Powerflexes, 3rd attempt failed already, Another design now

[titch]

I was under the car the other week fitting the lower strut brace, and while looking around as you do i noticed my powerflex lower engine mount didn't look right, on closer inspection it had started to split.

I know with the yellow ones they did a washer mod to make it stronger, when i received my lower mount it had no washers with it ( i got it at the end of August )
I phoned powerflex and they said that there was no need with the diesel one!
So went ahead and fitted it.
While looking on here at Dum-Dum's project thread last week he had just fitted one, and it had large washers with it and it had been slightly redesigned.
Had a look on powerflex's website and it was now shown with washers so i emailed powerflex and after a few emails it turns out they redesigned it in September, so sent them some pictures of mine, and they sent me a new one out for free, which i fitted this morning.
Seems a much better design will wait and see how long this one lasts!
As usual a good customer service from powerflex, the new one was here in a few days, but still baffles me why they don't do more and better testing before they sell their products.


Picture of the new one fitted....




One side of the old bush where the bracket had dug in and damaged it!




And the other side of the old bush, you can see it has split right through the middle.

[Frosty]

I got 1 of these lower bushes to fit to mine at some point. I got it about a couple of weeks ago and that come with the washers

[titch]

Yeah the re designed it in September, it looks a lot better desing and hopefully should last a bit longer as the old style one only lasted about 3 months if that.

[HDIkyle]

Mines not got washers is splitting tho bow I think about it as I only refitted it last week. They have replaced my p bushes so might be worth an email. If not I will just buy some washers

[Daniel306]

I got one of ripps ones, it looks better quality than both of those...

[titch]

Mines not got washers is splitting tho bow I think about it as I only refitted it last week. They have replaced my p bushes so might be worth an email. If not I will just buy some washers

If you email them with pictures they will replace it.

You can't just fit washers as it will be then to wide to fit in the bracket, as the new bushes have a recess for the washers to fit in. And the centre metal sleeve on the new one is 5mm shorter to allow for the washers thickness.

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I got one of ripps ones, it looks better quality than both of those...

Probably is better from the pictures i have seen of his but don't they need pressing in?

[HDIkyle]

Ye they do

[Rippthrough]

They're a light push fit, you can tap them in with a small hammer, so long as the bracket is in good nick.
Hell, I had one housing that was spotless and pushed it in by hand...

[titch]

Have you got any ready to go?

I have lost faith in Powerflex stuff

[Frosty]

You not happy with the replacement 1 they sent?

[titch]

You not happy with the replacement 1 they sent?

For now, but don't know how long it will last

[Rippthrough]

Have you got any ready to go?

I have lost faith in Powerflex stuff

No, but I can sort some out over Christmas if there's some interest.

[rd070707]

So I can't fit my old style powerflex with just any bfo washers?

[titch]

So I can't fit my old style powerflex with just any bfo washers?

You can try but it will be to wide for the bracket the washers they supply are 2.5mm thick, so the tube that goes through the centre is 5mm shorter on the new style one, and the bushes have a 2.5mm recess in them for the washers to fit in. You can see from the picture of the new one fitted the washers are flush with the bush.
So if you are able to trim the centre sleeve down by the thickness of your washers, and machine a recess into the bush on each side for the washer to fit in then yes.

[titch]

Bit of an update, the so called improved design is shite, it has split again, been on the car for about 2 weeks, starting to lose faith in Powerflex now! and they are shut til the 2nd so can't even get another one.

Will get some pics uploaded when i get a chance to take some, but it has split all round the outside edge now.
Think i will just ask for my money back and get a different make one.

[Dum-Dum]

Thats pretty terrible.

[Tom]

Time for a bakerbm one!

[Piggy]

Thats awful...

Get onto powerflex...I be interested in their reply

[Rippthrough]

The bush is designed wrong for the loads, that's what they tried to fix with the washers, they've just made a poly insert from the dimension of a standard mount and assumed it would work without having someone check the loadings, it's going to happen again even if they replace it.

[Daniel306]

Think its time you made some more of yours

[Frosty]

Has anyone else had any issues with the power flex mounts?

[Rippthrough]

I'll sort a batch out shortly, I assume all you dirty diesel owners will want poly inserted ones so your fillings don't come out?

[mikey b]

This would be good how much would you be looking at for a bush

[titch]

I'll sort a batch out shortly, I assume all you dirty diesel owners will want poly inserted ones so your fillings don't come out?

Yeah would love one please mate, how long before you have any ready? PM me with payment details.


Going to contact Powerflex and get my money back i am done with their stuff, every single thing i have had of them has had to be replaced, poor in my opinion.

With the big washers all it does now is spread the sideways load, so before it was all at the centre now it is all on the outside, i will try and get some pics tomorrow, as i am going to try and bodge something with the old one that split and the new one as one side of each has not split, just so the car is drivable until i can get one off Rippthrough.

I think quite a few people have had problems with the Powerflex lower engine mount, as i know the yellow ones ( for petrols ) split quite badly

[miles]

Never liked them, Same old thing I had when a customer dropped off some ARB bush's for the 309 GTi front ARB, Was quite shocked when I told him they don;t fit even when listed for said car, Wrong Dia and no locating bobble to stop the ARB moving, It's been like this since day dot so you can see why I am not a fan.
If you want a soft bush then the old way of pressing in a new std bush with the rubber on the torque reaction of the engine works well, Or the Vibra Tech one's

[Poodle]

I'll sort a batch out shortly, I assume all you dirty diesel owners will want poly inserted ones so your fillings don't come out?

Yes please!

[Daniel306]

Iv got the Vibra Tech kit on my 205, its like the engine is welded solid

[titch]

I have removed it this morning, and i have had to fit the old style one ( which is less split ) just so the car is still drivable.

This is their so called improved design, been fitted for just over 2 weeks, the other engine mount, is a genuine pug less than 6 months old and so it the gearbox one.

Have emailed them and attached the pics, so see what they say, but i defiantly don't want another one !

[titch]

Heard back from Powerflex, and after looking at the pictures and a chat as they wanted to know when the bushes were on the car where the splits were.

And the splits were on the rear so where the bush is inside the Fork bracket, so Powerflex seem to think that now with the big washers the bush might move a bit to much and the lip is pinching on the fork.
Waiting to hear back from them about a solution.

This is a picture, of how it was fitted in the car, so you can see it was pinching at the back of the bush.
But looking at the fork there is a raised bump on each side, so the lip of the bush probably catches on that.

[miles]

Nothing like product testing, Must cost them a fortune and doesn't do there name much good with all these issues on Pug's, what about other cars?