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To Remove the Motor Mounts on a 944 (as posted on the Rennlist.com
forums)
Remove the Air box/air flow meter. (10mm, Slot-head screwdriver)
Loosen the lug nuts on the front wheels (19mm socket)
Jack up the front or the entire car and place it on jack stands.
(Hydraulic jack, 2-4 jack stands)
Remove the front wheels. (19mm socket)
Remove the lower engine shield. (10mm socket)
Find a way to support the engine with the supplies that you have.
During this maintenance you will be removing the cross-member which
holds the engine in place. I used two hydraulic jacks. One under
the bell housing by the starter and another under the oil pan.
I also used a piece large piece of hardwood between the oil pan
and the jack to disperse the load. You should be careful with the
cast aluminum construction of the oil pan.
Remove the sway bar mounting brackets at the frame connection
point. (13mm socket)
Remove the nut holding the power steering line directly above
the inside front of the A-arm. (10mm socket)
Separate the A-arms from the body by removing the front bolt
connected through the cross-member and the two rear bolts connected
to the frame. Use a scribe to mark the location of the rear mounting
points for reinstallation. (19mm socket, 17mm socket)
Move the A-arm assembly down and out of the way to expose the
lower nut of the motor mount.
Remove the lower nut off the motor mount. (17mm socket)
Remove the top bolts, 2 each side, holding the motor mounts to
the engine. On the right side you will probably have to use a wrench.
On the left side you can get to the bolts from the top with a long
extension through the space where the airbox was. The old style
motor mounts used a nut/bolt arrangement which may be a bit harder
to get apart than the newer style which uses a bolt only. (13mm
socket, 13mm wrench)
Remove the 4 bolts, 2 each side, holding the cross-member to
the frame. Be careful with the power steering line on the right
side and the steering shaft linkage on the left. Some people prefer
to leave the cross-member dangling by the four bolts and prying
the new mounts up and in. I tried it that way but found that it
was far to much hassle. (19mm socket)
Remove
the motor mounts from the cross-member. The "update" mount
actually pack themselves into the cross-member frame by inserting
the flat rubber lip into the upper-outermost lip of the cross-member.
Now
you are ready to install the new mounts. Make sure if you are changing
from the old style mount to the "update" mount
that you purchase the shorter bolts and thinner washers. You can
buy them using part numbers 900.378.024.02 and N.015.401.3 or just
go to the local hardware store and get standard metric thread 8mm
x 40mm long hardened 8.8 bolts and matching washers. I did the
latter which cost me a whole $3 at ACE Hardware. It is also a good
idea to pre-thread all your new bolt and nut fittings on the new
mounts for ease of installation.
When installing the new mounts, be sure to set them into the
cross-member first. This ensures that the flat rubber lip is in
the right position prior to lifting the cross-member back up to
the frame. Having a partner help at this point is a very good idea.
It can be quite challenging to get the cross-member bolts started
into the frame again.
Before getting the cross-member bolts snugged up to the frame
you will want to start the top motor mount bolts. No need to tighten
them until the cross-member is bolted up completely. I did not
find any use for wedges or pry-bars as some may suggest.
Assembly from this point is pretty much the reverse of removal.
Be sure to line up the rear mounts of the A-arms to the scribe
marks you made earlier. This should keep you from having to get
the alignment adjusted.
If your
like me and put this maintenance off for a while, you will regret
doing so. It's not that hard and it makes
a huge difference
in the cars performance and overall "fun to drive" factor.
Oh yeah, don't forget to hook the electrical connector back on
the Air flow meter. Car will start very rough and you will not
be able to accelerate. No air = No go. Trust me :-(
This is what I did...you may have different experiences...that
is what makes being a Human Being so cool. The subject vehicle
was a 1986 944 na. Please let me know if this procedure is in error
or if you have anything to add. Good luck:-)
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