302 motor mounts

[RangerSphinx]

whats the best kind of motor mounts for a 302 into a 88 ranger? i found the flat steel kind and thought of just making them. would that be a good idea or not?

 

[D'cheat]

There are quite a few places that make v8 swap motor mounts out there.
I have used James Duff's mounts, and Advanced Adapters mounts and was not to thrilled with them. On my latest project, I used the mounts from L&L.
http://www.landlproducts.com/

They cost a bit, but are IMO the best out there.

I would use a mount with rubber or poly bushings. Unless your only going off road, solid mounts will transmit lotso' vibration into the frame and up your seat.

Crating your own mounts is easy. A few bits of flat plate, some tube and a couple big ass bolts. Weld here, weld there and bingo! You have a motor mount

 

[pyro4fun]

Hay D'cheat did you get the ranger / Bronco II motor mounts?
Do you think thy are better than a poly or rubber mount?

These right?

 

[wade]

I would use a mount with rubber or poly bushings. Unless your only going off road, solid mounts will transmit lotso' vibration into the frame and up your seat.

Rubber or Poly -- take your pick. In many ways mounts are a matter of opinion, price, what's expedient, and works best for you.
The two mount methods that impress me most are:
1. Mid-to-late 80's convertible mustang 5.0L mounts, switched side-for-side. Do some searching on "Vert Mounts". Very affordable (~$40) -- and, will handle just about whatever you toss at them, HP-wise.
2. 4.0L V6 mounts (also ~$40), with fabricated adapter plates. Affordable -- but, time consuming to make the plates. You'll spend a little extra ca$h on the 1/4" plate steel and welding. Allows you to position the engine wherever you want it, though. Depending upon the design of your plates -- good for 450 HP. DO NOT use the 4-cyl mounts w/ adapter plates. They're too weak for this task.
If you want to go out and purchase aftermarket mounts, knock yourself out. The only advice I'd offer is -- pay attention to the price you're gonna' pay for the service rendered. Don't put any stock in advertisements stating that their mounts are "plug-n-play". Maybe, the only one that is "plug-n-play" is L&L, but I feel you could spend your hard earned $$ more wisely on other parts for your conversion. They think they are Rumpelstilskin, and want your first-born for any of their products! Screw'em! Ain't nobody that good that they can't be replaced with a reasonable alternative. Get the most bang for your buck that will do the job safely. (Vert Mounts.) I highly recommend searching TRS and RPS for other threads on engine mounts. It's a highly publicized topic -- every time ya' turn around, a newbie is asking about what's been posted numerous times already.

 

[D'cheat]

Hay D'cheat did you get the ranger / Bronco II motor mounts?
Do you think thy are better than a poly or rubber mount?

These right?

They are indeed the mounts I used. You cant tell by the picture, but they are rubber mounts. They have a 1" rubber pad cast into them.
I used solid mounts back with Big Red #1. I made them from plate steel.

In retrospect, I like having that little bit of give in the mounts. Makes for less noise and vibration in the chassis and cab.