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Check all the motor mounts Posted by Ari [Email] ![]() ![]() In Reply to: Vibration in car, T. Christopher, Mon, 28 Feb 2005 16:47:13 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
The front lower engine motor mount is pretty easy to see. The rear lower engine motor mount is harder to see. Crank the steering wheel all the way to the left, and peer in through the hole in the wheel arch inner-liner. If you can reach in with a crowbar and CAREFULLY pry at the mount, see if the bolt on the mount moves, but the rubber attached doesn't.
However, most likely it's the upper 'dogbone' mount. Check the bushings (2). The stock bushings are a dark charcoal-grey rubber. It's a stiff rubber, but rubber nevertheless. It is possible that since you've had this since the beginning, the previous owner installed non-stock bushings, or installed stock bushing wrong. Lots of folks install either poly bushings, or the two-piece bushings. The poly bushings control engine movement better, but can transmit a lot more vibration. The two-piece bushings are much easier to install than the stock bushings, so many folks take that approach. Those can also transmit a lot more vibration.
The other possibility is problems with the stock bushings. The stock rubber bushings have a center piece that holds the bolt, and the rubber connects to the outer part of the bushing in only two places - so there are two gaps. The gaps should be at the front and back. Most of the engine vibration is front-back, so that gives it some spring. If the guy installing the bushings wasn't paying attention, they may have installed them with the solid parts front and back, so the engine vibration has a direct transmission path from block to firewall to steering wheel.
If the bushings are totally shot and have collapsed, the center portion may be resting directly on the inner surface of the outer portion of the bushing (if that makes sense) - again - transmitting a lot of vibration.
Lastly, some folks have modified the stock rubber bushing by inserting a piece of stiff rubber (cut up heater hose is popular) into the gaps. This is commonly done when the bushings start to fail, to stiffen things up. Or, it may have been done as a cheap way to stiffen up the mounts so there is less engine movement during shifting.
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