Thread: Ahh what joy, changed the engine mounts today by myself

As the title says, I changed the engine mounts today by myself.
Not much to add to the how to but just a few points.

IMHO thereis no need to stuff around with the bolts to make them point up. My copy of RAVE shows the bolts pointing down , and I found it easier to tighten the nuts when they were on the bottom. I think they are up just to make it easier for someone to dress the engine on an engine stand. It would be almost impossible to torque the nuts when facing up, without pulling lots of stuff off the motor.

One of the bolts was so tight that even the rattle gun would not shift it, but a bit of heat from a MAP gas gun got it moving. Careful as there is a rad hose right next to the RH mount.
A rattle gun and long extension is handy, as is a set of the spanners with the swivel end ( like a socket with a hinge to the spanner shaft) so that you can contort yourself into yoga positions and hold the top nut when rattling the bottom..I used many many tools and used a 1/2 air wrench to wind out the fuel cooler bottom bolts as there is little room to swing a spanner but you can get an air wrench in there.

I borrowed an engine crane from a mate and this helped a lot, although I did end up bending the front lifting eye. I only used the front lifting eye. The lifting eye is made of cheese and I had to bend it back into shape so the turbo heat shield bolt would fit. Better than the possibility of a cracked sump though.

As always the damn fuel cooler is the most difficult and time consuming part of the whole operation, and AFAIK it must be removed. Those two bottom bolts require the upward dog Yoga position with shoulders off the ground. Good test for the abs.

I had to remove my dual battery tray, so took the opportunity to modify the turbo heat shield by putting rivnuts where the rivets are on the bracket on the back of the turbo. This should make it slightly less impossible to refit with the battery tray in position.

I am glad it is done. The old RH mount had a witness mark on the rubber that showed it had completely collapsed. The car seemed a lot smoother on start up but I haven't driven it yet. I don't ever want to do it again.
Regards Philip A

Originally Posted by clubagreenie

You can mod the V8 mounts to use D1/RRC mounts in a vertical plane. Reduces the shear load on the rubber and they are 1000% cheaper.

Please explain?

TIA

Steve