sprint engine stabilizer bar

[AllanNorton]

Hi
Does anyone have pictures or advice as to how to fit a stabilizer bar (similar to the one on a dolomite) to the top of a sprint engine with an S&S sports exhaust manifold in a TR7 please.
Any help would be gratefully received.

Thanks
Allan

[dursleyman]

Why do you need one? Never used one on mine.

[AllanNorton]

Hi Russ

I Have very little clearance between the exhaust manifold and the chassis rail and the two come together with a series of "bangs" when starting the engine form cold which can't be good for either of them. I have been told by an "expert" that a stabilizer bar will help - would I just be wasting my time / money in fitting one? what's your opinion please?

[saabfast]

I would have thought it would work, it is only absorbing the torque reaction of the engine. There are a number of different ones available from the likes of Minispares, Moss etc and it must be possible to adapt the brackets to suit.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=mini+ ... GUBRXME%3D

[nick]

The early cars came with a stabilizer on the lower left hand side. My '76 car has one. Those cars had a different lower mount and a solid rod that ran from the engine back to some attachment point. Not sure why they changed that configuration. Also, some clearance may be had by installing a new lower engine mount.

[FI Spyder]

The new lower engine mount is the same as the side mount. I thought it was just for parts consolidation. As for solid to cable engine restraint I'm guessing it is to give the engine some torque movement ability while still meeting US safety regulations. A friend has Sprint conversion and I think S&S exhaust. I'll check with him at meeting tonight.

[jeffremj]

Hi, nearly all the 4 branch exhaust manifolds hit the chassis rail. I cured it by pulling the engine away from the chassis. This was done by removing metal from the engine mount bracket TKC3785 as seen here:



Here are pictures by Bobbieslandy showing how he did it:





Original listing that mentions that 6 to 7 mm were removed:

http://tr7triumph.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11956&p=99151

[FI Spyder]

I asked my friend with a Sprint and S&S headers and he doesn't have any chassis contact. As the headers are hand made no two would be the same. I did forget to ask if they are 4-2-1 or 4-1. If he's at car show this Sunday I'll look.

[dursleyman]

My exhaust manifold is a stainless one from S&S and yes there is not much clearance to the chassis rail so I did the same mod to my engine mounts which leans the engine over slightly and that seems to be enough to prevent serious contact. Actual clearance is about 1/4". I am also using some old soft engine and gearbox mountings rather than the modern harder replacements because it reduces vibration and noise. There is a small mark showing that there must have been contact sometimes but its not enough for me to worry about. If I was using the car for any kind of competition work then the hard mountings would go back on.
I understand some folks "modify" the manifold and/or the chassis rail with a hammer to achieve the same result but that seems a bit too crude for me.

[nick]

My exhaust manifold is a stainless one from S&S and yes there is not much clearance to the chassis rail so I did the same mod to my engine mounts which leans the engine over slightly and that seems to be enough to prevent serious contact. Actual clearance is about 1/4". I am also using some old soft engine and gearbox mountings rather than the modern harder replacements because it reduces vibration and noise. There is a small mark showing that there must have been contact sometimes but its not enough for me to worry about. If I was using the car for any kind of competition work then the hard mountings would go back on.
I understand some folks "modify" the manifold and/or the chassis rail with a hammer to achieve the same result but that seems a bit too crude for me.

That gaiter is looking a little rough

[dursleyman]

Rest assured Nick, the gaiter is "on the list".

[AllanNorton]

Many Thanks to you all for the information. I'll give the mounting mod a go first I think.