I am replacing the engine mounts on our XK120 ('54 FHC) as they are in VERY bad shape.
Has anyone used a jack to lift the engine by the oil pan an inch or so to replace the mounts? I did it this way on our E-Type using a composite wood block about 12"x16"x2.5" thick between the jack and the oil pan, but the oil pan on the E was much flatter and did not have the central longitudinal ridge. I’m thinking I’d have to have a gap at the ridge in the wood support so I am not lifting at the ridge alone.
An engine hoist is not possible to use where I currently have the car situated, so I was hoping I could lift the engine from below a bit.
As long as you spread the load adequately you should be OK. I replaced mine this way and you do not need to lift it very much, just enough to slide out the old one. I see you are from the land of the maple leaf, where are you located?
Yes, I’ve done it with a wood block, just a 2x4 crossways near the front and a roller jack.
If you are not comfortable with that, you could put a couple of small lengthwise blocks on the cross block so the load is carried more close to the vertical sides of the sump.
On the late 120 mounts with a top bolt you should not need to lift very high.
The early mounts have studs so you have to lift higher to get them off.
If the engine mounts are bad, the trans mounts will be bad too. They’re a bear to get to and change, but they locate the rear of the engine. Mine were rotten and broken. Here’s a cleaned up shot so you can see what’s what in case you have a grimy mess down there. The nuts are hard to get to, you might find removing the plate the way to go once you lift it a bit.
Thanks Rob. I have a wood assembly that I first built to lower the diff cage on the E some 15 years ago. It works great for stuff like this I’ll be using a bottle jack as the car is up on the lift.
Thanks Mitchell. Oddly enough the trans mounts were in good shape. The motor mounts, on the other hand could be original - one had virtually no rubber left, but still had the flat washer and serrated washer on the small bolts.
