Motor mount swap something I can DIY?
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What I find a bit amusing is that you already bought the motor mounts and then you're wondering if you can do the job. I did it and I would call myself an intermediate do it yourselfer.
And I noticed you didn't even mention which motor you're talking about. If it's an in-line six it's much easier than the M119. I have had no experience on the M113 but I've heard it does present a bit of a challenge too.
Both involve just getting crap out of the way. The mounts themselves have only 3 bolts - 2 on the bottom and one on the top,
The job itself is fairly simple but it's getting all that crap out of the way; particularly the right side
And as somebody said you need that offset wrench to get that top bolt on the mount. The M119 is 17mm and I believe the M113 is 16mm.
After I did it I swore the next time I'd just pay the $900 labor and let a pro do it who had a lift and the proper equipment.
But if you have at least intermediate do it yourself skills and have worked on your cars before I would say it's certainly doable and replace the transmission mount while you're at it which is much simpler
And I noticed you didn't even mention which motor you're talking about. If it's an in-line six it's much easier than the M119. I have had no experience on the M113 but I've heard it does present a bit of a challenge too.
Both involve just getting crap out of the way. The mounts themselves have only 3 bolts - 2 on the bottom and one on the top,
The job itself is fairly simple but it's getting all that crap out of the way; particularly the right side
And as somebody said you need that offset wrench to get that top bolt on the mount. The M119 is 17mm and I believe the M113 is 16mm.
After I did it I swore the next time I'd just pay the $900 labor and let a pro do it who had a lift and the proper equipment.
But if you have at least intermediate do it yourself skills and have worked on your cars before I would say it's certainly doable and replace the transmission mount while you're at it which is much simpler
I did mine on my M119 late last year. I'm young enough to slide under the car and grovel for a few hours. It's a squeeze to get the new ones in, as the engine has to be raised up quite high to slide the new motor mounts in. I did not use an offset wrench, I just did it slowly with my assortment of standard spanners, extender bars, swivel joints etc.
5 hours seems a little high for a professional with a lift etc. But if it's just a ballpark figure then that is understandable.
Depends how skilled you think you are, and if you need the car or the space it's in.
5 hours seems a little high for a professional with a lift etc. But if it's just a ballpark figure then that is understandable.
Depends how skilled you think you are, and if you need the car or the space it's in.
The instructions would make it seem it is a simple operation, but I looked at it from underneath and thought it too much of a challenge. I took it in to an independent last year and was charged $785.00 for both engine mounts and transmission (M119). These were original mounts. I supplied the new parts. Hopefully you got dealer parts or OEM, I had the old Boge Lemforder BBB mounts that I purchased about 6 years ago when they were available and continually put off replacement thinking I would do them myself and procrastinated incessantly, but now that they are in, I wish I would have done them immediately upon purchase of the car some 10 years ago, as the car seems to drive so much better in every way. Just get it done.
I have the M104 which is great- tons of room in the engine bay. The right side can be done in minutes - the left side takes a while longer because of the intake manifold.
I think motor mount replacement is a straightforward and rewarding job. I put the front of my car on jack stands so you can slide under (chock the rears, even if you have parking brake on). Then loosen the mount from underneath, jack up the engine (use a thick piece of plywood and find the right subframe point; do one side at a time - not both at the same time), take off the upper bolt, take old mount out, replace with new part. The mounts have a slot sticking up so you can't mess up putting the heat shield back on (also lines up when you lower engine).
Once it's swapped, just go in reverse. I didn't tighten the top all the way until I got the engine lowered and the slot lined up and everything was in place. Then I torqued down the top, finished lowering, and hit the bottom.
With this being your first time, there are definitely moments where you'll get angry or struggle- just try to find the right tool or the right approach. Take a break if you need to. Running to Harbor Freight for the right tool can save you some time and frustration. The left engine mount on the M104 is a bit trickier to reach and I had to buy a set of stubby wrenches so that I could use a tiny hammer I had (beating the stubby furiously) to break it free.
I have to do this on my W124 soon - with the OM603 diesel engine. The previous owner only replaced one mount (the easier to access one) and the one that's pancaked is so bad that the right side of the car shakes. Definitely replace both when you do the job 🙂
I think motor mount replacement is a straightforward and rewarding job. I put the front of my car on jack stands so you can slide under (chock the rears, even if you have parking brake on). Then loosen the mount from underneath, jack up the engine (use a thick piece of plywood and find the right subframe point; do one side at a time - not both at the same time), take off the upper bolt, take old mount out, replace with new part. The mounts have a slot sticking up so you can't mess up putting the heat shield back on (also lines up when you lower engine).
Once it's swapped, just go in reverse. I didn't tighten the top all the way until I got the engine lowered and the slot lined up and everything was in place. Then I torqued down the top, finished lowering, and hit the bottom.
With this being your first time, there are definitely moments where you'll get angry or struggle- just try to find the right tool or the right approach. Take a break if you need to. Running to Harbor Freight for the right tool can save you some time and frustration. The left engine mount on the M104 is a bit trickier to reach and I had to buy a set of stubby wrenches so that I could use a tiny hammer I had (beating the stubby furiously) to break it free.
I have to do this on my W124 soon - with the OM603 diesel engine. The previous owner only replaced one mount (the easier to access one) and the one that's pancaked is so bad that the right side of the car shakes. Definitely replace both when you do the job 🙂
The difference is like night and day!
Hey guys what do you think about these mounts for R129?
Those don't look like any motor mounts for the R129, at least the M119 motor.Hey guys what do you think about these mounts for R129?
when I got mine, I learned that Lemforder was the OEM manufacture.
And they were no longer making them so I had to get NOS.
Somebody had tried to send me a third-party make and they were noticeably smaller than the Lemforder.
be careful out there and getting them.
I think if I were getting them today I would go to the dealer and trust that they are getting the best of whatever they can get
as for my motor mounts after a good 50,000 to 70,000 miles they are still as smooth as they can be
I agree, but if they are aftermarket mounts and all the holes are in the right place it's probably right. The company is called Xcessive manufacturing so I would expect something a little different. But they don't look 'high' enough to me. Of course sometimes with online shopping one picture is used for multiple items, or the wrong picture is shown.
There is also no notch for the heat shield, which may not be necessary, as these materials might be extra heat resistant.
I put in some Meyle branded mounts in mine. They had already been replaced at least once about 15 years ago so I don't think the original OEM's lasted very long.
"Of course sometimes with online shopping one picture is used for multiple items, or the wrong picture is shown."
If this is the case, that wouldn't give me a great deal of confidence in their ability to design mounts for a car that can easily go 120mph. Personally, I'd stick to the conventional design and go with the MB mounts, which appear to be available for about $220 each from discounted dealer sites. When installed, the rounded bottom of the conventional mount slips into a rounded shape on the frame, securing it in place and preventing lateral movement. If I was really hard up for money and could DIY the job, I might try the Febi, Rein, or Lemforder for $50-$80 or so, but I would not expect them to last as long, random posts about aftermarket mounts on this and other sites would indicate they are not as good as the OEM. Quick failures typical. These may not be suitable for a hard driven car.
The old test of revving an engine and evaluating how much it bounces around to determine if the mounts are bad (more movement indicating bad mounts) does not apply to this car, in fact, it's the reverse. When the mounts have failed on the R129, the engine barely moves when revved. The engine is sitting on the frame with minimal cushioning, as the fluid filled mounts have collapsed. After the new mounts are installed, the engine moves around more, nothing crazy, but definitely noticeable. This had not occurred to me prior to changing the mounts. Probably best to evaluate condition of the mounts by assessing the degree of collapse rather than any kind of engine movement test.
If this is the case, that wouldn't give me a great deal of confidence in their ability to design mounts for a car that can easily go 120mph. Personally, I'd stick to the conventional design and go with the MB mounts, which appear to be available for about $220 each from discounted dealer sites. When installed, the rounded bottom of the conventional mount slips into a rounded shape on the frame, securing it in place and preventing lateral movement. If I was really hard up for money and could DIY the job, I might try the Febi, Rein, or Lemforder for $50-$80 or so, but I would not expect them to last as long, random posts about aftermarket mounts on this and other sites would indicate they are not as good as the OEM. Quick failures typical. These may not be suitable for a hard driven car.
The old test of revving an engine and evaluating how much it bounces around to determine if the mounts are bad (more movement indicating bad mounts) does not apply to this car, in fact, it's the reverse. When the mounts have failed on the R129, the engine barely moves when revved. The engine is sitting on the frame with minimal cushioning, as the fluid filled mounts have collapsed. After the new mounts are installed, the engine moves around more, nothing crazy, but definitely noticeable. This had not occurred to me prior to changing the mounts. Probably best to evaluate condition of the mounts by assessing the degree of collapse rather than any kind of engine movement test.
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I've replaced many motor mounts on different type vehicles. Most all of them are simple and easy. It's only a select few that are really involved. I always do the engineering research on them first.
Well, for one, they aren't nearly as tall as the stock mounts. "Expect a rougher ride?" That's an understatement.
Sometimes the Aftermarket steps in and makes right what the factory screwed up. Years ago I had a Ford Capri - great little European Car - with the V6. But 3 things were weak on it - the nice vinyl interior couldn't stand up to our sun, the timing gears (there was no chain or belt) were nylon and broke, and the rubber steering coupling would break leading to "interesting" results. The aftermarket offered a nylon bushing for the steering and metal timing gears.
In this case, well, caveat emptor. I'm sure the factory spent more money in designing and testing than this company.
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