Help needed: steering box hitting engine mount

[szacsi72]

As stated. Help me please because I can't wrap my head around this.



I tried to look at pictures from before because the steering box, the subframe, the body, the engine mounts.. Everything is the same, I did not change anything. This is the best one I found, please zoom in.
You will see that altought it is close, it doesn't hit, there's at least 2mm of space.



What's going on here? What did I do wrong?
E28 box, E28 subframe, E28 engine mounts, all in an E28.
Should I force the motor forwards a bit by unbolting the transmission and the driveshaft, somehow?
Thanks!

 

[Aldo525]

Took some pictures on my (dirty) donor car, M30 engine, same steering box and engine supporting bracket as your pictures. Seeing the overview sight, the position of the steering box, supporting bracket and the rubber mounting are correct, the difference is height...steering box goes upward at least 2 cm compared to the rubber mounting....maybe your issue is the rubber mounting height (not OEM as far I can see), it have a metal top. If the rubber mounting were taller, it would hit the steering box as is happening to you (I assume the steering box is on its original mounts)





For reference, an OE rubber mounting is 63 mm height.

[vinceg101]

I was going to say the same thing: it being the motor mount bushing. As you said, everything is the same, but for this bushing.

[szacsi72]

I believe my motor mounts are OEM, the only difference is that there is a small, machined cup on top just to make them look nicer. They are 2-3mm thick. But I will go to the garage soon and measure them. 

Another collegue in a local facebook group said that I may or may not have an E34 or E32 rack installed... Any takes on this?

Thanks for the help guys

[stuartinmn]

There's one bolt that goes vertically from one of the mounting points on the steering box into a little U shaped bracket on the crossmember.  The bracket often breaks loose from the crossmember, make sure yours is not broken and is welded in the proper position.

[szacsi72]

There's one bolt that goes vertically from one of the mounting points on the steering box into a little U shaped bracket on the crossmember.  The bracket often breaks loose from the crossmember, make sure yours is not broken and is welded in the proper position.

 

It's been replaced already by a reinforcement pin welded in

[Federico]

The distance from the subframe to the top of the bracket should be around 33mm. Something to check. The pin is supposed to go against the bracket, so if the latter is missing the pin alone is too short, a washer should be added.
 

 

[szacsi72]

The distance from the subframe to the top of the bracket should be around 33mm. Something to check. The pin is supposed to go against the bracket, so if the latter is missing the pin alone is too short, a washer should be added.
 


 

I made my own pin, and it requires the removal of the original tab.

Anyhow, my issue is "solved". The box still sits very, very close to the mount but no longer hits - it turns out that it was NOT rotated correctly. I don't know how it happened, but it's usually such a simple install that I didn't even question the orientation. I only noticed the tab missing from the hole whilst doing something else under the car.

Thanks for the help guys!