Driver's side motor mount: a suggestion & a question

[my_beautious_ZX3]

Had a break in the weather a few months ago and replaced my passenger side (hydraulic) motor mount with a dealer part; fixed 75% of my vibrations!

Had another break in the weather last week, so I decided to replace the driver's side (tranny) mount. It's just a piece of stamped steel and some rubber, so I thought aftermarket would be fine...wrong!

Check this out - the Car Quest part has worst QA I've ever seen:





It's even worse when you try to install it - can you believe this??




This is not a minor design flaw!




So, I reinstalled the factory part, drove to Napa, and purchased theirs. It was a pretty good match, although I had to trim away the excess rubber from the bolt areas with an exacto knife.

When I removed the factory mount this time, the engine wanted to rotate towards the front of the car (ie. pushing the mount towards the battery), so I had to leverage it back using a prybar. It wasn't nearly as easy to maneuver as the passenger side was, but I finally got it into the same footprint as the factory mount. This before-and-after pic shows that I was able to secure the new mount within less than a quarter-inch of the old one:




Now, the vibration at idle is worse than ever! I especially feel it in the steering wheel. The engine/tranny actually sound like they are binding, making a labored sound at 0 - 5 MPH.

My mechanic has a heated garage, so I let him replace the dogbone mount (under vehicle). He had no trouble with it, but it had no effect on the vibrations (I thought the engine might settle into a more comfortable spot).


Any ideas??? Will this prematurely wear the CV joints?

Thanks.

[Sponsor]

[Indy'sexclusiveZx3]

Take all the mounts slightly loose then tighten them back up

[amc49]

Well, anyone surprised at that?

Do as Indy suggests............the rubber may be too hard like so many are..........also, look at your top set of three pic. Note the difference in distance between the side bumper on stock and the Napa part, the big airspace on the Napa. If you are talking vibration in drive on ATX, the space should be close, I think some deadening occurs as the top rocker arm pivots slightly sideways in drive to contact that side bumper. Way too much distance there, probably doesn't touch as it should in drive.

Quick test..........sink your thumbnail into the rubber on the stock and replacement part, every replacement I've seen that wasn't Ford part was much harder than the stock rubber was even with stock rubber hard and dead.

[my_beautious_ZX3]

thanks for the suggestions.

Before I installed it, I compared the rubber on the Napa & factory mounts. The Napa was hard as a rock.

I'll loosen the bolts and see if the engine settles into a new resting position, but there's only about 1/4" of leeway in any direction from the center of the mounting holes. I'm not optimistic that a quarter-inch can make much difference.

Also, I'm seeing conflicting advice about torquing the bolts: some FF posts suggest leaving the engine supported by a jack for the final tightening, whereas my Haynes manual says to let gravity do its job.

[amc49]

Better to tighten with it jacked, gravity actually makes for more effort simply lifting it back in place, technically that affects the torque slightly. Really no difference though. It will be easier to move plate around with it jacked of course. I never torque to spec there anyway, simply get it tight works all day long.

A natural law-harder rubber just like poly vibrates more. No, it will not affect CV joints at all, rather your comfort...........

[whynotthinkwhynot]

^^ Yes when you install any of those mounts, you should tighten the mount together with the engine before you tighten it to the body. Like on the transmission side: jack the trans until the mount is floating about 1/8" above the bracket that the mount bolts to. Now bolt it down, and get it as snug as possible. What you don't want to end up doing is pulling the center stud up with the nut- lifting the transmission with the mount. The trans should hang on the mount, but not be lifted by it.

Other than that, yes, improper engine alignment on the mounts will cause some vibrations.

I'll check my Helms and see what the procedure is for lining the engine up in the engine compartment. I marked the location of my mounts before removing. I changed all mine out to poly mounts, but I don't mind a little vibration at idle. It's really not that bad. It's a whole lot less than it was with bad mounts.

[pacosarae]

Take all the mounts slightly loose then tighten them back up

[CBen]

Two weeks ago, I repalced the atx mount with a Duralast part (Autozone). This actually made the noise and vibration worse than the original mount that was on it's way out. Today, I replaced the atx mount with the Ford mount and also changed the passenger side mount. OH MAN, is it nice! I've learned that sometimes you just have to go with the factory parts.

[Tymes]

I checked with Ford about a dog bone mount for my 02 AXT, they no longer carry them. They instead are selling a 2005 trans mount, but you also have to buy an adapter kit to use it. $120 for the mount, and he didn't even have a price for the adapter. SO its pretty hard to use factory parts anymore, unless I get them at the scrap yard.

[sleepyboy]

Just buy some Energy suspension inserts for the dog bone, it'll be one of the best cheapest upgrades you could do. Plus it's only 25 bucks or less.