Changing Motor Mount Inserts - Back motor mount

[Sy Haw Wong]

I got my Energy Suspension Motor Mounts, and I am assuming that installing should be easy.  But after examining the rear mount, I realized that I may have a hell of a fight getting to it.  This one is lodged at the back and obstructed by the fuel filter.

Anyone that has done this part themselves have any tips and suggestions? 

[Mike Schmid]

If you're doing it with the motor in place then yeah, it's going to be hard, real hard.  Getting my AC compressor off the motor with the motor in was a major pain, that motor mount will probably be harder.  I don't foresee any real shortcuts. 

[Sy Haw Wong]

No one has any experience in installing this rear mount insert with the engine in??

DSM engines are really one of the most challenging engines to access if it is not out of the car.

[Scott Ashizawa]

Not sure if it helps on a 2g but when I did mine I took off the intercooler pipe, battery, battery tray and i think the starter to get to  the mount.

[Scott Girvin]

Its not that hard. Use an assortment of extensions to get at the mount to sub frame bolts (3 I think). Go straight down behind the intake manifold to get at them. You will need to go under the car to get at the main bushing bolt.

Have fun.

[Sy Haw Wong]

 

I guess I can smile now.

I installed the mount inserts.  But not without a nasty fight that took me practically half a day.
The front mounts were easy to get out, but had to use an impact gun to crack the long bolt.  Then it was a nasty situation to line the mount back in...had to jack the engine up a little to do that.

Then the fun part begins...the rear mounts.  I wasn't experienced enough to do it.  My mechanic buddy helped me out on this one...and he even had a hard time getting the bolts loose.  It was a nasty situation.  Had to use all sorts of creative ideas to get the bolt out.  It seriously was not fun, and now I owe my buddy an expensive lobster dinner for this ~ 

But at least my car GROWLS like mad on idle ~  and the car really responds well.  It was worth the effort and my $24 investment for inserts ~

[Remi Raymond]

No one has any experience in installing this rear mount insert with the engine in??

DSM engines are really one of the most challenging engines to access if it is not out of the car.

  They're no cakewalk, but i'm grateful they're not the 3S-GTE from an alltrac or MR2. Those things are such a PIA.

[Mike Schmid]

With the exception of a few areas these really aren't that hard a car to work on.  Everything is pretty well thought out and laid out.  There's definitely much, much worse than this, tranverse v6s that you need to pull the engine half out to change spark plugs, engines buried in hard lines and wiring harnesses, that kind of thing. 

Good to see you got it done though, some of those bolts are really shrouded when it's all installed. 

[Sy Haw Wong]

Yeah.  The two major problems that occurs are lack of proper tools to get to the small areas and because of time, most of the nuts and bolts have seized from rust etc.  Its a pain in the ass to get them out especially in small hard to reach places.

[Derek Fung]

rear mount is a bitch.  i just removed the fuel filter clamp and pushed it aside a little bit to give me more room. but well done.