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Re: DIY motor mounts?
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Posted by Ari [Email] (#2847) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Ari) on Thu, 5 Jun 2003 11:16:42 Share Post by Email
In Reply to: DIY motor mounts?, Mike in VT, Thu, 5 Jun 2003 09:18:10
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Let's talk about the lowers first.
It's really not that bad. There are some tricks.
Of course, see Quasi's writeup - http://www.quasimotors.com/mountwork.htm

Separating the subframe trick works REALLY well. It makes the front mount pretty easy to do. I like sticking a chunk of 2x4 in there to make sure things stay separated.
Yes, separating the subframe sounds really scary - I figured there were a few thousand pounds of pressure there, and that things would fall apart or explode. No such excitement.
The rear motor mount can be tricky. It's very hard to get enough separation between lifting the engine and dropping the subframe to get the old one out and the new one in. There is a very simple trick. The top bolt of the rear motor mount goes into a metal bracket that bolts to the engine. I simply unbolted the bracket and lifted it out of the way. VERY easy to replace the mount then. It's a little tricky getting the bracket back in - you really have to crawl under to see what you're doing. But I've done mounts a few times, and trust me, removing the bracket is well worth the effort.
One word of warning - I haven't done it on as late a car as a '94, so that bracket may be different.

Uppers. Various folks have built tools to remove and insert the bushings. These usually consist of threaded rods, metal cylinders, and fat washers to essentially build a press. These usually work pretty well, but I've had cases where the bushing hangs up. In that case the saw method works. Or, go directly to the saw method.

This works particularly well if you have a jeweler's saw, as I do. The best would be a coping saw or hacksaw with a good cutting blade. Basically, thread the saw blade through the rubber part of the bushing, then connect the saw back up. Saw through the metal of the bushing. I do this in two places about 1" apart. Pry that piece out, then knock the bushing out. The dogbone comes out to do it on a workbench, but the part on the engine must be done on the engine.

To put the new one back in - I don't use urethane or two-piece units - I prefer stock OEM bushings top and bottom for the best vibration isolation. My preference. The bushing is just a press fit. But it doesn't have to be a squeeze. What I do is put a threaded rod through the bushing, held on with nuts. THen stick the rod into an electric drill. Wearing a glove and holding sandpaper, I spin the bushing and sand it down a few thousands. I actually use wet/dry sandpaper and stick the whole bushing/rod into a bucket of water periodically. Smooth down the bushing until it just fits. Even if it had a thousandth or three play, you won't notice it.
Another trick - always check bushing fit when the bushing is cool - sanding will heat it up and it'll expand. If it's just about to fit, throw the bushing in the freezer for a few hours - that'll shrink it a bit more. IF THE BUSHING STARTS TO GO IN CROOKED - DON'T FORCE IT. The bushing WILL cock and jam, and you'll have a very bad day. Be patient and make sure you've sanded the bushing down enough and it's going in straight. Some lubrication always helps.

A note - when you go to do the motor mounts, you'll have the fender inner liner off and the whole accessory end of the engine will be exposed. This is a very tempting time to do other work. How old is that serpentine belt? Now's the time. Has the alternator voltage been running a little low? You can get your hand behind the alternator to replace the voltage regulator. Check the water pump for leakage. Heck, pull the serpentine belt off and give all the idler pulleys a sping to check the bearings. Give the harmonic balancer a good look, and if you're dripping a little oil, now's the time to do the main seal and oil pump O-ring.

Last time I did motor mounts, it took two days. That's because I did the seal and o-ring, replaced the alternator, and a bunch of other things. Best to plan ahead.

Good luck!

posted by 192.249....
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