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.

[svenedin]

An update to my experience with the new rubber mounts that I fitted in March 2025. They were awful and from a reputable supplier. Way too hard and transmitted too much vibration. Bearable but annoying on long drives. Everything rattled even at idle in traffic. The sun visors would be shaking. Dreadful.

I only had 1 serviceable old mount or I would automatically have reused the old ones. It took me some time to find a decent old one to make a pair. In fact, I had 1 in a box of parts in the garage all along.....

Anyway, I fitted the old rubbers today and everything is back to how it should be.

BUT I discovered that 1 of the new mounts is falling apart after just 5 months service and perhaps 2,500 miles.


Stephen

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[Bill_qaz]

The engine plate at your upper bolt in pic does not look flat.
Is it supposed to be or an illusion of picture?

[les]

I’d say the mount is damaged, can’t help matters.

[svenedin]

I’d say the mount is damaged, can’t help matters.

The mount was new at the same time. I painted it and examined it from all angles in that process and I didn't notice anything wrong with it. The old rubbers went straight on with no issue whatsoever.

I posted to the FB MMOC group and several people said they had experienced the same. The consensus was that "rubber isn't what it used to be". General comments that this kind of problem affects mounts for all manner of different classic cars and rubber parts for bicycles and motorcycles as well.


Stephen

[les]

Not doubting you at all, it surprises me though as it looks distorted from viewing the picture.

[svenedin]

Not doubting you at all, it surprises me though as it looks distorted from viewing the picture.

I do see what you mean but it's just reflections in the glossy black paint.

Stephen

[Bill_qaz]

Maybe illusion but studs do not look parallel. Also chassis side looks damaged where lines are pointed to.

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[svenedin]

They're not parallel, that's as it should be. The surface of the engine tower is concave to accept the convex metalastic mounting block.

Stephen

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[svenedin]

Here's the mount on an old engine front plate. You can see the plate is curved as well but it appears that the mounting block profile does not conform well to the engine plate.

Thanks for your detective work Bill. It seems that the new mounting block does not have a suitable profile to match the curve of the engine front plate bracket. This could stress the rubber unduly when the 2x nuts are tightened up causing the rubber to fail. Just a hypothesis. Perhaps combined with the rubber compound being too hard and non-compliant.

Stephen

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