What Is This And Do I Need It?

[dave48703]

Please can somone tell me what the triangular piece of iron in the picture is, and whether it is essential or not. The second picture shows what it was attached to, without the item. The third picture shows the other side of the triangular item (i.e. the bit where it was joined and came off).

This area is under the air cleaner housing on a 1.6 gli auto carina, and the bracket seems to be a tranmission to inner wing mount (it has rubber in it). The triangular thing was fitted as shown in the first picture but it was very loose and came off when I touched it ligthly. (I am also worried this might be a sign the thing it was attached to (that I think is a transmisison mount as I say) might need replacing, but that does seem much more secure according to when I wiggled at it at least.

[sorry removed images to make space - never did work out what part was but most likely it is something to do with harmonic balancing - car has run for year OK without it though]

[gazza1286]

It's certainly not a vital part. It looks like it would have been designed to provide a flat surface for the base of the air cleaner unit.

[dave48703]

"It looks like it would have been designed to provide a flat surface for the base of the air cleaner unit."

That's exactly what I thought, but unfortunately when I put the air cleaner unit in position and also held this piece in the same position that it had been in, the base of the air cleaner unit was not touching the piece (I haven't tried this with the bolts tightened but will do this - shouldn't make much difference though as the rubber on the air cleaner bolts is on the inside of the housing, and the gap was at least half a cm - also, there was no sign in the rust pattern of anything having rested on top of the piece). In addition, I doubt they would make a suppport for the air cleaner unit (already suported where it's three bolts are) out of a solid chunk of metal - it would be a bracket type thing.

The wieghtiness of the piece makes me wonder if it is some kind of balancer or dampener for the transmission mounting bracket. (BTW, the small rectangle and the circle on the bottom of the piece are rubber)

I haven't got the car running yet, after having an electrical problem, but when (if) I do I guess any excess vibration will prove my theory, but I hope you're right and it doesn't make much difference (anyway, if I'm right I can glue it on I suppose - the main thing is that it isn't structural per se).

Would still like to know for sure what it is though ... .