[macario]

I have seen some use torque straps or rods on their engines and wondered if it is really worth the effort to use one? If so, where are good places to attach them? Does anyone here fabricate them or know of another source for them? Thanks.

Mac

 

[Dodge 85 RC]

What are they?

 

[Evildriver-3]

Unless you have a problem ripping motor mounts, i wouldn't worry about it.

Torque strap is either a bar or a cable , chain, strap used to hold the motor tight against the motor mount and limit it's movement

 

[macario]

They can be a metal bar or a chain that is attached to the engine at one end and the frame at the other end such that it reduces the engine from turning on its mounts (if they are rubber) due to the effect of the torque of the turning mass (the crank, etc) especially during hard acceleration This is supposed to reduce horsepower loss due to the turning and keep it going to the wheels instead. That is the way I understand it anyway.

What are they?

 

[macario]

Well, not ripping mounts but to help out a bit with torque to the wheels instead of torque to the engine. Depending on the direction of rotation, the engine always wants to turn in the same direction during acceleration.

Unless you have a problem ripping motor mounts, i wouldn't worry about it.

Torque strap is either a bar or a cable , chain, strap used to hold the motor tight against the motor mount and limit it's movement

 

[CLRracer]

do u really need the little bit of torque bad enough to put in straps?

Duane

 

[macario]

Every little bit helps when your competition is burning NOX, and also I've got my RC tuned to within an inch of it's life, so I'm just trying to catch every drop of wasted power and get it to where it belongs and still try to stay basically stock. What I'm asking is, is it worth the effort in the experience of others who may have used torque straps? If it's just a fraction of a ft/lb then I'd say no, but if it is significant I'd say yes.

Mac

do u really need the little bit of torque bad enough to put in straps?

Duane

 

[Evildriver-3]

On a racecar/streetcar i use elephant ears and keep that motor from moving anywhere, in a truck where it is going to go thru a trans and a t-case and a rear and lose much more thru there, unless the motor is moving 6" i wouldn't worry about a torque strap i would worry about wheels, tires, and everything else that is spinning and or heavy with no reason for it

 

[macario]

Evildriver, what are elephant ears?

 

[Ram]

Every little bit helps when your competition is burning NOX, and also I've got my RC tuned to within an inch of it's life, so I'm just trying to catch every drop of wasted power and get it to where it belongs and still try to stay basically stock. What I'm asking is, is it worth the effort in the experience of others who may have used torque straps? If it's just a fraction of a ft/lb then I'd say no, but if it is significant I'd say yes.

Mac

do u really need the little bit of torque bad enough to put in straps?

Duane

You would proly get more power dropping the fan and going with an electric one with theromstat to control it! Unless your drag racing and have problems with the engine launching out of the motor mounts and through the radiator, I wouldn't bother with trying to get a lb or less of elusive torque! Any way if you don't mount them right and they are to rigid then your putting to much torque onto the frame and that is a hole other set of problems.

 

[macario]

Good point about the frame stress. I had wondered about that. Regarding the electric fans, I want to keep it as close to stock as possible so that rules that out.

Every little bit helps when your competition is burning NOX, and also I've got my RC tuned to within an inch of it's life, so I'm just trying to catch every drop of wasted power and get it to where it belongs and still try to stay basically stock. What I'm asking is, is it worth the effort in the experience of others who may have used torque straps? If it's just a fraction of a ft/lb then I'd say no, but if it is significant I'd say yes.

Mac

do u really need the little bit of torque bad enough to put in straps?

Duane

You would proly get more power dropping the fan and going with an electric one with theromstat to control it! Unless your drag racing and have problems with the engine launching out of the motor mounts and through the radiator, I wouldn't bother with trying to get a lb or less of elusive torque! Any way if you don't mount them right and they are to rigid then your putting to much torque onto the frame and that is a hole other set of problems.

 

[dhopkirk]

i use a torque strap on my 86 Buick GN, kept going through motor mounts before using strap. Seems to work pretty good. Havent had a need for one in my 77TD

 

[BrianT]

elephant ears is basically a huge piece of aluminum that is welded on to the frame and it holds theninge in place and the engine doen't have any ability to really move from torque . why u see the super stock cars do big ass wheel stands when they lainch . Anyhow ask ED3 to post apic of one .

 

[william]

The newer Mopar biscuit mounts are "fail safe", unlike the older (pre early 80's?) ones that would fail catastrophically (I have used that term twice today already...) when overloaded. That eliminates the need for torque straps in most cases. Elephant ears consists of steel plate that bolts to the front of the block and then to the frame, eliminating the need for the standard "weak sister" mounts. Not the hot ticket for the street, but strong and allows some creative engine swaps. They are called elephant ears because they are big and grey and eat peanuts.
william

 

[BrianT]

Tganx William couldn't remmeber how to describe the ears exactly but i know they awesome in a race only vehicle though .

 

[macario]

Learn something new every day, I do. Thanks for the "elephant ears" description. Someday that will be an answer on Jeopardy.

William, by biscuit mounts do you mean the new polyethylene mounts, not the old rubber mounts? (maybe I will learn something else new here)

The newer Mopar biscuit mounts are "fail safe", unlike the older (pre early 80's?) ones that would fail catastrophically (I have used that term twice today already...) when overloaded. That eliminates the need for torque straps in most cases. Elephant ears consists of steel plate that bolts to the front of the block and then to the frame, eliminating the need for the standard "weak sister" mounts. Not the hot ticket for the street, but strong and allows some creative engine swaps. They are called elephant ears because they are big and grey and eat peanuts.
william

 

[william]

By biscuit mounts I was referring to the rubber (maybe they are polyethylene? Black rubbery looking stuff) isolated mounts that go between the motor mounts and the frame. The parts that look like little rubber filled ice cream sandwiches with a stud on either side. The older ones could be separated if loaded or deteriorated enough. Somewhere along the line Mopar redesigned these so that even if the rubber let go, the mounts would hold the engine down. As for the material, I am not sure if the new mopar ones are poly, or maybe they all were? Sorry for the confusion there, I may have been using the the term "rubber" flippantly.
Another tidbit is that they used to have these same mounts on all their cars, but round about 73 ( 73 on A bodies?) they stopped using the biscuit mounts and started the spool type mounts. I think on E bodies they never went to the spools (I am sure my 74 fish has biscuits), not sure about other body styles.
william

 

[macario]

Yeah those are the standard mounts on a 75 through 79 RC, but they either come in regular rubber or the stronger stiffer polyethylene but the poly ones cost more if you can find them. Gotta make sure we avoid those catastrophic failures.

By biscuit mounts I was referring to the rubber (maybe they are polyethylene? Black rubbery looking stuff) isolated mounts that go between the motor mounts and the frame. The parts that look like little rubber filled ice cream sandwiches with a stud on either side. The older ones could be separated if loaded or deteriorated enough. Somewhere along the line Mopar redesigned these so that even if the rubber let go, the mounts would hold the engine down. As for the material, I am not sure if the new mopar ones are poly, or maybe they all were? Sorry for the confusion there, I may have been using the the term "rubber" flippantly.
Another tidbit is that they used to have these same mounts on all their cars, but round about 73 ( 73 on A bodies?) they stopped using the biscuit mounts and started the spool type mounts. I think on E bodies they never went to the spools (I am sure my 74 fish has biscuits), not sure about other body styles.
william

 

[Evildriver-3]

Brian i don't have any pics scanned into the comp showing any motors in a car, and i know alot of you have heard it so many times before i gotta get a new digi cam.

But Brian and William hit it on the head.

Now let me tell you what to expect if you're gonna try and use elephant ears on the street, on a big block you lose the fan and go with elec since the plate spaces the pump forward and you don't want the drag anyway.

Now you get this little german made audi steering pump ($$$) and mount it under the drivers side ear making all the brackets yourself or copying mine and it runs to the forward crank pulley and water pump (you need to machine a biscuit to further space it forward if you use a fluid damper).

The mini alt mounts to the lower side pass ear (also from a german car) and uses the rear pulley, again brackets made yourself or copied, the a/c if you keep it mounts as usual and uses the second pulley straight up and down with a little idler to keep it off the water pump.

On a sb same stuff different brackets

 

[macario]

Evildriver-3: Wow that is a lot of fabrication of parts but real interesting and great to learn something new!