RB Engine Mount Replacement

Or

When You're Looking for Trouble it's Easy to Find

So for the last month or so I've been wanting to replace left side (drivers in US) engine mount on my '78. I read all the horror stories about how it's impossible and "you need pixie fingers." So after researching a bit on MGE I was finally "ready." It turns out that the nut securing the mount to the frame was missing!! !#@#$#$% :X

Now this may not be the "best way" but if you don't have and engine hoist handy it works. Here you go:

1) Remove the steering rack:
1a) Put the front of the car on jack stands.

1b) Take the steering arm bolts off. This is easy if you do one side at a time and turn each wheel so the rear faces out. Work from the aft side of the wheel or the sway bar arm will get in the way. Use some PB or Liquid Wrench and a breaker bar as these can be a little rusty.

1c) Remove the bolts attaching the rack to the sub-frame.

1d) Mark the steering rod where it attaches to the u-joint then take the pinch bolt loose and extract the rack and steering arms as a unit. Do not rotate it from the position that it was in from here on out!

2) Remove the nuts from the engine mount, two on the bracket and the one at the frame. The one at the frame is easy to see if you get under the car. Work through steering rod hole with your wrench.

3) Get your floor jack and a piece of 2x4 that will go all the way across the oil pan. Move the jack under the side that you're changing the mount on, keeping the 2x4 on the jack pad. The 2x4 will distribute the force and keep the oil pan from being damaged. As you jack up the motor it will want to rotate about the axis of the other mount.

4) Extract the old mount jacking as required.

5) Install is the reverse of removal. Make sure you line up that rack correctly and torque the steering arms to proper specification.

Notes:

Took me about 2.5 hours to do the whole thing by myself.

I stole the steering arm removal bit from Hap (who I think stole it from someone else).

If you have an engine hoist use it! Don't risk the oil pan. I'd suggest doing both sides at the same time and leaving the mounts attached to the engine until you clear the frame.

Get the heavy duty mounts from Moss as well as new brackets.

Brackets crack easily so if you've got a welder you might run a bead on the inside of the right angle bend to build it up a little.

Wasn't too bad with a plan was it? Back together better than it was before in few hours. If there is a next time it will take less.

Most of these horror jobs I haven't found all that bad with this planned out approach. After doing them a few times it takes much less effort.

Here are a few times:
gearbox x member ->20 minutes
pull engine/gearbor -> 2 hours
windshield glass into frame -> 1 hour 45 minutes
brake caliper rebuild -> 15 minutes
both master cylinders replace-> 4 hours first time...next time 1 hour?

Doing the mount with the rack removed isn't a bad job is it?

It's a real bear doing it *without* removing the rack. That's when Pixie fingers are required!

Thanks Eric. That little chore is in my future. I have a cracked driver's side motor mount to replace at some point.

Jim and Rod, with a plan and the proper approach it was definitely do-able and all with stuff that is in your tool box. The wife sure was shocked when I told her I was finished already :P

Jay, you are welcome. I'm hoping to increase the size of the MGE "brain" when I post stuff like this. I searched around a lot and couldn't really find a good definitive answer on this so I figured it would help in the future.

Having proper engine support is definitely key. I'll bet the reason my diff and tranny leak as much as they do, not to mention having to replace both u-joints, was caused by old inadequately installed engine mounts and missing the tranny locating pin. All the flopping around puts stress on seals and bearings. Aesthetically the car is a lot more pleasing to drive just because it feels solid and steady.

What works the best IMO for jobs like this is a special engine lift fixture. We had one a guy at the shop made to support Rabbit engines while the transaxles were off.

It was a long, heavy telescoping (adjustable length) bar with stand-off type legs to rest adjacent to the fender bolts on both sides of the engine compartment on various cars. In the middle was a threaded hook with a tall nut that could be hooked to the engine to raise it a bit off the mounts. It was totally out of the way for working under the car, unlike a floor jack or cherry picker. Also couldn't come down unexpectedly like a cherry picker! A very easy to build tool for anyone with a welder.

I just pop the tie rod end out of the steering arm. One nut, a couple of taps on the end of the steering arm, 2 seconds later the tie rod end is out. Much easier than taking the steering rod loose from the spindle.

Tom Bedenbaugh Wrote:

Eric, I have popped a BUNCH of them without any help and never had one that didn't pop loose. Two to three licks with my short handel malet and they pop. One thing that Twist didn't tell people is if you remove the tie rod end count the number of turns it takes to get it off. That way when you reinstall it your back here the frontend alinement was before taking it off.

I agree that the Twist video leaves out that key fact since I've use the count the turns method for replacing my rack boots.

I just went the way I did because I whacked on it with a regular hammer and it wouldn't come lose. I was afraid of tearing the tie rod end rubber so I left it alone rather than dig myself into a hole (which I've done a few times)

Maybe it's time to invest in a BFH....or at least a dead blow hammer.

A dead blow want work as it absorbs some of the shock factor you need to break the taper loose. A regular hammer doesn't have enough weight. I'm not sure of the exact weight of my mallet, but it's some where around 2-3 lbs.