Need some help...

[Wayne 962]

Hi all. As many of you know, I'm working on the restoration of this car here:

Adams Probe 16 Restoration Project...

There is a custom motor mount which uses some type of suspension bushing, but I cannot seem to locate a replacement. Most bushings are listed as fitting a particular make/model/year of car, but the websites don't ever seem to list the dimensions? I found a Urethane bushing that will fit, but I want to use rubber, since this is being used as a motor mount, and it needs to have maximum vibration dampening.

I've spend about three hours trying to track this down now, and such a simple task seems to have left me flummoxed. Any suggestions?

Here's the bushing:




Here are the dimensions:




Here's the generic bushing that will fit, but made of urethane:

https://www.energysuspensionparts.com/9.8141

Any suggestions? It might be off of an Austin MINI or a Jaguar from 1969 or so. Dunno...

-Wayne

[E38Driver]

Found this site. Have to convert to metric but it may help.
https://superpro.com.au/bush-sizing

Dave

[LWJ]

If you come up empty, I have a tip.

I met a guy who rebuilt a 1920’s Marmon (I think!) engine. He needed piston rings. Naturally nobody had them. He went to a NAPA and they had books and books of piston rings. He went through until he found a size that fit. I saw the car running, so it worked well.

This happened 20 years ago. Not sure if they still have these magical books or not. It’s possible.

Good luck!

[Zeke]

Hard rubber will turn on a lathe. May have to use a Dremel type cutter on a grinder post. The inner bushing can serve as the mandrel.

[LWJ]

^^^ might turn better if good and cold - dry ice?

[wdfifteen]

Several options here:
The countermen at my NAPA store would look through their stock for me to find a bushing that fit. I know that isn't the case everywhere, but that would be my first option.

The other option is if you can't find a bushing to fit that piece of pipe, find a pipe that fits an available bushing. Cut off the old pipe and weld on the new one.

[Wayne 962]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Several options here:
The countermen at my NAPA store would look through their stock for me to find a bushing that fit. I know that isn't the case everywhere, but that would be my first option.

The other option is if you can't find a bushing to fit that piece of pipe, find a pipe that fits an available bushing. Cut off the old pipe and weld on the new one.

I wasn't sure any of the local stores would have bushings like these in stock? I can check - good suggestion...

-Wayne

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Wayne 962

I wasn't sure any of the local stores would have bushings like these in stock? I can check - good suggestion...

-Wayne

We have good NAPA stores around here with countermen who know what they're doing. That may not be the case in California. If I had that part here I'm pretty sure one of the guys would find something for me.

O'Riley's, Autozone, etc can't find their own asses without a model make and year.

[Wayne 962]

Originally Posted by E38Driver

Found this site. Have to convert to metric but it may help.
https://superpro.com.au/bush-sizing

Dave

That's a great site, but after spending a bunch of time there, those appear to only be available in Australia, and again, they are urethane, not rubber. Darn.

Actually, I looked at the chart, matched the best one, searched the Internet, came up with eBay Australia, and that part number says it matches a Ford Capri 1974 1.6 Coupe. So that might prove to be very useful!

-Wayne

[Tobra]

One of our members makes rubber parts, 914 guy from Canada, can't recall his screen name, Bruce is his actual name I think

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by LWJ

^^^ might turn better if good and cold - dry ice?

With a spinning cutter at 20,000 RPM (it doesn't matter how fast the lathe is turning) chances of snagging the part are minimum. Feed rate is also key. And it makes a hell of a mess.

I have the lathe and the Dremel. No way to hold it. The best set up is a Dumore grinder but I don't have that. Here is a cobbed together die grinder on a tool post.



One can use a stone or a bit. A stone would finish it up nicely but it won't plunge to make the initial bore.

[rfuerst911sc]

Rubber shock absorber bushing maybe ?

[fintstone]

Might take a look at this one:
https://www.steelerubber.com/shock-and-stabilizer-bushing-50-0220-32

[Scott Douglas]

I've been thinking about this problem all morning and came up with a nerdy solution of sorts.

Take the urethane bushing and drill a series of holes parallel to the main hole in the wall of the bushing. Holes about .040 in diameter should leave enough wall thickness to give it some rigidity but also give it some flex.

I'm sure Wayne has the smarts to figure out how many holes are needed to give the desired cushion for the mount. I'd think the urethane would last a lot longer than any rubber part.

[fintstone]

Here is one that is pretty close:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/paj-1203-r

[LWJ]

This thread is an example of Pelican Awesomeness.

Bunch of engineers/ DIY people solving problems.

This is simply good clean fun.

[DRONE]

We would freeze our bushings with either dry ice or liquid nitrogen then cut our bushings to size

[Alan A]

It looks rather like a TR6 trailing arm bushing.
I’ll go measure one tomorrow and check dimensions.

[fintstone]

Any luck with this?

[greglepore]

Guys on the w140 board on Benzworld turn down BMW bushings to fit MB control arms all of the time. Me, I just bought complete arms, but its doeable.