Center motor mount help

NyNeon0813 · Post by **NyNeon0813** » Sat Feb 04, 2012 8:44 pm

My middle engine mount is completely shot, trying to find the easiest way to change it.. Any suggestions?? Or if someone wants to write up a "how to" on it that would be awesome!!

chipdogg · Post by **chipdogg** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 9:39 am

If you have a 5-speed, supposedly you can unbolt all the mounts, remove the large motor mount bracket plate, and slide the engine/trans far enough towards driver's side to get it out.

If you have an auto, I found it's much easier just to remove the plate and the timing cover. I tried it with the timing cover in place and it was damn close, but I managed to break the outer timing cover. New mount went right in with no timing cover. Trans mount still bolted in. I tried it the other way but there was no way it was moving that far to driver's side.

NyNeon0813 · Post by **NyNeon0813** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 10:59 am

U think there's any way I could take the engine bracket off and jack the engine up high enough (or low enough) to get it out? and I am doing a head swap soon, should I just say screw it and wait til then since it will all be taken apart then anyways?

chipdogg · Post by **chipdogg** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 1:21 pm

I'd wait. There's no room to get it out with the plate in there, and even with that out, it's tight.

Donkeypuncher · Post by **Donkeypuncher** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 6:06 pm

NyNeon0813 wrote:U think there's any way I could take the engine bracket off and jack the engine up high enough (or low enough) to get it out?

Once you have the bracket off, you just use the hole in the outer timing cover to get the mount out. The service manual says to lower the jack and position the mount inside the timing cover hole, then jack the engine back up to get the mount out. Then do the reverse to get it back in. Of course the mount bracket has be off though.

Hope that helps.

Public Disturbance · Post by **Public Disturbance** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 6:20 pm

I have the same problem Im just dealing with it until I do timing belt Im coming to learn a car just sitting has more problems with the rubber parts going bad then a car being drove

chipdogg · Post by **chipdogg** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 6:54 pm

Donkeypuncher wrote:
NyNeon0813 wrote:U think there's any way I could take the engine bracket off and jack the engine up high enough (or low enough) to get it out?
Once you have the bracket off, you just use the hole in the outer timing cover to get the mount out. The service manual says to lower the jack and position the mount inside the timing cover hole, then jack the engine back up to get the mount out. Then do the reverse to get it back in. Of course the mount bracket has be off though.

Hope that helps.

I must not have had it in there right, I tried several different ways, including that, and it just wasn't coming out. Then the damn jack slipped out, mount got caught, timing cover broke, and something caught my thumb and slashed it open. I'm just glad my hand wasn't in there any further.

Donkeypuncher · Post by **Donkeypuncher** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 7:49 pm

I haven't actually tried it that way, I dropped the trans instead. It's just a pain in the ass no matter how you do it.

I think removing the outer timing cover might make it easier, any little bit of extra space helps.

NyNeon0813 · Post by **NyNeon0813** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:35 pm

Awesome. Thanks guys. I'll try out this week and post the outcome.

chipdogg · Post by **chipdogg** » Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:40 pm

Donkeypuncher wrote:I haven't actually tried it that way, I dropped the trans instead. It's just a pain in the ass no matter how you do it.

I think removing the outer timing cover might make it easier, any little bit of extra space helps.

Oh it helps tremendously. I pulled it off obviously cuz it was all busted to shit. At that point, when you have the big ass bracket off, you already have both belts off. Then it's just pulling off the crank pulley, 2 bolts, and the timing cover comes off. Once it's off, you'll feel like you have way too much room.

But if you are going to be pulling your head in a few weeks, wait till then. I should have done mine when I had the head off but I forgot till I drove it and remembered it was torn with 180k on it when it was clunking around.

Post by **occasional demons** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 8:23 am

A small tip for future use: Mark around the perimeter of the original mount, so the new one is lined up properly. The FSM instructs you to do this.

Is it 100% critical if you didn't? Probably not, just center it as good as you can. But if you know it hasn't been disturbed from the factory, May as well take advantage of the factory alignment, and trace around it.

IIRC, the FSM doesn't really give a procedure to align the center mount, it just tells you to copy the position.

And find a better jack location, that won't slide off.

chipdogg · Post by **chipdogg** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 6:56 pm

occasional demons wrote:And find a better jack location, that won't slide off.

Or don't jack it up and down so many times trying to get the damn mount out.

I was under the oil pan, don't recall if I had a block of wood under it or not. It was dark and cold out.

Donkeypuncher · Post by **Donkeypuncher** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 8:32 pm

The bottom of the oil pan has a funky angle to it, mine nearly slipped off as well. I put some 3m double sided tape on the block of wood this time and it didn't seem to move any.

I outlined the mount with a sharpie just to be safe, glad I did.