Table 15

Flywheel Housing Bending Moments(4)

Symbol Description Status Value
L1 Length from front engine mount to the engine CG(1) Known
L2 Length from engine CG(1) to engine FWH(2) mount Known
L3 Length from engine FWH(2) mount to transmission CG(1) Known
L4 Length from transmission CG(1) to rear support Known
L5 Length from engine FWH(2) mount to the TC(3)/FWH(2) interface Known
L6 Length from engine FWH(2) mount to the cradle isolator mount support. Solve
Force at front engine mount
Em Solve

Ewt Weight of engine (taken at CG(1)) Known

Feng Shear force at TC(3)/FWH(2) interface. Feng = -Ftrans Solve
Ftrans Shear force at TC(3)/FWH(2) interface.. Feng = -Ftrans Solve
Twt Weight of transmission (taken at CG(1)) Known
Mth Moment about the TC(3)/FWH interface Solve
Cf Force by cradle on engine mount (upwards) Solve
Cf' Force by engine mount on cradle (downwards) Solve
Cx Force by cradle on transmission support (upwards) Solve
Cx '
Force by transmission support on cradle (downwards) Solve
Rc Force by cradle isolators taken at L6 (upwards) Solve
g Gravitational Acceleration = 9.81 m/s2 = 32.17 ft/s2 Known
(4) Allowable static flywheel housing bending moments are given for each engine in the Engine Manufacturers Specification Sheets. See
the particular engines data sheet section on mounting systems.
(1) The acronym CG stands for “Center of Gravity”
(2) The acronym FWH stands for “Flywheel Housing”
(3) The acronym TC stands for “Torque Converter”

The design of the cradle focuses on two critical
factors: placement of the isolator mounts fore/aft and
stiffness of the cradle beams. The placement of the
isolator mounts determines the static forces placed
on the bolted joints and the cases. Proper fore/aft
placement of isolators will ensure stress at the engine
to transmission interface is minimized.
2. Add this upward force at the engine/transmission
interface to the force required to support the
transmission weight (both component forces are
positive). The combined force is the force exerted
on the isolator mounts in the cradle.
Rc = Feng + (Twt) (g)

The cradle should be designed so that mounting
the transmission provides a zero bending moment
at the engine to transmission mounting face. Shear
loading only at this joint minimizes stresses on the
bolts and in the welded joints. There are two methods
to calculate the placement of the vertical cradle
isolator mount support beam in the cradle. Refer to
Illustration 25 and Table 15 for both methods.
Method 1
3. Set the moment about the transmission/engine
interface to zero. Then solve for the distance
from the engine flywheel housing mount to the
center of the vertical cradle isolator mount support
beam. Only use forces from the weight of the
transmission about the transmissions center of
gravity and the upward force from cradle isolator
mounts to solve. Multiply weights by gravitational
acceleration to produce a force in the equation
below.

1. Use moments on the engine only about the front
engine support to solve for the upward force on
the engine at the engine/transmission interface.
Multiply weights by gravitational acceleration to
produce a force in the equation below.
(Ewt) (g) (L1) = (Feng) (L1 + L2 + L5)
MTH = 0 = (Rc ) (L6 - L5) - (Twt) (g) (L3 - L5)
L6 = [[(Twt) (g) (L3 - L5)] / (Rc)] + L5
The equations presented should be modified to
include the effects of all attached PTO equipment and
hoses or line groups attached to the transmission.

Feng = [(Ewt) (g) (L1)] / (L1 + L2 + L5)

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