mas

Today as I was checking the MAP sensor (for the Idle problem) I realized that I can move the engine quite a bit with my tiny girly hands. It's a lot of movement, left/right (standing in front of the car). I know it's supposed to move, but this is too much. This explains why the car shakes so voilently when the engine is started or stopped.

Also, has anyone considered the consequences this weired left/right weight transfer for the engine? I mean, the rear/front weight tranfer as you decelerate is one thing, but this is another weight transfer in the perpendicular direstion to the direction of motion of the car. So, this would mean that the car would behave differently in a left curve compared to a right curve when you lift off the gas? Very different indeed. Next time I find a clover leaf, I'll check out my theory. I'd think that by reducing the motion of engine (by installing stiffer mounts), the stability of the car can be improved in turns. What do you think? What other cars have the engine placed like the S2k?

bbsilver

<What other cars have the engine placed like the S2k?>
Generally, a large American car (i.e. Corvette, Camaro, Mustang). If I'm not mistaken, that is the only way to fit that hunk of metal between the front wheels.

Elistan

Just about every front engine/rear wheel drive car has a logitudinally mounted engine. Try moving an Integra's engine and you'll find a similar amount of play - except your don't feel it because it rocks the car back-and-forth rather than side-to-side, and that's much harder to detect.

Race cars tend to use aluminum engine mounts - at the sacrifice of NHV. But I'd be extremely surprised if the movement of the F20C has any effect of the car's handling dynamics...