Transit Mk1 Cologne Fire Engine engine mount query

[simond]

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Hi

Last year I bought a 1971 German twin wheel fire engine, fitted with what I now know to be a Cologne V4 1.7 engine.

Sold to me as in mint condition, this is a bit of an overstatement.

My current problem is the engine mountings, which don''t look right where they attach to the crossmember. Also the gearbox shift doesn't go into 1st properly because the gearlever aperture isn't correctly aligned with the hole in the floor.

I'm hoping someone with a similar German transit can identify whether it is the mounts on the engine or the crossmember that are wrong?

[Chug]

It looks like the gearbox is sitting too low and the gear lever movement is restricted by the floor hole to me.

[dumper]

If it’s the early V4 the gearbox rear mount would be the type that hangs off the body so shouldn’t be to low unless the bush in the gearbox tail shaft is worn the same could apply if the type with a lower x member rubbers are worn .Looking at the front mounting is there something missing from under the rubber mounting it doesn’t look to be sitting right if so that would give the same effect as the gearbox being to low .

[simond]

Hi Dumper

The gearbox does indeed hang from the top rubber bush so can't move up and down very much, as you say.

The front engine mounts on a crossmember with two factory supports, they haven't been altered, strangely the mounts on the engine sit on top of two peaks on the crossmember supports. There are witness marks on the crossmember where it looks like earlier in the crossmember's life the mounts were once fitted in a more conventional inclined position inboard, rather than plonked on top. So my feeling is that the crossmember was off another Transit and someone has perched my Cologne V4 on top, and made it fit!

Granted, this does sound rather implausible, but my reasoning is that someone in the past was going to fit a different engine, possibly even got round to doing it, and then popped the Cologne V4 back in when they sold it. It sort of fits but not quite thus the misalignment of the gearbox. Both bolts on the rubber cottonreels to the crossmember were loose, one had about 6 turns to go. Which also makes me think the engine was put back in a hurry.

The alternative is that it has the wrong engine mounting brackets on the engine itself, but I think this is less likely.

I was hoping someone with a similar Austrian fire engine, or LHD Transit, could have a look at theirs. I've looked online but unsurprisingly there aren't may engine pictures that show the crossmember fitted as it left the factory....

Simon

[dumper]

With it been left hand drive does it have something different to a uk van the gear lever looks nearer to left from memory when removing the gear lever from inside the cab they used to look more central in floor hole. .
Just another off the wall Mike Brewer from Wheeler Dealers has got the mk 1 x German fire Brigade van they converted to right-hand drive if it’s possible to contact him, he may be able to help . The V4 I had I fitted a pinto in it it had the same type of front cross member as yours but the rubber mount went into a slot rather then a hole and not being fixed hole as you dropped the engine onto the cross member it would settle down lower then yours .when I did this conversion I got a set of mk2 pinto engine brackets the driver’s side sat in perfectly but I had to extend the passenger side .I can’t remember if the Perkins 4108 or the Kent engine crossmember was different to the V4 the York and di didn’t have a cross member each side engine body mount was independent of each other.

[muneeb transit]

WE HAVE NEW ENGINE MOUNT FOR TRANSIT MARK2
WWW.MUNEEBAUTOPARTS.COM

[DougT]

I have changed the engine in my Firevan so can't take new photos but this was what it looked like with the original 1.7 V4. Photos not as clear as could be but maybe give you some idea. Mounting rubber look the same and I agree with dumper that your gearstick looks offset to the left. you can see from my photo that the rubber gaiter does offset the gearstick to the front.

Doug

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[DougT]

Comparing photos again, I think you are correct. Your crossmember is different. It is deeper and the rubber mounts have been put on the "point" rather than inboard where they should be for the (perhaps narrower) engine associated with that crossmember. It is also possible that your crossmember offsets the engine a bit to the left therefore interfering with the gearshift.

Is the offset on your engine mounts different from side to side - I'm wondering if there is anything to gain by swapping them over - unlikely I know.

Doug