is the aluminum motor mount good enough for 500hp? or is it best to get another steel motor mount?

 

Its fine.

Most people get stiffer mounts (such as IRP or Banzai poly urethane motor mounts) or a Garfinkle Engine Torque brace when going for big power like that. It helps stabilize the drive train. Check the thread in the Archives.

 

well i guess my question is can i run two steel motor mounts willl it change the angle of the engine?

 

yes you can run them, it will be fine.

 

No

 

what about a heat shield?

 

I have both steel mounts and I still used the heat shield. I'm using polyurethane puck type mounts.

 

You can use either steel or aluminum mount arms, but I prefer the steel. Keep in mind that the aluminum mount has a raised section that supports part of the oil pan, so without it the pan will be more likely to leak if you don' install a brace. The pan will leak without a reinforcement brace anyway so you should install one. Keep the heat shield. I have seen many mounts fail without one. I have oil pan braces , arms, stock, and polyurethane mounts in stock.

 

The aluminum oem mounts were on the drivers side only. They were found to fail much faster than the steel mounts on the passenger side. It is my understanding that Mazda discontinued the aluminum mounts, and now supplies only the steel ones for both sides

 

There is no reason to install the heat shield on the driver's side , when using two steel brackets. The shield is for protection from heat generated by the exhaust manifold & turbo(s).

http://www.banzai-racing.com/products_fd3s.htm

 

Agreed only the passenger side needs the shield

 

back from the dead with this thread for a quick question about shields... i understand that the heat shield probably isn't needed for steel mounts.

there's another "shield" of sorts that wraps around one of the motor mounts (not the big heat shield on the OEM alum mount, this is more like a stirrup that fits around the entire mount). what's the verdict on that? Needed or not?

 

oh i should state that i'm installing Banzai poly mounts atm.

 

I don't think the stirrup piece is necessary. It looked to me like it's purpose is to keep you from tearing the rubber section of a one-piece mount (OEM only) when lifting the engine off of the subframe. With the poly mounts obviously the mount is several pieces anyway.

Dave