Hello all, my first post here having owned my Super Spec for a whole 48 hours. I was a bit concerned that the sump was low, but had read lots about how this is "normal". However, it turns out that my problems are bit more serious as the front engine mount has snapped. Is this common? Any suggestions on how to fix it?

Edited August 23Aug 23 by Patrick

I had a similar problem on my Superspec about 10 years ago. It’s difficult to see in your photo but your bracket and crack doesn’t look quite the same as mine.

On my car a large metal plate goes over the chassis cross-tube as an upside down L. It had partially cracked on one of the folds and was pulling apart. The previous owner of the car had it welded but the weld was also pulling apart. See photo. You can just see the weld repair along the top.

The bracket plate is a bespoke Robin Hood part. As GBS took over everything Robin Hood related you could try asking them if have templates to cut and supply the engine mount bracket for a Superspec. But I suspect they won’t be able to help. You’ll probably have to make one yourself like I did.

I made a paper template of the plate with dimensions and had a local place cut a new one out of 2 or 3mm stainless steel plate (sorry can’t remember exactly). I bent this by hammering in a vise to get it to the correct shape. Then I cut the old plate off with an angle grinder and had someone weld the new plate on.

Then it was just a case of refitting the engine mount rubber block between the holes in the L plate and then bolting back onto the engine block.

In talking to other Superspec owners there do seem to be several variations of fixing to the engine block, so not all brackets may be the same!

Thank Andy. Looks like stripping down the front end is the first job to see what remains of the old mount and then work from there.

Remove nose cone, drain coolant and take out the radiator, if your car still has the large angled rad from a Rover SD1. Plenty of room to access the front engine mount and plate then.

Patrick, your map pin says you’re near Grafham, and I’m fairly local in Bedford. So, happy to make a visit to have a look at your engine mount and compare notes with mine, if it helps at all. PM me.

Thanks Andy. Pulled the rad out tonight and this is what I have. Now I have to decide if I want to get a whole new mount fabricated or get the exiting bits put back together and strengthened.

Ok so your mounting plate does look the same as mine, though unfortunately both the horizontal and vertical parts have sheared off. Don’t know what might have caused that unless the engine has been grounded forcefully.

You’d best check with a metal fabricator as to whether those plates could be welded back together and maintain their strength. I preferred to have a new one made.

A nice man called Adam came round today, welded back on the broken pieces and then fabricated new parts to strengthen the whole assembly. So problem solved.