I have finally fitted all the new engine mounts and thought I better share how it went.
I began by ordering new aftermarket bushes for the two top engine mounts and also a new bush for the lower front mount. The front base mount was an upgraded solid rubber one (evo mount) that was to replace the older style insert.
The aftermarket bushes for the top cost $65au each and the newer evo style front roll stopper bush was $71.50au and it’s a race spec insert.
For the rear bottom transmission mount I had to order a bracket with the bush already in it, as there was no aftermarket alternative available. The genuine rear roll stopper bracket was $110au
I began the job by removing the bush from one of the top mounts and it was not very hard to remove using a hammer and an old metal punch I had in my tool box. Once it was moving it came out easy enough. Others have also done this job on the forum here and had good advice on how to remove the old bushes.
I managed to fit one of the aftermarket inserts into the top bracket after removing the old one but I pressed it in the wrong way around and I simply could not get enough pressure onto the insert.
oldMounts.jpg
It was a total prick of a job to get the new bush into the housing even though I had heated the housing and frozen the insert. I got it about half way and then simply could not get it in any further.
My stupid method involved using a mallet to smack the bush into the hole and it was a total screw-up to say the least. After losing the battle at the half way mark, I gave up, got on my pushbike and rode to my storage shed to get my puny but useful vice.
The vice made forcing the bush into the housing a lot more simple but my vice was a little small for the job and I had already ruined the bush by hammering it. I also made the dick of the week mistake and pressed it in in the wrong direction. Duh
The short of the story is that the housing needs to be heated really hot (A handheld blow touch does the job nicely) and the insert still requires lots of pressure to get it pressed in. You can do it with a big vice, my vice was simply too small to do the job effectively.
I had by this point decided that a shop should be able to press the parts for me and rang a number of engine places to see if I could find a place willing to do the job, they all either didn’t respond to my requests or were clueless over the phone or simply wanted too much to do the job. After this I gave up and ordered the OEM brackets with inserts from Egars Mitsubishi. It was worth it and made the rest of the job a lot simpler. The top mounts cost me $520au for the left and right upper mounts.
I guess your now asking yourself why I bothered with OEM mounts instead of Nolathane or some other type of mount, believe me I was at this point asking myself the same questions. The simple answer is that I want comfort in the cabin when driving without loads of road noise. I was concerned I would not get this if I went down the Nolathane route.
The two top mounts were simple enough to fit once I had the OEM ones however I did have to use a jack under the engine to make things line up. With a bit of messing around I managed to get the bolts aligned and fitted to the new brackets.
newUpperEngineMount.jpg newUpperTransmissionMount.jpg
I then unbolted the center bracket that sits under the car and removed it so I could get at the front roll stopper. I was shocked to fit the bolt that goes through the center of the roll stopper bush was much smaller than the diameter of the bush center hole. Not just by a little bit but by a lot. I even though maybe the bracket was wrong because of all of this. But its normal.
incorect.jpg
It seemed to me a crappy design as it can move around inside the insert and sort of defeats the purpose of being a roll stopper. Mitsi must have come to this conclusion also as the newer evo insert does not have this issue but it is more challenging to fit.
The center of the rubber bush was totally sheared off and loose inside the housing. I cut the rest of the insert out with a hacksaw and after that it just fell out quite nicely. It was not as easy as the first one I removed on the upper bracket that’s why I cut it out.
I heated the housing and then pressed the new insert into the bracket using my vice. I had to work my way around it a little at a time slowly pressing it in. I also used wd40 on the inner ring and this also helped. The new insert is a little wider than the old one and you will notice it if you go down this route also.
newEvoMount.jpg
The rear roll stopper was next on my list and it a total cock of an item to get at. You end up having the remove lots of hose and pluming to get at it and even after that you will find the bottom bolts not the most easy to see or get to. Expect multiple trips under and over the car when removing and fitting the bracket.
newRearMount.jpg
To get the center bolt to line up you will need to use a jack and raise the box or engine until it all lines up correctly.
You will now find that getting the new front roll stopper fitted also becomes a bit of a mission as it also does not line up correctly. To make it all line up I had to partly fit the rear bolts but not tighten them, and then with no bolts in the front and just the rubbers under the front bar jack it all until I finally managed to make it all line up.
frontEvoMount.jpg
For me it was a difficult job and took a lot of time to line all this up. Once the center bolt was in the front roll stopper I was then able to fit the front bolts and tighten everything.
Some of the bolts require the car to be off the jack and on its wheel before you correctly tighten them so be aware of this.
All up it was a reasonably time consuming job but kinda satisfying once completed.
I will let you all know how it drives once the engine has been desludged.
These are the removed collapsed mounts for your viewing amusement.
rearMount.jpg transmissionMount.jpg