Type 9 mounting point

[peter_m7uk]

I have my gearbox out at the moment, as I'm going for a rebuild and higher 1st gear. Anyway, it made me think about the rear mounting point, which I know is the lowest point on the car after going over speed bumps!

I kept it as on the Sierra, where a bolt with a long hexagonal end goes through a bell-shaped "washer", then the earth strap is screwed to the end of this hexagon. My question is why the need for this bell-shaped washer? Can't you just leave that off and put an ordinary set screw through the earth strap ring terminal and on into the gearbox? This would significantly raise the lowest point on the car, while still mounting the gearbox and creating an earth...

Pete

[peter_m7uk]

[brumster]

Looking at that, I *suspect* the bell shaped washed is to stop the mount pulling totally through (upwards) in the case of a crash or the rubber bush separating apart? As it doesn't seem to make contact with any rubber directly?

[Leslie Walters]

Apparently this cup washer is to prevent excessive movement in the gearbox mount, I had the same problem with my Haynes Roadster (ground clearance) so I removed it and replaced it with a standard spring and plain washer and it did not appear to have any detrimental effect, I believe there is a "heavy duty" replacement available which I suppose is just increased rigidity in the rubber.

[peter_m7uk]

I have heard others say that they left it off and never had a problem (one for 14 years!), so I am very tempted to remove it..   I will keep it, just in case fate teaches me a lesson and I decide that Ford got it right all along!