gen 1, lower motor mount

[2001goldGTP]

Any suggestions on getting the thing out? I have the book and understand the bracket has to come out then you can take the mount on and off the bracket. I cant get the damn bracket loose. I was able to get one bolt by the ac compressor loose but not out and the others might as well be welded in there. I have a 1/2in impact gun and its just loosing, so is any attempt at using a breaker bar. So i need advice on how to get the bolt by the ac all the way out and how to get the others to come loose. I did use penetrating fluid. 

 

The motor mount is the source of the horrible groaning/ squeaking noise when i use the brakes. It sounds like an old barge rubbing up against the dock. i changed the trans mount, and upper dog bones and the noise went away for a couple of hundred miles then it came back.

 

Thank you

[Imp558]

pull the passenger side wheel and see if you can get in there with a combination wrench. That's how I did mine and I use a different oil pan it's a lot closer to the bolt heads than yours. make sure you use a good-sized piece of wood on the jack so you don't have all the weight in one spot on the oil pan.

you should be able to pull the engine mount without pulling the U bracket off

Edited September 13, 2016 by Imp558

[2001goldGTP]

yeah i can get access im stating i cant get the bolts out with a 1/2in impact gun. Are you saying to lift the engine high enough to clear the frame with the mount? that seems awfully darn high

[digitaloutsider]

In this in your Cutlass in the sig?

 

It has been a REALLY long time (like a decade at least) since I've done a 3.1 1G motor mount, but I'm pretty sure I didn't remove the whole U-bracket. Lower the subframe on the passenger side and lift the engine and you should have clearance.

[rich_e777]

Ive done them on both 1st and 2nd gens and recommend you find a slight hill and point the front towards the top. This way when you go to lower the engine everything lines up ok. The bracket shouldn't have to come out but you will have to raise the engine/trans higher than your probably comfortable with. GO SLOW! The flex pipe on the exhaust is meant to give a bit but you should be able to raise the powerplant up enough to clear enough room to just pick the mount up and out. I didn't lower the subframe so not sure if that would make it easier. The manual states to remove the steering pinch gear nut, I did not either time and do not seem to have any issues. Get the solid mounts, if you have the ones with hydro fluid in them take them back to the parts store and throw them through the window if they don't take the POS back.

 

When lowering everything back down I found it best to set the mounts in and just get the lower nuts started and put about 1/8 of the weight on the mounts so you can use a prybar to still move things around so the top studs go through and then you can finish lowering the engine. Don't forget to check out your crank sensor harness and other hard to see wiring.

[2001goldGTP]

Ok, it is the cutlass in the sig, what tool did you guys use to get the top nuts off the motor mount. I can't get a wrench or socket on them to save my life. So even getting the motor high enough I still am stuck.

[Imp558]

I use a combo wrench, mine is a 3800 with an aluminum oilpan that's so tight I had to cut notches in the U-bracket to clear it.

[rich_e777]

Ok, it is the cutlass in the sig, what tool did you guys use to get the top nuts off the motor mount. I can't get a wrench or socket on them to save my life. So even getting the motor high enough I still am stuck.

I used a combo wrench as well, not an offset but the sort with the closed end at an angle. IIRC you can only turn it a slight bit at a time because of the metal lip that sticks up on the topside of the mount. No idea why that's there other than to make the job all the more difficult.

[digitaloutsider]

I got them loose with an offset wrench, but I needed a crowsfoot to get them back snug enough for some reason.

[Imp558]

On the way in you may have to tape the nuts to the wrench to get them in place.

[2001goldGTP]

So sorry this took forever, new house got to me and I did not need to daily drive the Cutlass for a while so I sort of did the bad thing and didn't get around to it. I did my best to remove it the book way, remove the bracket from the engine with the mount then remove the mount. I soaked the bolts in penetrating fluid for days, took my impact gun to them and basically broke an impact socket without the bolts budging. So I gave up and did all I could to get at them with a wrench or socket. After talking it out with a friend we came to the conclusion to go get and possibly modify a high offset wrench to make it work. We took my socket that cleared but the bracket only without a wrench to know if the idea was even possible. Bought the harbor freight cheapos because I thought I was going to need to take a torch to them and behold the harbor freight wrenches fit without modification and the ugliest motor mount came free....

[Imp558]

That still looks fine

[Imp558]

I was just looking for some files and I found this picture. Mine wasn't quite as awesome as yours. From what I understand this is what a typical failed one looks like.

[2001goldGTP]

There is "failed" and then there is got every penny out of it lol