[kc5dlo]

I am in the process of replacing the lower motor mounts on the 2001 G20. Carefully installed the new mounts on the cross member with the same orientation as the old ones. I noticed at the time that the center holes on the new mounts were not centered like the old ones. I have the cross member lightly bolted back in place and need to get the thru bolts back in place to finish the job. The front one is pretty close and I think I can use a drift or a big screw driver to line it up to get the bolt through. The rear one is off by more and I am not sure how to get it to line up better.

Any ideas to make this a little easier? Am doing something wrong or out of sequence? Any tip would be great.

 

[Greenless]

i am assuming your car is on jack stands. use your jack to move the engine and or the crossmember until things line up. position the jack on the seam between the trans and engine NOT on the steel lower oil pan.

 

[DMSentra]

This means your upper mounts are more than likely in poor condition also, and will put more strain on the new ones you are installing. You can put the car on jackstands and the put the jack under the crossmember to help things line up.

 

[kc5dlo]

Yes, The car is on 4 jack stands. Jack is next to transmission pan but not on it.
As much as I hate to in this heat, I think I will go ahead with uppers as well, If I can finish the bottom LOL.

Thanks!!

 

[ferrari21]

Bottom is pretty easy. I went with prothanes on bottom, stocks on top. Whenever I remove/install my lower cross member with the prothanes, fitment and the alignment of all of the bolts is a bit tight. I loosen the bracket in the front of the motor held by 2 bolts, but I do not remove those bolts, start threading in the other bolts including the cross member bolts, then I lock everything down. 20k miles later and no complaints. Slightly more vibration from the front of the car, but far from annoying like some people make it out to be in my opinion.

Having some play in that front bracket makes things much easier, having a jack with a block of wood to move the motor up/down when installing takes a lot of the grunt work out too.

Everything said above I agree with, both guys know what they're talking about.

 

[kc5dlo]

I have the front bolt in now. The back mount is very tight. Sprayed a little silicone and with the leverage of a tire iron, I have it pretty close. I did inspect the uppers and drivers side does appear in need of replacing.

Thanks again everyone

 

[kc5dlo]

This means your upper mounts are more than likely in poor condition also, and will put more strain on the new ones you are installing. You can put the car on jackstands and the put the jack under the crossmember to help things line up.

Does the upper mount on the drivers side have oil in it? While I was trying to get the rear mount to line up, I noticed a puddle of oil forming and it looks like it might be coming from that mount.
This is turning into one of those jobs I wished I had just paid a shop to do.

 

[DMSentra]

Yes, another sign of the problems you're seeing.

 

[SarCaZm]

Mounts are made of rubber or polyurethane and I suspect the oil is either dirt/grime or grease mixed with any lubricant if you sprayed them. Or it could be something from the engine leaking which would be odd if its the drivers side mount.

Best thing to do in order to get your front and rear mounts positioned correctly is do not tighten any of the bolts all the way and you might want to leave them all very loose. Last time I did this I pushed both mounts into place and then started with the rear mounts first by barely placing the 2 bolts into the chassis, then put the rear cross member bolt through the mount and then worked the fronts the same way. At times I had to lower or raise my jack slightly (which you can lower while you are looking at the front mount) in order to get the hole in the motor mount visible to then place the bolt through.

 

[kc5dlo]

Yes, another sign of the problems you're seeing.

Should I stop working on the bottom and replace the upper, then back to the lower?

 

[DMSentra]

Just finish up with the lowers and get uppers asap. You're wrestling with a 6-700lb mass there so you have to use some effort to move things around to get them to line up.

 

[kc5dlo]

Went and got the upper transmission mount yesterday and got it installed without too much trouble. Crawled back under the car today after work and was able to get the bolt started into the rear mount. The other side has a fixed nut and no way to get anything in there to help line it up. Out of daylight for today.
Tomorrows plan is to pull the bolt from the front mount. I am hoping that I can then get the rear mount to line up enough to get the bolt in. Since the front mount does not have a fixed nut, I will try work a punch or drift in the back side to line it up to come thru the mount. The good news is it should be lots easier to crawl under the car to fight with the front mount. If that don't work, I don't know what to do.

 

[kc5dlo]

Success! Finally was able to get the mounts lined up enough to get the bolts through. Just got back from a test ride and things a much quieter in the cabin now. I figured about 4 hours to do the job and it took all weekend and 2 nights after work.

 

[DMSentra]

Glad you got it, and sorry it was such an effort.

 

[Cheezit]

I have a few questions about removing the cross member and the rear mount's horizontal bolt.
This thread is where I have posted my questions.
http://www.g20.net/forum/showthread.php?62319-HowTo-P11-Change-Crossmember-Mounts/page3

 

[DMSentra]

If the mount on the head and trans are in place proper, they will hold the bulk of the weight. A jack under the drivers end of the oil pan with a block spanning it's width will be plenty.

 

[Cheezit]

So just one jack will do. Thanks. I had the 2x4 running along the head/ trans seam. Good?

Are you saying that if I were to use a second jack, to run the 2x4 long ways on the driver's side of the oil pan, parallel to the crossmember?
DO you recall about how high the jack needs to have pushed up on the trans./ head seam?
I just could not find that sweet spot, and I tried a lot before giving up this evening.

 

[DMSentra]

Either way will do, you're just going up maybe an inch or so.
You really need to get into things and try a bit harder instead of asking about every little part of it.

 

[Cheezit]

Thank you. I definitely ask a lot of questions. I was trying a lot yesterday but couldn't find the right height for the jack. I actually did this a couple times before, but I couldn't recall the number of jacks, height of the jack.
I had a socket on the bolt and had the ratchet (no extension) between the cross member and the exhaust flex pipe, pulling counterclockwise , but that bolt would not move, no matter what height I had the jack.

 

[Cheezit]

I'll try again, and only raise the engine only an inch or so before trying bolt. I must have been raising the jack too high.
I assume that counterclockwise is still the correct way to turn the bolt to loosen it.