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alternative to standard engine steady bar?

Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 4:03 pm
by wibble_puppy
hi, I'm absolutely positive this topic has been covered before so if anyone can find the relevant thread please can they point me towards it?

It's occurred to me, in my desultory and intermittent ponderings on how to make the van as un-noisy as possible, that a metal bar connecting the engine directly to part of the bulkhead may conduct engine vibration, and therefore noise, into the cab :roll: :-?

what do you think? :D

if this is a sensible thing to try and do differently, what options are there? - safe, and not too expensive, and no welding involved, please! :D

wibble 8)

Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 6:01 pm
by bmcecosse
It should have rubber bushings at both ends - and if the engine has good mounts it should have very little to do anyway, and if adjusted correctly won't transfer any undue noise or vibration. So - check the bushings - and the engine mounts!

Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 6:04 pm
by pauln
There was on the market a while back an engine steady bar that was longer and mounted on the o/s shock mounting bolts. it was claimed to reduce engine judder and stress its mounting points less.

Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 6:37 pm
by chrisd87
That was a Grumpy's kit - there was one on ebay recently.

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 1:14 pm
by wibble_puppy
ah, okay, that might be the faint memory i had about this issue - cheers. was the kit any good?

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 1:22 pm
by aupickup
esm do them

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 1:53 pm
by jonathon
I'd keep it standard, as it works perfectly well in original form. :wink:

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 2:39 pm
by aupickup
esm also sell the standard ones

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 2:45 pm
by Pyoor_Kate
When mine snapped and was re-welded it worked fine; however I suspected it of being problematic and ended up switching to the grumpy kit (I was wrong, turned out to be an entirely unrelated problem) - but the grumpy kit was (is) fine. It's not quite as neat looking*, so I may go back to the original mount when I clean up the engine bay.

But yeah, it works fine.

*although that's largely because the replacement-original type is rather untidily welded into my engine bay.

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 4:38 pm
by wibble_puppy
cheers for the input, guys :D

kate did you notice any reduction in cab noise when you switched to the Grumpy's bar?

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 7:22 pm
by gairlochrosie
pauln wrote:There was on the market a while back an engine steady bar that was longer and mounted on the o/s shock mounting bolts. it was claimed to reduce engine judder and stress its mounting points less.
I have one fitted.

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 7:30 pm
by wibble_puppy
nice one gairlochrosie - have you noticed any reduction in cab noise as a result? :)

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:10 pm
by gairlochrosie
wibble_puppy wrote:nice one gairlochrosie - have you noticed any reduction in cab noise as a result? :)
Oh its smooth as silk, just sublime....but I agree with BMC....the shorter one should suffice, if its rubber bushes, engine mounts and also if the adjustment is right.

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:25 am
by Kevin
did you notice any reduction in cab noise when you switched to the Grumpy's bar?
Juliet the main reason for the Kit was as used by Kate. when the original mounting snaps off behind the battery tray its quite a so & so to re-weld nicely so its just easier to replace it with the kit, but as others have said the original with good rubbers not over tensioned should be fine.

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 4:26 pm
by Judge

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:44 pm
by gairlochrosie
Hi, I found this on Ebay...its still got a couple of days to go.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mr-Grumpys-Engine ... 0088963833

Here is mine :lol: Image

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:38 pm
by wibble_puppy
thanks very much for the photo gairlochrosie! :D and thanks for the ebay link too - if only all sellers gave such detailed and (apparently) honest descriptions :roll:

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:41 pm
by gairlochrosie
wibble_puppy wrote:thanks very much for the photo gairlochrosie! :D and thanks for the ebay link too - if only all sellers gave such detailed and (apparently) honest descriptions :roll:
Are you going to bid for it.... or have you already got one ?

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:49 pm
by wibble_puppy
gairlochrosie wrote: Are you going to bid for it.... or have you already got one ?
Well, no I don't have one.... I am trying to decide.... basically I've got the original steady bar, and the proper mounting bracket for it is still in situ in the engine bay.... so it seems a bit of an extravagance (even though it's a good price)... no one has said that switching to the grumpy's version gave them a reduction in noise from the engine bay.... you didn't say whether you had actually switched? or whether you have always had the Grumpy's type? ..... so I'm kind of pondering Image

Posted: Thu Mar 08, 2007 4:01 pm
by gairlochrosie
Kevin wrote:
did you notice any reduction in cab noise when you switched to the Grumpy's bar?
Juliet the main reason for the Kit was as used by Kate. when the original mounting snaps off behind the battery tray its quite a so & so to re-weld nicely so its just easier to replace it with the kit, but as others have said the original with good rubbers not over tensioned should be fine.
As Kevin has already said: when the original mounting snaps off....its easy to use this kit as a replacement.....However, there is nothing wrong with the original one, as long as the rubbers are in good order and the adjustment is correct......stick with the original one, till it snaps off...then consider this....good standby tho...just incase. :wink: