FAO Anyone With A Powerflex'd Dogbone Mount

[bmh.01]

Just a heads up really, not saying this is the definitive but its its happened to me.

Basically from what I can see through the non-compliance of the powerflex bushes the hole which the mount bolts to has been substancially ovaled and the first three threads ripped out through where the bolt has been flexing in the hole due to the flex not being taken up by the bushes due to them being f**king rock solid.

Won't 100% know until i've got my gearbox back on but despite the thread damage it looks like i've gotten away with it and will be fitting a new standard mount. Lucky i've noticed it now before its too late and I would have needed to have the box helicoiled.

Just a heads up for people that have them fitted. Might be fine on yours but its happened to me.

Will get pics tomorrow if anyones interested?

 

[2 live]

would be interested in pix of this mate, im about to trial one for them on my williams.

 

[Batman]

eep i got one but no worries so far

 

[bmh.01]

Will get pics tomorrow. I never noticed anything wrong until I took it off and saw the hole and .

 

[len_beach]

Edde would love to say 'I told you so', I'm sure. Lucky you caught it in time.

 

[edde]

Edde would love to say 'I told you so', I'm sure. Lucky you caught it in time.

I've said it for ages noone takes any notice.

I'm unfortunatly awaiting someone to have a crash who has harnesses mounted on the lower seat belt position to have back injouries now.

I'm surprised yours has happned so quickly compaired to others but its bound to happen the mounts are weak for a reason.

 

[TomTom]

Bmh if you need a hand let me know I'll come over, to be fair I'm not a massive fan of uprated bogbone bushes myself either, pros don't beat the cons.

 

[Martin_172]

ive done 10k miles on mine and the box has been off twice and never noticed anything, although i did have the bolt snap clean in half in the gearbox but that was with the standard mount and due to the gearbox locking up because the cv joint went.

 

[matt__f]

How much are the powerflex bushes over standard?

At least the bushes haven't worn out lol

 

[bmh.01]

The damage:

 

[bmh.01]

Edde would love to say 'I told you so', I'm sure. Lucky you caught it in time.

I've said it for ages noone takes any notice.

I'm unfortunatly awaiting someone to have a crash who has harnesses mounted on the lower seat belt position to have back injouries now.

I'm surprised yours has happned so quickly compaired to others but its bound to happen the mounts are weak for a reason.

I never knew that there was potential to cause damaged like this with them, just thought it wore the other mounts out quicker. Can't wait to get a standard 172 mount back in now. Would never use them again thats for sure!

Bmh if you need a hand let me know I'll come over, to be fair I'm not a massive fan of uprated bogbone bushes myself either, pros don't beat the cons.

Thanks for the offer mate its mucho appreciated but between me and my dad we've got it nailed I think. Hoping to have it mostely together today just waiting on the new dogbone mount from renault.

 

[bmh.01]

bump for anyone that wants to see the pics

 

[Alex_X93]

I've a powerflex dogbone bush in back of the car been meaing 2 fit for month or so on ph1 172 (older shape lights) only cos when I had look found that the black moulded bracket on gearbox(2 bolts)connection to large bush mountin point were loose on gearbox edge!,Tightened both up its ceased knocking thankfully like new almost. Not sure if the set up on ph2 172's is different??Does anyone no if these pf parts are problematic on my ph1 set up... not sure 2 fit or not 2 fit!!!

 

[bmh.01]

I've a powerflex dogbone bush in back of the car been meaing 2 fit for month or so on ph1 172 (older shape lights) only cos when I had look found that the black moulded bracket on gearbox(2 bolts)connection to large bush mountin point were loose on gearbox edge!,Tightened both up its ceased knocking thankfully like new almost. Not sure if the set up on ph2 172's is different??Does anyone no if these pf parts are problematic on my ph1 set up... not sure 2 fit or not 2 fit!!!

Well the standard mounts are soft as hell and the powerflex bushes are rock hard, as said the standard mounts a soft for a reason.

I'd stick with standard, now i've gone back to a standard bush the benefits the powerflex gave were only slight anyway.

 

[Alex_X93]

Ill stick wth the standard slightley soft 4a reason me thinks 2, less hassle to fit also if it aint broke dont fix it! Standard part so simple to replace!! why bother if the improvements arent that noticeable to justify hassle of fitting pf part!! may fook ur gearbox 2!?! ....taking into an account ph1 is different this mite not b the case does anyone av a no probs experience with this ph1 part pls im 95% decided no 2 fitting unless their are actally benifits (selecting 2nd possibly easier at high rpm? engine rocking less) of fitting this part on ph1 many thanks ......

 

[edde]

taking into an account ph1 is different this mite not b the case does anyone av a no probs experience with this ph1 part pls im 95% decided no 2 fitting unless their are actally benifits (selecting 2nd possibly easier at high rpm? engine rocking less) of fitting this part on ph1 many thanks ......

Phase 1 mount is different but the same issue exists with wear.

It has benefits less engine movment etc but the loads have to be put somewhere and as seen this affects other more expensive part. If the mounts could have ben made stronger easily do you think Renault would have left the week mounts in place?

 

[Sami]

If the mounts could have ben made stronger easily do you think Renault would have left the week mounts in place?

Yup, its renault

 

[luis_villarruel]

hello! if you have more pics please upload it!!!

i have the dogbone from powerflex and i'm thinking to buy the powerflex suspension bushes!!

but....after read this post.... im thinking twice!!

bump for anyone that wants to see the pics

 

[ditz]

if you helicoil the thread from the off you dont have these problems.
i put a helicoil insert in that and the two lower mount bolt holes just to strengthen them up a bit on mine had no problems.


the inserts make the thread about twice the strength of just straight in to the ally

 

[Daz Clio Cup]

Hang on a second, the dogbone is bolted by 1 bolt to the gear box and then a bar goes to 2 more on the bellhousing. if you knackered the gearbox one it's probably due to the bar being missing or not tight enough?

what do you think?

 

[CHRISK172+]

Whats this one then.....??

http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=2517

I have this one fitted............

http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=1485

 

[Daz Clio Cup]

Whats this one then.....??

http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=2517

I have this one fitted............

http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=1485

I have the second one on mine. you can see the bar i was on about in my previous post.

the first one, i'm not sure about?

Daz

 

[bmh.01]

Yes the second bar was fitted, it doesn't take the bending force that the gearbox hole takes. The standard mounts are soft for a reason, I won't be using them again. Thats off my old 1.6 anyway so it's all dead and buried.

 

[D1CKY]

Anyone any more pics ?

As i can't see the 2 bolts where it goes onto the gearbox casing(bell housing) :S


Or is that it in the second link ?

And what ba shitter mate, doyou think it was really noticeable at reducing movement over the Renault one when you first fitted it ?

 

[bmh.01]

Yep its firmer without a doubt, you get vibration in the cabin on idle which pisses you off bigtime as well. Wish i'd never bothered with it tbh, waste of time for the benefit it gives.

 

[sideways danny]

The "renault didn't do it" arguement is voided by the fact that Renaultsport make a solid ally dog bone bush.

Incorrectly fitted/tightened IMO

 

[D1CKY]

Yep its firmer without a doubt, you get vibration in the cabin on idle which pisses you off bigtime as well. Wish i'd never bothered with it tbh, waste of time for the benefit it gives.

And i bet this causes more rattles

 

[ditz]

thinking about it now, i can only see that happening if it had vibrated loose

 

[bmh.01]

The "renault didn't do it" arguement is voided by the fact that Renaultsport make a solid ally dog bone bush.

Incorrectly fitted/tightened IMO

Fit the bushes lubing them up proir and torque the bolts up to the correct values, how can you go wrong? I'm not the only person this has happened to. And a renaultsport part for use in a competition car is a world apart from one in an everyday use car.

They're shite and thats my standpoint.

 

[CHRISK172+]

Yep its firmer without a doubt, you get vibration in the cabin on idle which pisses you off bigtime as well. Wish i'd never bothered with it tbh, waste of time for the benefit it gives.

Mine was fitted to the car when I got it on 14k. I noticed the vibration on idle and wasn't impressed. As I was getting a re-map, this solved my problem....raised idle of 1200rpm= no vibration. As regards the dogbone, i think it's gonna be a matter of doing periodic checks, which is all part of the joy of owning a 172.

 

[Daz Clio Cup]

The "renault didn't do it" arguement is voided by the fact that Renaultsport make a solid ally dog bone bush.

Incorrectly fitted/tightened IMO

Fit the bushes lubing them up proir and torque the bolts up to the correct values, how can you go wrong? I'm not the only person this has happened to. And a renaultsport part for use in a competition car is a world apart from one in an everyday use car.

They're s**te and thats my standpoint.

because the mount is stiffer, vibration will cause things to loosen. just because the bolts were done up to the correct torque, don't mean they won't get loose. i have koni adjustable suspension and i've had to retighten all the bolts again since it was put on because i noticed the top mount bolts were loose. on every service i have to go round with a torque wrench in the engine bay because of the mods things get loose.

IMO if you fit performance parts to your car then you should check it over and look after it a lot more than if it had standard parts. and also it's a renault so you should be checking it more than a rival brand.....

 

[bmh.01]

The bolt was still tight when I took it out and it'd only ovaled the bottom of the hole where the bolt had been bending.

 

[Daz Clio Cup]

The bolt was still tight when I took it out and it'd only ovaled the bottom of the hole where the bolt had been bending.

Was the bolt bent when you took it out?

 

[bmh.01]

Nope but remember theres plastic and elastic deformation, is wasn't being bent that much.

 

[CHRISK172+]

Thing is, this doesn't prove the uprated mount is at fault. Thread could have been damaged/been week from new in gearbox. If your engine mounts were worn this would put excess load on the gearbox mount. Simply saying there s*** doesn't proove too much. Things like this happen with the standard mount....any comments on this??

 

[Daz Clio Cup]

Either it was the wrong bolt, or damage was like it before and not noticed.

It's a steel bolt, IF something had happened to it to bend it it would have broken the side out of the aluminimum gearbox mount for sure.

I've done it on a old astra, 2 of the gearbox bolts had vibrated out (without my knowledge) and i dumped the clutch a bit too suddenly and sheared te bolt off, but also broke the ali casting too

 

[Daz Clio Cup]

I've also got a powerflex dogbone, paddle clutch, 233 bhp and do santa pod alot. and my dogbone is fine.
maybe you got a dodgy gearbox?

 

[bmh.01]

Maybe, pass and tbh there isn't much point arguing the toss anyway. That was the second time the gearbox had been off and it was fine the 1st time and 100% is the right bolt. I don't like them, Martin_89 had similar problems as me the main difference between that and yours is yours has the 4th mount as an RS whereas the 1.6 only has 3 so all the load for stopping the turning moment is placed on the dogbone whereas the 4th mount takes a lot of it out of the RS.

I've had a 1.2, 1.6 and 172 and standard for the standard the RS gearstick hardly moves in comparison. So you can't compair one fitted to a fit to one fitted to a 3 mount RS, that happened to mine so i've got my opinion end of.

 

[bmh.01]

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=315115&highlight=dogbone

I'm not the only person its happened to, his rounded all the way through the box hole though.

 

[Daz Clio Cup]

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=315115&highlight=dogbone

I'm not the only person its happened to, his rounded all the way through the box hole though.

Yeah but it was a 1.2! what the hell would you fit powerflex bushes to a 1.2 for? to get faster gear changes while drag racing the local nova?
we've all had our 1st car stuff, 1.0's etc, but come on be a bit realistic.

If your sure the bolt wasn't loose, please tell me how it ovaled the hole?

(p.s. I'm a qualified aircraft engineer, i know what i'm on about)