Replacing Motor Mounts

TimeForACobra · #1 (**permalink**) 07-04-2012, 10:13 AM

#785 with Roush SR/TW

Can someone provide some advice on replacing the motor mounts with the engine in the car?

I need to replace the rubber motor mounts with the solid mounts.

On the rubber mounts, does the bolt run all the way through or is it in 2 pieces?

Do I have to remove the entire mount, including removing it from the block?

Where do I support/jack the block during the change?

Thanks,

FWB · #2 (**permalink**) 07-04-2012, 01:49 PM

if you mean the horizontal bolt it runs thru the mount....1 bolt

loosen the trans mount bolts a little so there's wiggle room and the mount to engine bolts, get them loose before jacking and jack on the rear of the motor by the bellhousing.

pretty easy if you can get the car up high enough

patrickt · #3 (**permalink**) 07-04-2012, 02:29 PM

It is safer to just rent an engine lift from the rental place. Put a bolt through the back of the head of the passenger side, front of the head of the driver side, then run a good piece of chain from one bolt to the other and you can safely lift the engine up to give you room to work. Jacks can slip, especially when you or your fingers are in a bad spot.

TimeForACobra · #4 (**permalink**) 07-04-2012, 08:23 PM

Both good ideas... Thanks.

Actually, the bolt runs more vertical and has nuts on both sides.

Should the bolt pull out through the bottom so that I can slide the rubber mount out?

So, this might be my problem... The top nut is off, jacked the engine up just a little, the rubber mount moves up and down with the top of the bolt but the bottom nut just spins. Is there something inside the motor mount that I don't know about? Or did the bolt snap? Seems like there is something, some kind of thin plate, between the rubber and the frame.

Thanks again, I probably won't have time to look at it again until the weekend.

lovehamr · #5 (**permalink**) 07-04-2012, 10:58 PM

Mine is just a bolt that goes all the way through each mount.

FWB · #6 (**permalink**) 07-05-2012, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimeForACobra

Both good ideas... Thanks.

Actually, the bolt runs more vertical and has nuts on both sides.

Should the bolt pull out through the bottom so that I can slide the rubber mount out?

So, this might be my problem... The top nut is off, jacked the engine up just a little, the rubber mount moves up and down with the top of the bolt but the bottom nut just spins. Is there something inside the motor mount that I don't know about? Or did the bolt snap? Seems like there is something, some kind of thin plate, between the rubber and the frame.

Thanks again, I probably won't have time to look at it again until the weekend.

without a pic its hard to tell but from what your describing that "plate" is probably part of the mount and the rubber has separated from it.

FWB · #7 (**permalink**) 07-05-2012, 10:13 AM

here's a pic of a standard mount

TimeForACobra · #8 (**permalink**) 07-05-2012, 11:00 AM

I agree, I think the plate is part of the mount and the rubber separated from it. The more I think about it, I believe the bolt snapped inside the rubber bushing. Here is a picture of my motor mounts:

I am replacing the bell shaped housing (Rubber Motor Mount Heat Isolator) and the rubber bushing with the solid motor mounts from Backdraft. Now that I look very closely at the above picture, I can see there is what appears to be some kind of plate at the bottom of the rubber bushing.

I'll post more info as I figure this out.

Thanks.

Cashburn · #9 (**permalink**) 07-05-2012, 11:20 AM

Your installer may have shimmed one side for sidepipe alignment or clearance.

TimeForACobra · #10 (**permalink**) 07-05-2012, 11:28 AM

Ahhhh..... Great catch. I am not sure if it is on the other side. If it is only on one side, I assume it is a shim and I should leave the plate/shim there with the solid mount?

Cashburn · #11 (**permalink**) 07-05-2012, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimeForACobra

Ahhhh..... Great catch. I am not sure if it is on the other side. If it is only on one side, I assume it is a shim and I should leave the plate/shim there with the solid mount?

Only if the solid mounts are the same height as the rubber mounts you are replacing. Check that as well.

cbreez · #12 (**permalink**) 07-05-2012, 12:26 PM

Easy way to change them...jack up front of car and place on jackstands. Remove trans mount bolts. Use a floorjack and a section of 2x4 to jack engine up using the oil pan. Remove mounts. If you leave it for a while, set the engine on a stack of 4x4's(2x4's). You can just replace the rubber section of those 2 piece stock mounts mount for about $20 each. For 90% of drivers, the stock rubber inserts are just fine.

Good Luck!

TimeForACobra · #13 (**permalink**) 07-05-2012, 01:16 PM

Cashburn, thanks for the reminder. I will double check everything before putting back together.

cbreez, can I really jack up the engine using the oil pan? That won't damage the oil pan?

I'm autocrossing the car, so I'm going to go with the solid mounts. The engine moved to much and I think the bolt through the passenger side rubber section broke inside the rubber section; which allowed the engine to move too much.

Thanks again.

Cashburn · #14 (**permalink**) 07-05-2012, 02:20 PM

Yes, jack by oil pan and the 2x4s are good to soften the lift against the pan.

rpatton3 · #15 (**permalink**) 07-08-2012, 04:06 PM

On the Saturday AM TV shows, the guys used solid mounts and plates attached to cylinder heads.

spdbrake · #16 (**permalink**) 06-30-2017, 08:31 PM

(Yes I'm rezzing a 5 year old thread.)

I recently had my sidepipes off for new mufflers and noticed the the pipes are quite close to the lower opening an had some contact marks from torque on the r-side.
Being the car is 15 years old the mounts are undoubtably sagging. I tried purchasing a set thru Backdraftparts.com and got stuck in an endless "what type of shipping you prefer" loop.

While I wait for Monday and they open again....

Does anyone have a source for Poly mounts on the BDR?
(I've already spent a few hours surfing Poly bushing manufactures for the correct dimensions but no luck)

Trueoo7 · #17 (**permalink**) 06-30-2017, 08:41 PM

Yes they do make poly mounts. I have them installed on my car. The old ones were starting to lean backwards. I'm away right now but when I get home I will look them up and get back to you.

Pastormajorquin · #18 (**permalink**) 01-28-2018, 12:03 AM

Hello!
I have the same problem, that the exhaust hits the chassie at the lower opening!
It is more on the right then on the left but both have contact! What kind of motor mounts (but not solid) can I use to raise it up, or should I just shim it? Is there a special way how to do it!
Thanks for help

spdbrake · #19 (**permalink**) 01-28-2018, 09:27 AM

I ended up buying the OEM BDR mounts from https://www.backdraftparts.com/produ...or-mounts.html
The BDR mounts are constructed of a upper and lower protruding stud welded to a large area steel plate (One each top and bottom). The plates are encased (molded) in the rubber mount.

I tried for hours surfing the Net and contacted a few forum members but I never could find a source or part number for the poly mounts.
I did find a few companies making encased stud styles for BMW and Honda cars and others but no dimensionally correct mounts.
I could have just installed a poly solid mount and ran a long bolt thru the center, however as the mount heated up and sagging with age the the bolt would be looser and looser. (Not what I'd call a good design).

lovehamr · #20 (**permalink**) 01-28-2018, 05:09 PM

I ran rubber mounts under my big block for one week. Went to aluminum and never looked back. The second one I built I didn't even bother with the rubber. If ya'll are worried about NVH get a vette or a miata.