[Mick O'Malley]

Originally Posted by Mick O'Malley

I'm still wrestling with how best to mount the engine. My previous imagined solutions would have resulted in its being either too high or too low, and probably insufficiently strong. I'm currently chopping some square plastic down pipe as a cross-member template for some 1.5" box. Time will tell!

I'm now happy that my Moss Monaco next door is, after yet more minor fettling, fully operational, so I've turned my attention back to the poor neglected Phaeton. Having abandoned the above plastic pipe abomination as being too flimsy, I dreamt up the idea of a 'virtual engine' in the shape of a lightweight template that I can much more easily dangle in the engine bay whilst cutting steel for mountings. I can also easily transport it when the day comes to take the frame to my welding buddy for the various prepared bits to be stuck together.

Having purchased half a metre of inch square aluminium box, I transferred the mounting rubbers from the engine block to the Talbot Sunbeam cross member and, after lots of careful measuring and marking, fetched the hacksaw to it for the two birdsmouth cuts. I lay it across the mountings, bending it a little at a time until it lay snugly and symetrically. I then drew around the mountings' metal plates, put the gizmo in the vice, and lay a removed mounting on the marks to draw where the bolt holes were needed. I super carefully drilled through the box and firmly bolted the whole thing back together. It sat perfectly.



All that's left for its completion is natty little fishplates pop rivetted on each side of the birdsmouths to preserve their angles, its removal from the crossmember c/w the mountings, and my creation will be ready for engine bay action.

Regards, Mick