SIII swb88 '72 Rear engine/gearbox mounts seriously out of alignment

Hi everyone, I would be eternally grateful if someone could put me right on this. I've been working on getting my 72swb back on the road - I was well aware of the adage "Don't buy someone else's project" - How true! The rear engine/gearbox mounts are seriously out of line. No amount of slackening all the mounts and twisting the drivetrain in the chassis will get them to align. All rubber mounts are new.

I first noticed it when I was installing the handbrake mech and the gearbox was way over to the passenger side. I checked, then reversed, the handed lower 'triangular' brackets, thinking that would solve it, but No!

If I align the gearbox to be parallel with the chassis, then the handbrake mech all lines up brilliantly, but look at the photo, the mounting holes are 25mm adrift (they are about 15mm out on the nearside) I will not be offended in any way if you point out that I have been being stupid, I just want it sorted so I can move on. My only view of a solution is to have some modified 'triangular' brackets made but that seems desperate.

Please, any well intentioned ideas are welcomed, thanks Terry

Not sure but maybe things have just sagged a bit and it needs jacking up and levering across?

kermit_rr said:

Not sure but maybe things have just sagged a bit and it needs jacking up and levering across?

Click to expand...

Thanks, I changed all the mounts in case that was the prob. If I tighten up all the bolts, they pull the drivetrain back to the left and the handbrake mech is then 25mm out of alignment and the engine not parallel to the chassis.

I'm not sure if it's the same as an SIII, but if it is, have you got this bracket in there. It's an extra, shown as I found it after I'd made the same mistake.



Belongs on the front driver's side.

Hi, thx, yes I recognised that as the front offside bracket. I only have the 2 small triangular brackets - 1 one each rubber - and I am sure - handed correctly. T

I'm baffled then, because your symptoms are what mine were.

Just to be completely clear though, you've got three things between the engine and chassis on that corner - engine bracket, bush and the bracket above?

My Richards' SIII Lightweight was a bit off, both back mounts about 5mm too far back, but that was a symmetrical mistake and meant I had to open the holes up a bit.

Thx, I appreciate your time. Below are the offside front with the bracket you mentioned. The other is the rear offside - photo taken from front showing triangular bracket then rubber mount the bracket bolted to gearbox.

Some pictures of mine coming apart in case it triggers a thought. One thing I notice is that you have square mounts. Could one be the wrong height? Don't suppose they've got part numbers on that you can check?







Incomplete, but may help? Annoyingly the pictures I put up in my similar thread https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-ro...es-in-shouldnt-be-this-hard-should-it.344147/ haven't survived, and I can't find them here.

Many thanks again, I am currently working on the theory that the last bodger, either put a wrong crossmember in or something. I have a mate measuring his mounts as I write. Everything else looks right compared to yours and his.

I believed the square rubber mounts are interchangeable with the round ones and preferrable on the 2.25 diesel. ?

The other thought I had, bit like yours, was did he modify it to take a newer engine?

Quite possibly true on the mounts, mine's petrol.

Busy tomorrow, but if nobody else steps in and solves it I'll get some pictures of mine on Friday - as it is now - and you can compare with what you have.

(I should have an overhauled starter to put back in, so will be under it anyway).

ps. Do put the starter and clutch slave on before you cover it in bodywork.

Get some round mounts and with box jacked up get both sides into place with nuts on but still loose, lower and tighten nuts.