Engine mounts gone or not?
 

Hi All,

Thanks in advance, any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Am seriously thinking about buying this V6 classic wagon.It’s present owner has mentioned that the engine mounts are gone stating the following in his original add; see below.

Sellers’s Add

Currently on SORN, could be driven away butwould recommend trailer. Needs engine mounts doing, I held off because I wantedto fit polybush kit to the whole car but change of circumstances means I haveto sell.

Originally a UK 2000 turbo wagon on a 51 plate, this was the last year theproduced the classic.

Since then it has been modified safely and tastefully to the spec it is now.

Engine build done by scoobyclinic in 2010 for £6000

EJ257 sti block
2.5l crank shaft
Full set ACL Race big end and main shells
Forged Mahle pistons
Block machined and sleeved
SC36 billet turbo
Cosworth headgaskets and skim/refurbish
Scoobyclinic turbo up-pipe
Full set of engine gaskets
Scoobyclinic oil cooler
Run in map and oil
Final map


Also has had

GFB dump valve (adjustable preload)
Full 3 inch stainless de-cat exhaust - and remap
Sti short ratio 5 speed with 4.444 rear diff to match
Defi-link oil temp, oil pressure and boost pressure gauges, boost controller
Uprated clutch (very good)
Uprated fuel pump
Uprated injectors (don't know size)
New battery in 2014
Subaru 4 pot calipers
WRX front bumper and spoilers (before respray)

Back to me

Am a bit worried about the mounts!!! Don’t like the sound of that at all especially if mounts are gone (& have been for a while) altogether or the studs are sheared off where they attached to engine subframe.
My question is how you would ascertain/troubleshoot that it is the mounts that are the problem & what would be the noise or what would be actually be happening if you like to let you know “oh that happening under this condition is definitely a direct reactions of the engine mounts going”?

Thinking out loud here!!!! :cuckoo: Any movement at all in the engine would obviously very quickly damage you gearbox through it’s first motion shaft through clutch friction plate & engine flywheel engagement especially under spirited driving & dipping the clutch fast for a speedy gear change operation thus generating hi torque/thrust movement which is obviously going to cause some sort of a knocking noise If there is any play on mounts.:confused:

Also if you are going over hills or bumps in the road this is also going to give you the similar symtoms as stated above in regards to noises & movement.
These engine mounts (don’t know yet if owner changed the engine mounts, pitching stopper & gearbox mounts out to group N sti ones or similar during the upgrade work, will find out tonight) in standard form are pretty robust to say the least so what would actually cause them to go? When I took the engine out of my old Subaru which is 17 years old the mounts & material between the plates was like new?
I am right in saying the only way to check 100% that it is the mounts that are gone is to remove the engine & have a look?

I really need to get some info on this engine mount issue as basically I have 2 choices. Hire a van & threw all my tools & engine hoist into it & drive 7 hours to see the car, overnightin hotel & whip engine out to check. I would obviously need owner’sconsent, somewhere to do it & spare mounts with me or second option. Pay around £400 to get it transported 7 hours up the road to my garage, 3 hours later I could have engine out but if that isn't the problem then that would be a lot of money & effort down the toilet hence why I need to get a little more information on these mounts to make sure ]it really is them & not something else (more expensive problem!!!) that could easily be confused with the mount problem.

Apologies for the long post, again any advice would be greatly appreciated.

CheersPaul:thumb:

Been thinking a little more on this one. Answering my own thread here, what do they say about people who speak to themselves?:freak3::cuckoo:

If you were to loosen the pitching stopper & down pipe support bracket at OSF wheel arch then you theoretically could actually leandown & grab the cylinder head & lift to check for movement. Plausable?:lol:

Also could it be possible to loosen the pitching stopper, remove the flanged nuts from engine mounts (14 mm if memory serves me correctly)& down pipe support bracket at OSF wheel arch then install jack on cast iron headers, jack the engine up clear of the subframe to a height which would allow you to get access to the 2 bolts that hold on the engine mounts & change them over which would save a lot of work rather than taking engine out. If the aforesaid was possible I guess you could change mounts in around an hour? My worry would be is there enough play in all the lines & pipework above to get the height without disconnecting them?

Also I guess it would be the gearbox mounts that would take the load under spirited driving with knackered engine mounts rather than the gearbox, clutch etc as they are obviously are held rigid together by the 6 x bellmouth housing flange bolts.

Hopefully someone has done this, any info much appreciated.

Cheers Paul:thumb:

I had a front engine mount fail on mine, the rubber came away from backing. Not surprising really as my car gets launched and does 1/4 mile work it was on a 20 year old standard mount.
I replaced them with Hard race items from @asperformance . Easy ish job to do with the engine in situ, only fiddly part was bolting the RH side mount to the block (not a lot of spanner room) can all be done with clever use of trolley jack/s.
Remove the pitch stopper, undo the mount nuts and slacken the gear box cradle supporting the box(might as well change the gearbox mount while youre at it) you will now get a fair bit of wiggle room.

Thanks for the info Edsel, much appreciated. Yip thought it was plausible to do with engine in using the trolley jack buy you know yourself if you haven't actually did it or spoke to anyone about it; It is good to get confirmation from someone who has done it & for that I thank you :notworthy


As you have experience in this you will be able to answer the other question I had attached to this thread. What was actually happening with the car that made you think "Oh I think that might be the engine mounts - I had better check them" ? Basically what are the symptoms when your mounts are gone?


Cheers Paul:thumb:

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sco...d9c1fcff47.jpg
failed impreza engine mount.

There was a loud squealing noise coming from under the car. Generally the rubber splits from the mount before sheering the mounting bolts. Its a sure sign the car has been driven hard.

Thanks for the additional info Edsel. Very much appreciated.




Cheers Paul :thumb: