Three-point engine mount

1. An engine mount system for connecting an engine and continuously variable transmission to a chassis, the engine including an engine drive shaft, the continuously variable transmission having a driven shaft propelled by a belt extending from the drive shaft, the system comprising;

a mounting plate;

a first engine mount securing a first engine side to a chassis first side, the first engine side being secured to the chassis first side without a mounting plate disposed therebetween, the first engine mount including an elastic vibration damping material; and

a second and third engine mount securing the mounting plate to a chassis second side, the second and third engine mounts including an elastic vibration damping material;

wherein a second engine side is rigidly mounted to the mounting plate and the mounting plate comprises a first aperture rotatably receiving the engine drive shaft and a second aperture rotatably receiving a driven shaft of a vehicle power transmission, the engine drive shaft bearing drive sheaves of the continuously variable transmission and the driven shaft bearing driven sheaves of the continuously variable transmission.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the mounting plate comprises a front half and a back half, and wherein the second engine mount is held by the front half of the mounting plate and the third engine mount is held in the back half of the mounting plate.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the engine drive shaft is mounted to the front half of the mounting plate and the driven shaft is mounted to the back half of the mounting plate.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the mounting plate is configured for fastening to the second engine side.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first, second and third engine mounts comprise a shock absorbing material and a fastener retained within the shock absorbing material.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the fastener is rhombus-shaped.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the engine mounts have a shape relative to the fastener that there is more shock absorbing material between the fastener and vertical boundaries of the engine mount than the amount of shock absorbing material between the fastener and horizontal boundaries of the engine mount.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the engine mounts are circular-shaped.

9. A snowmobile, comprising;

a chassis having a first side and a second side;

an engine having a first side and a second side; and

the engine mount system of claim 1 .

10. A method of mounting an engine to a chassis, the method comprising;

securing a first engine side to a first chassis side with a first engine mount, without a mounting plate disposed between the first chassis side and the first engine side, the first engine mount including an elastic vibration damping material;

securing a mounting plate to the chassis with a second and third engine mounts, the second and third engine mounts including an elastic vibration damping material; and

rigidly securing a second engine side to the mounting plate, the mounting plate having a first aperture adapted to receive a drive shaft extending laterally out of the engine and a second aperture adapted to receive a driven shaft of a vehicle power transmission system, the drive shaft bearing drive sheaves of a continuously variable transmission and the driven shaft bearing driven sheaves of the continuously variable transmission.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the mounting plate comprises a front half and a back half, and wherein the step of securing the mounting plate to the chassis includes securing a front half of the mounting plate to the chassis with a second engine mount and securing a back half of the mounting plate to the chassis with a third engine mount.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein mounting the drive shaft includes mounting to a front half of the mounting plate and wherein mounting the driven shaft includes mounting to a back half of the mounting plate.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of securing an engine second side to the mounting plate includes fastening the engine to the mounting plate through holes in the mounting plate.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein mounting the drive shaft includes extending the drive shaft through the first aperture in the mounting plate and mounting the driven shaft includes extending the driven shaft through second aperture.

15. An engine mount system for connecting an engine to a chassis, the system comprising;

a mounting plate;

a first engine mount including an elastic vibration damping material securing a first engine side directly to a chassis first side; and

a second and third engine mount including an elastic vibration damping material securing the mounting plate to a chassis second side;

wherein a second engine side is directly rigidly mounted to the mounting plate and the mounting plate comprises apertures receiving a drive shaft extending out of the engine and a driven shaft of a vehicle power transmission system, the drive shaft bearing drive sheaves of a continuously variable transmission and the driven shaft bearing driven sheaves of the continuously variable transmission.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the second engine side is on an opposing side of the engine from the first engine side.

17. An engine mount system configured to connect a vehicle engine to a chassis of the vehicle and to connect a drive shaft of the engine to a drive shaft of a transmission of the vehicle, the engine including first and second opposing sides and the chassis including first and second sides positioned adjacent to respective first and second opposing sides of the engine, the system comprising;

a mounting plate; and

first, second and third engine mounts including an elastic vibration damping material;

wherein the first engine mount connects the first side of the engine to the first side of the chassis, the second and third engine mounts connect the mounting plate to the second side of the chassis, the second side of the engine is rigidly connected to the mounting plate, and the drive shaft and the driven shafts are extending rotatably through the mounting plate, the drive shaft bearing drive sheaves of a continuously variable transmission and the driven shaft bearing driven sheaves of the continuously variable transmission.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the first engine mount is at least partially embedded in the first side of the chassis.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the second and third engine mounts are at least partially embedded within the mounting plate.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the first side of the engine is directly connected to the first side of the chassis with the first engine mount, the second side of the engine is directly connected to the mounting plate, and the mounting plate is directly connected to the second side of the chassis with the second and third engine mounts.