Need tips on installing new motor mounts

dklitzke

Registered User
In the morning (my day off), I plan to install my new SCP solid rubber motor and trans mounts. I have a good floor jack, jack stands, plenty off hand tools, and even a compressor and impact tools. Does anyone out there have or know of a good set of procedures make this job to be less of a pain?
Thanks,
Don Klitzke
Prospect TN
 
Sure do.. unfortunately, my notes are on my other computer and its a bit lengthy. All I can do for now, is give you the quick highlights:
1. Loosen the plastic cowling under the wiper arms.
2. When you raise the engine be sure to use a wide wood block
underneath the oil pan to keep from cracking it. Jack up the engine to take the load off the mounts being careful not damage the cowling.
3. Driver side, and this is _MY_ technique, I fully remove the
washer fluid tank, upper IC tube+SCtop as 1 piece, coil pack, IC, alternator, pwr str pump pulley (borrowed a puller from Autozone)and bracket, and tie the pwr str pump back with twine. Then I remove the lower IC tube.. Then and only then are 4 of the 5 mount bolts visible and accessible. The through bolt holding the lower mount bracket to the frame is tight as heck. Takes a 13mm, 6 sided, 1/2" drive socket and breaker bar to get it loose.. Seat it fully so that you don't round it off or you'll ruin your day. The rest of the bolts can be removed with plain 3/8" tools and extension+swivel for the 5th rear bolt. Again, I stress.. 6 sided socket fully seated!
4. Pass side. unplug and remove the air cleaner/maf/intake tube, move the coolant tank out of the way, unbolt and tie back the compressor. Clear shot at the 3 bolts. Then from underneath with the wheel off (car full supported by jack stands) get the single rear bolt with extensions and a swivel.

OK.. should give you something to work with for now. There are other techniques which are much faster, but this way is safer WRT rounding off bolt heads. TBKHomeworld tried to do his the quicker way, ended up rounding off some bolts and got so frustrated/p.o'd that I think he sold his SC.. so take your time..
:(
Hope this helps.
 
thanks for the good advice

Thanks for the good info. However, I think I am going to have a local shop that I trust do the work. $150.00 for the motor and trans mounts. From all I've read and heard, I don't think that is a bad price. And it'll save a bunch of hassle.

Don Klitzke
 
One of the other members posted a detailed procedure, so please do a search. I did not pull anything from above since I worked from underneith the engine.

I put the car up on jackstands then removed the exhaust system so I could pull the mounts from the bottom. Block of wood under the oil pan then jacked it up about 1/2 inch to releave pressure on the mounts. You have to remove the screws from the cowl by the wipers. You don't have to remove the wipers, however.

I then removed the front two bolts that attach the upper part of the mount to the engine block. I found that the best way is using a 1/2 inch drive with a 13mm socket on a 10 inch extension with a universal and large braker bar going from the wheel well thru the hole just behind the sway bar. I figured this out after about 4 hours of frustration.

The passangers side, you have to remove the starter then bend the shield around the knock sensor out of the way.

When you put the mounts back in, leave the small two mount to bottom bracket bolts extremely loose to help manuver it back into position. Then tightent them up.

My 1994 did not need to drain the coolant when I pulled the knock sensor.

It took me about 14 hours to do the drivers side and 4 hours to do the passangers side.
 
Lets kill some rumors here....

Ok, Yes, I rounded off a bolt head....No, that was NOT the deciding factor on selling the Tbird.

The way in which I did the project WOULD have taken less than 2 hours, however I had a VERY unfortunate encounter with a bolt that was put on with an impact wrench, was too long, and bottomed out inside it's hole. The specific bolt I'm referring to is the one on the driver's side mount, towards front of car, the top one (For those of you who have done this, you'll know which one I'm talk'n about).

I ended up COMPLETELY rounding off the bolt head. Here is what I broke BEFORE it rounded off:

Completely rounded off one 18" long CRAFTSMAN extension
Snapped a CRAFTSMAN 6-point socket in two
Broke several other tools (Can't remember which ones actually)

Finally I broke down, went to sears and purchased a special set of "bolt removal tools" (I recommend these to ANYONE with a stuck bolt/nut!). It did the job WONDERFULLY!

After I removed that I proceded with my install and completed it a few minutes later.


I did the entire swap without removing the steering shaft and without removing anything OTHER than the exhaust.

One bit of advise: NEVER remove both mounts at the same time!!!! The engine likes to slide all over the dang place and get all outta wack. I ended up having to use a pry bar and two tie-down straps (Wench types) to put the engine back in place.
 
I didn't do mine, but I thought I'd mention that when the shop did it the temp sensor came in contact just enough that it pushed it down and disconnected it. I guess too much could have broken off the clip or something. Just the same, might tell them to disconnect it to be safe. Had a C/E light afterwards, but that just needed to be clipped back in.
 
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