2000 SL1 Motor Mount

My 2000 SL1 just hit 88K miles and has not had any problems until now. It
vibrates like a Ford Pinto at some low RPMs. The local dealership said I had
a bad motor mount and to replace it would be $165 including parts and labor.

Is this a fair price? Can a local garage do it?

Is it common for motor mounts to need replacing at this mileage? Most of the
time the car has been on the highway.

 

Not an unfair price. Depends on local rates.

Any competent shop should be able to do the job.

Some cars eat motor mounts, some have them last 200K. A roll of the
dice. Oil on the mount will cause it to fail prematurely.

 

Vibration at idle is classic for a worn mount.

My 97 SL2 with 84K is on it's 3rd mount - assuming you're talking about the
top mount by the cam cover. That mount is also referred to as the TAM
(Torque Axis Mount).

The part is just over $100 and my 97 needed a stud kit. Labor here is
somewhere around $80/hr.

A few of the guys here in the NG have saved the labor and changed their own
(not me).

 

Darn, I was hoping to get some advice on changing it from you! Oh well.
I just came home from the dealership with my third Torque Axis Mount
for $94.00 including sales tax. I'm planning to change it tomorrow or
the next day. I had it replaced at 50k miles by the dealer. Now I have
about 95k miles, and it needs it again (obviously). I was talking to a
technician at the dealership, and he said to put a 2 by 4 on a jack, and
then use that 2 by 4 to lift the oil pan. Once you get the weight of
the engine off the mount and onto the jack, you can just unscrew the
bolts and put the new mount on. The mount came with new studs and nuts,
because they have probably weakened.

Which reminds me....does anyone know the torque spec for the bolts on
the Torque Axis Mount? Or is there one? Does it matter, or should just
tighten them as much as I can?

 

Chilton's explains and shows a couple of pics but they swap names of parts
and I find it confusing. In one blurb they refer to the lower mount
(dogbone looking thing) as a torque strut and in another piece of text they
call it a torque axis mount. Maybe the term is interchangeable for either
the upper or lower mount.

Long story short, they put a piece of 1" x 1" x 2" long wood between the
lower mount and the engine cradle (chassis) to keep the engine from shifting
when you change the upper mount.

I've read where the guys here have padded the lifting point of a small floor
jack and placed it under the oil pan and lifted slightly instead of using
the block. Sounds like this is similar to what the tech/mechanic told you.

There's another note... "If the engine front cover casting or assembly is
replaced on 1992-1998 vehicles, the 3 torque axis mount studs should also be
replaced. Tighten the new studs to 19 ft. lbs. (Hmmm... doesn't say aka I
can't find what to torque the nuts to on the mount bracket on the mount
itself.)

Maybe Kirk or Lane can chime in.

 

Jonnie,

Thanks for the invite!

Changing the torque axis mount on the SL2 is a piece of cake. I suspect that
it's the same for an SL1, but I don't know.

1) Remove THE CENTER nut and stud.
2) Take it to the dealer. You can even drive the car from which it came.
3) Tell them you need a torque axis mount, and (giving them the stud) ask
them whether you need to get a different set of studs.
4) Get your mount, and (maybe) the new studs.
5) Drive the car home.
6) Loosen the studs on the fender side so that there's about 1/4" of play.
7) Put a floor jack under the car, and put a phone book on top of it.
8) Pump the jack until the mount rises up a bit.
9) Now that the mount is not loaded, remove it by unbolting it.
10) Put some locktite on the studs that go into the fender, and screw them
down.
11) Put the mount over the studs, bolt it onto the engine.
12) Put the stud nuts on the studs and bolt them down.

Voila!

Not a difficult job at all.