In preparation for replacing the water pump I would like to remove the passenger side motor mount. Surely someone here has performed this task. I searched the 4th gen forum and found posts ranging from starter replacement to tachometer.

From what I see the center bolt will be no problem. There are three bolts securing a black plate that are obvious. Now removing the large aluminum mount that is bolted through the timing case is where I need help. There doesn't appear to be any room to loosen and remove these bolts. The horizontal bolts would back out into the frame - and there's little wrenching room. The nuts that are under the mount don't appear to be any easier to remove. It looks like I have about 3 or so inches working room along this side of the motor.

I plan to place a 2x4 under the oil pan with a floor jack to support the motor. If I remove just the passenger side motor mount how much will that permit me to lift up the timing case side of the engine? I don't want to flex the motor and ruin other components. Should I look at removing the center support mount bolts too?

Thanks in advance for any assistance... Be Safe, Mark V.

 

Here's a 3 part how-to-replace-the-water-pump video.







Here's a link to more how-to videos

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_lis...E3C3345DC2C64F

 

Thanks Dennis, I have seen these videos. He is an Org member. He has a good number of videos. In the video he references taking off the passenger motor mount. I think that he even mentions making a video on just the passenger mount. There is little to no information on breaking down this rube goldberg motor mount.

Be Safe, Mark V.

 

It really isn't hard at all, I just did it, twice this weekend. wrenching room is tight, but my long handle flex head with a shallow socket (17mm) fit on that lower nut to break it loose, then I had to switch to a regular combination wrench to get it the rest of the way off. The upper LONG bolts on the aluminum part I manged to get the breaker bar with a 17mm socket on it to break those loose. The 2 nuts on the really long studs I used a 14mm deep socket, got the bottom one by going up from the bottom side and the top was pretty darn easy. To remove the aluminum part I had the floor jack under the engine and just had to jack it up as much as I could (wasn't much but it tilts the engine just enough). Then the long bolts pull back far enough to clear and the mount pulls right off the bottom stud. It's longer to type it than it ends up taking. Once you start getting bolts and nuts loose it'll be pretty obvious what has to happen.

 

thanks IRB. You're right. I toyed with just breaking the nuts and bolts loose yesterday and figured it out. I even came across a website that detailed using extensions with a swivel and coming at it from underneath for the right side nut. I saw one picture that showed the mount about an inch out from the body support. I certainly don't want to break anything jacking it up too far. Some posters commented not to use the lower oil pan as a jack or support point. If I use a 2x4 between the jack and the pan it shouldn't cause any damage.

Be Safe, Mark V.

 

I just followed the "Lift the end of the engine"-idea, and it worked great. I just couldn't see how those bolts were coming out otherwise.

I put it very carefully on the far-right side of the lower pan, and really, you can almost lift the engine enough by hand to get enough clearance; you just can't lift the engine enough by hand while removing the bolts; the typical human doesn't have enough limbs.

There is obviously thread-lock on those bolts. Should I use more when re-installing?

I'm doing this task to get to the inner-timing-chain cover, to replace those two O-rings (and the tensioner and guide). I think I'll have to take off the upper pan as well, unfortunately. I'm going to try this job without doing that, but I don't think it'll work. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Since I have that front mount out AND the two main mounts out, I'm going to have to be very careful about supporting this thing. I already know it. For safety's sake, I'm thinking of removing the exhaust, then the center brace, taking out the pan, and then temporarily re-installing the center brace for the rest of the job. An extra step, but for the amount of time the pan and front covers will be out, I think I need the safety margin.

 

Oh, and the passenger-side mount?

She's dead, Jim.

 

Is this mount any good?

http://www.amazon.com/Anchor-9031-Fr...1&s=automotive