has no space between the limiting plates we weld in and the rubber body
of the mount. This means that to get any flexing of the mount, you
actually need to compress the rubber in the mount against the limiting
plate. Other reinforced engine mounts designs still allow some mount
movement before the limiting pin or plate hits the rubber body in the mount,
since they are built with a gap between the limiting part of the mount and the
rubber body in the mount, so they will allow more movement than our mounts.
If you put other reinforced mounts in a vice
and try to flex them, you cannot tell the difference between them and a stock
mount, since even though you are flexing the mount, the limiting pins or plates
are not yet touching the rubber in the mount. When you put one of our
mounts in a vice and try to flex them, you move the table the vise is attached
to.
The front mount gets one additional limiting
plate.
The rear mount gets two additional limiting plates (since this mount works more
in compression than the front mount), requiring more work (and cost) to
reinforce.
There are two levels of the mounts –
regular, and EXTREME. Both are
made in the same fashion, except that the limiting plates are pressed further
into the mounts with the EXTREME version.
The regular units have the limiting plate pressed into the mount body
about 1/8” or so, while the EXTREME units are pressed into the mount body about
½” with a hydraulic press and a special jig.
The regular ones are intended for normal
performance driving. The EXTREME
units are intended for powerful cars that are drag raced or driven really hard
and/or supercharged/NOS cars.
The regular ones will allow some motor
movement, while the EXTREME units hardly allow any movement at all.
These mounts are as close as you can get to
solid motor mounts without actually welding the mount solid. However,
there is no noticeable increase in noise, vibration or harshness (NVH) for the
standard units (The EXTREME units may increase NVH). The mount is the
proper place to limit engine movement, since the mount and it's attaching
brackets are designed for such strong forces.
These mounts are guaranteed for life, and
WILL be the last mount you buy.
NOTE that the guarantee is for separation of
the rubber in the mount from the inner frame. It does NOT cover mounts where the mounting holes/captive
nuts or studs have been damaged or ripped off (this has happened), since this
is an installation error of not tightening the bolts properly, or simply
breaking the bolts attaching the mounts to the engine. If you want to keep the bolts
from coming loose, red Loctite is recommended, along with new bolts. It is also worthwhile to double-nut the
bolts, and a nut that works well is the V6 Exhaust Stud Nuts (4) N800-152-S2
from the Clutch page. This nut is
a tall, high strength M10x1.5 locking nut with a flange. The torque spec is 55 ft.lb. for the
two through bolts, and 75 ft.lb. for the nut on the stud that goes through the
subframe.
NOTE also that early versions of the mounts
had the area around the limiting plate filled with black silicone. This silicone will crack, and such a
crack in the silicone is not considered mount breakage – it is normal. The current versions of the mounts do
not have silicone between the limiting plate and the body of the mount.
Please also note that the mounts will wear
with time, and become a little looser than when brand new. As long as the rubber has not separated
between the inner frame of the mount and the rubber in the mount, the mount has
not failed – this is simply normal wear.
If you feel that you have excessive
movement, make sure that the nut-to-subframe is tight, the bolts are tight, and
the brackets that the mounts are attached to are not cracked. Leaving the bolts loose will damage the
mounting holes/captive nuts in the mount, so if you have movement, check it
right away before the mounting holes/captive nuts in the mount are damaged –
damage which is NOT covered under warranty.
A good way to verify what is actually loose is to get under the car and push and pull on the end of the Y-pipe, watching the motor mount area for movement – here you will see if you have a broken mount-to-engine bracket, loose bolts, or a loose mount.