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| I, Murphy's son, hearing that it was EASY to change my motor mounts, began the task this weekend. I wet all the nuts & bolts with Liquid Wrench Friday night, and started the next day. I started with the passenger side. I was able to jack up the engine with some wood 2X4's and blocks, cut to fit. Can't put a block under the pulley, as the coolant tubes are in the way, and the pulley overhangs the lip of the body where the pulley protrudes into the passenger compartment. So it's a 8"X14" particleboard under the oil pan. Then I removed the bolt that separates the upper and lower mount. |
| Removed the lower out, then started on the upper mount. |
| The bolts were grade 8, and were torqued to 130+ lbs, Hmmm. Moving to the driver's side, things went the usual way for Murphy's son. My header tubes were a tight fit, too tight of a fit to make this an easy job. I was able to get a socket (3/8 drive) around the header and into the tight space, but the angle required a universal, at an odd angle. No go with my torque wrench set at 130...150...160...170...180.... The socket started to round the bolt head. I then tried my 6-point socket, but it's a 1/2 drive, and thus the socket is too large in diameter to fit. Going back to the 3/8 socket, hey where is it ? It WAS on the other extension, guess what ? After MUCH searching, the (hollow) lower mount has a hole right below the bolt head; the socket had come off the extension and fell into the center of the motor mount! If you put your finger, up and in the space, you still won't reach it. A magnet could not do the "up, over, around, bend, down�, and still make the contact necessary and neither could one of those 4 pronged grabby things. OK, I loosen the mount bottom then the top, and move the complete mount around. Found the socket, but it's too big to drop out of the opening in the bottom of the mount. At this point I realized my floor jack was not holding its position. It gradually lowers down, "Friend, can you jack it up so I can get my hand out ?" "Hey friend ? Where did he go ?" "Hello ! Anyone ?" With both hands "tied" and the blood draining out, my arms were tingling. Great time for the bulldog (BIG, loose, flappy lips) to take a BIG drink of water, then respond to my calls, and drool on my face ! Arrrrgh !(Friend returns...beer run, sorry !) The complete mount won't come out in one piece, and I can't get the socket out either. Well I have a second 17mm "short" socket. Everybody has more than one right ? I didn't think I did. Glad I was wrong. Now with the mount loose in the space, I could not get enough torque to break the bolt free.... so back it goes, bolting it back to the frame, just to be able to use my leverage, at 190 pounds with the second 6-point socket it starts to turn. The rust and melted nylon nut were "such friends". There was a minimum of 130 pounds tension all the way out ! The mounts came out like one of those puzzles where you immediately don't know how.... So I am done right ? No. I can't separate the donut from the lower mount. I cut away the rubber, to learn that the bolt and the tube inside the donut have "become one". Some hack saw time later (Carpel tunnel/Arthritis hands) and they get a divorce. If you were wondering, the mounts differ, side to side. The upper/lower Bolt-hole is offset towards the FRONT of the car. While I was under there I was looking at the coolant lines. "Hey this hose looks odd..." Splash ! I only lost a mouth and nose full of coolant ! Yuk ! What does coolant do to a lung anyway ? (Lesson Learned: Keep mouth shut, and don't inhale !) The hose was only attached about a "clamp wide" distance, now there is a little continuous leak, and the system is not pressurized. I have had enough for one day. I ask, �Why does this beer taste like coolant ?� |