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Here's an update on the engine mount job over the weekend:
Right-hand top mount is really easy. Put the car up on ramps, used 3 pieces of 2x4 with a jack under the oil pan and carefully raised it until the engine moved a bit (2-3 inches). Then loosened nuts and bolts and looked for movement... Everything worked out like a charm.
Photos below show the difference between the new and old mounts.
Then moved on to the left-hand transmission mount under the battery. That too was pretty easy. This time, still on the ramps, I put the jack with 2x4s under the trany, there's a flat narrow piece that's some kind of seam. Then battery out, tray out, mount out and then new one in. The guide screw was a pain to get out of the old mount. Went into the new one easy though.
Pics below show the new and old again.
After all that, and feeling really good about myself, came the real PIA. Haynes manual calls it a two-wrench job. Yeah right! It's more work than that.
Haynes calls replacing brake pads a three-wrench job and I can do those with much less headache.
Used a homemade bean hoist (pics below) for the engine, thanks to JG and Quasimotors.
The exhaust from the turbo back past the cat had to come out. The joint after the cat was really rusted badly and I didn't want to mess with it so I moved down to the next joint. PB-blasted everything and nuts came off easy. Front O2 sensor cable came out fine but the one after the cat got caught up some where while I was under the car holding the darn exhaust system unable to free it up. Not sure how much banging the flex pipes can take, but it sure made me sweat trying not to move them while jiggling the wire with the other hand.
Then on to the mount and support bracket. They're up next to the firewall really tight- I had to rip some of the insulation back to get at one of the bolts. The other bolt was nearly blind. I used just about every socket extension I own plus my dad's along with two universal joints. Looked like a Rube Goldberg contraption.
In the end everything came out fine.
Car feels smooth and shifts better than it did before.
Alex
'99 2.3lpt, 131K mi
'06 9-3 SC, 10K mi
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