HELP! Cracked motor mount bracket, what is the fix?

To fix:: Y0u need to pull everything off, grind out the crack and then weld it back together.

And when I say "pull everything off" I mean enough so that you can get the grinder and the welding equipment into the pocket easily.

 

Hopefully one of the real pros will chime in.

First I would find out if this is an isolated crack due to increased stress like you track the car on race tires alot or the car was in an accident or dropped off a transporter, that kind of thing. If the crack is a known Ferrari problem then second is there a factory solution? Did the factory just change the subassembly? Did they weld them? Did they increase part thickness in later years? Did the Ferrari fix work? Third, if you accept this crack as a design flaw like metal too thin and engine weight to great then you have to do a redesign.

If you assume the crack is a design flaw you can't just weld it because you will likely crack again. Also, never welding this aluminum subframe myself you want a very skilled TIG welder like a guy certified to do aerospace stuff. He will have a larger bag of tricks. It can be very hard to clean and TIG weld cast aluminum that has soaked for years in oil and grime. I'm a good self-taught TIG welder and fabricator and I know. I would probably weld the crack and box in the metal to increase the load carrying of the engine mount. My 1st thoughts are to weld aluminum sheet and thicken the part the engine mount actually sits on and down the sides to thicken the whole piece. You may even be able to box in the bottom to a point. I would probably do the uncracked side too. Of course this means engine out for access.

 

Yes, this work was done by Lake Forest Ferrari with the first owner. Never had an issue.

 

Yeah that is sort of boxing in the weak area. Cars might crack in different places if that whole piece of metal is undersized. So the fix for "redneck" might be more or less extensive. You really need to be able to see this in 3D to get full appreciation if you are inventing your own wheel. If there is a known failure point and E60's boxing of the mount point is the known fix then you have your answer. Maybe at least a call into lake Forest may shed some light. 1999 is a long time ago. The tech may have retired by now and "redneck" will then have to get creative.

 

Interested how this turned out. I have a 99 as well and and am thinking of doing the weld as preventative maintenance.

 

If you remember after you get it done post how it worked out. I am curious if it changes the feel of the car or anything else.

 

that's what i thought after i saw the pic, it looks like a paint crack to me.

 

What a waste of time LOL

 

Thanks for following up! That is really important to close the loop on the important issues that affect our aging cars.