1098 Engine mount replacement

[Wes]

Whilst faffing about with the alternator i noticed that the rubber engine mounts look a little tired. whilst i'm all for "if it anit broke dont fix it" i do wonder if one does let go is it an engine/gearbox out job or can the engine be levered/lifted up slightly and mounts replaced? Just a thought.

[svenedin]

There's been a lot of recent discussion about engine mounts. The new ones that are available are too hard and they transmit horrible vibrations. You are much better off with your old mounts as long as they are not falling apart. Yes they can be replaced by undoing the towers and lifting the engine without the need to remove the engine.

Stephen

[Wes]

Noted thanks. But wasnt going to change, just after info "just in case".

Thanks

[rsawatson]

Whilst faffing about with the alternator i noticed that the rubber engine mounts look a little tired. whilst i'm all for "if it anit broke dont fix it" i do wonder if one does let go is it an engine/gearbox out job or can the engine be levered/lifted up slightly and mounts replaced? Just a thought.

How bad are they? I changed the mounts on my car back in 2015 when I rebuilt its engine and the vibration was horrendous. I got round to replacing them with the supposed 'correct soft rubber' replacements available from ESM earlier this year and whilst better, it still wasn't great. When going through some boxes in my garage a few weeks ago, I came across the original mounts (I was convinced I had thrown them away) and fitted them yesterday. The difference is huge - the lack of vibration and reduction in noise has been transformative.

Unless yours are falling to bits, I would strong recommend that you keep the ones you have (and if you do, certainly do not throw them away in case you decide that the originals were in fact better)!

Also, in response to your question re how to change them, it is correct that they can be removed with the engine in situ. If you disconnect the engine steady bar and undo the nearside tower (and obviously the offside mount), you then have enough lift to easily replace them (and you do not need to worry about unbolting both towers).

[myoldjalopy]

There's been a lot of recent discussion about engine mounts. The new ones that are available are too hard and they transmit horrible vibrations. You are much better off with your old mounts as long as they are not falling apart. Yes they can be replaced by undoing the towers and lifting the engine without the need to remove the engine.

Stephen

Is this a more recent thing? I ask because I fitted two new engine mounts about 18 years ago and they have been fine ever since......

[rsawatson]

Yes - there was am awful batch doing the rounds in the 2010s that were incredibly hard. Even though the newly manufactured ones are softer than these, they don't appear to be anywhere near as springy the original specification.