Cannot remove motor mounts, Would like some advice Options

[MaskedMan]

I would like some advice on a situation I'm in. Today, I was trying to install front and rear motor mount inserts on my Celica, but I'm having an extremely difficult time removing the mounts. At first, the bolts were just on extremely tight, but I managed to remove all the 14mm bolts on the bottom. My problem is with the front mount's through bolt. I removed the nut at the end of it, but the bolt is stuck on the rubber part and I am unable to pull the bolt out. I have tried hammering the bolt out, but it will just not budge. When I try to turn the bolt, the mount just turns with it, and when the mount cannot turn anymore, the rubber part begins to twist and twist even tighter around the through bolt. I do not want to damage the mount too much, because I just have new inserts, not new motor mounts. I'm at the point of just buying new mounts completely so that I can just be very rough and hack the old ones out even.

If anybody has any ideas on how to remove the bolt without damaging the rubber part of the mount, please let me know. Thank you.

[njccmd2002]

have you tried pushing the bolt back it, and grease it like no tomorrow. Oil, and grease plus wd40.

also maybe heat? use a heat gun. since you will buy new mounts

[Tigawoods]

x2 with ^

i had the same problem but not to this extent. grease her up, get it out as far as you can then get an allen key or a screw dirver put it through the other side and hit it to get the bolt out.


just to forewarn you....there is more pain and turmoil to come with this project...

[Rayme]

I had the problem as you!

What I ended up doing is cutting a slit in the inset(from the middle to the edge, straight line) and squeeze it inside the rubber mounts without seperating them. Its do-able, start on one side and it will slowly get inside. Then once its inside, it'll never come out and the slit won't affect the peformance of the mount.

-remy

[azian_advanced]

not sure if this will work but can you remove the mount entirely? as in to remove the two bolts holding the mount bracket to the tranny (pic), and the two nuts holding the bottom bracket to the cross member (pic), and leave the through bolt as it is? that way when you have it off the car you can use a press or even hammer it out...

[GriffGirl]

^ That's a good solution. You should be able to remove the mount entirely. You've got the engine on a hoist/cherry picker, right?

Be prepared for tears of anger with that rear motor mount though. Getting it back in is a BITCH. And then, tears of joy once you do LOL

[DEATH]

I wish I could tell you exactly how we did it but Havok and I fcuked around with his for two days before we got it. We ended up taking both of the other two mounts loose and using two jacks - one on the tranny side and one on the engine side to angle the engine/tranny combo different ways to get each part in/out. The car itself was up on 6 jack stands and had rims and tires under the frame rails for insurance - it was dangerous and it was dirty but we finally got it done. The fix? IDK Magic?
Hate to tell you tho, as someone alluded to earlier, getting the mounts out is the "easy" part - getting them back in along with the cross member is even harder - by alot.
Have a fun weekend LOL

This post has been edited by DEATH: Oct 24, 2008 - 2:58 PM

[Galcobar]

Easiest manner I found was to jack the engine up until it was no longer resting on the engine mounts (no compression of the rubber insert), at which point there should be no pressure on the through bolt.

Truthfully, I cannot remember whether I dropped the suspension members first and then unbolted the mount from the engine, or vice versa (actually, probably did both, had an issue with one mount and had to re-do the installation).

[GriffGirl]

That's exactly what I did too... I used a cherry picker to hold the engine up almost to the point where I lifted the entire car (oops) and that took the load off the mounts. Front mount was easy enough to get in/out, rear mount came out okay but sucked getting it back in. That's where we basically shoved it up higher than it needed to be and used the weight of the engine, slowly lowering it, to "pop" the mount back into position to get the bolt through the other side.

The cross member was removed before the mounts were unbolted. IDK if that's the *correct* way to do it, but that's how I did it.

[MaskedMan]

Thanks for all the tips! I had every bolt removed but the through bolt ofcourse, and the 2 that hold the mount to the transmission. I'm not sure if there is a special way to get to those bolts without removing the through bolt first? Seems like I wouldn't be able to get a socket or anything in there since the mount is in the way of those 2 bolts. I will be trying again on Monday when I have the day off. I had to put everything back together to go to work today haha.

The idea that sounds like it could solve my situation the best would be Rayme's idea. I will give it a try and hope I don't mess up.

Yes, and after looking at the rear mount... yeah indeed looks like a pain! I might need to get a new mount or atleast a new bolt for it. It looks like there is a bolt that holds onto an exhaust hanger on that mount? Well the bolt seems to have broken over time and there is a piece of bolt stuck in there. If I can't get it out, then do you think it's safe or even makes a difference if this bolt is used? I am having problems with getting it free from the cross member though. I can't seem to lift the engine high enough for the bolts on the bottom to clear the cross member and get free. When I try to lift more, it just lifts the car up with it. Any ideas? Do I need to unbolt more stuff?

[x_itchy_b_x]

Easiest manner I found was to jack the engine up until it was no longer resting on the engine mounts (no compression of the rubber insert), at which point there should be no pressure on the through bolt.

Word. Also use PB blaster, knockerloose, wd40 ect. on absolutely everything. I spray everything down a day before I plan to work on it to let it really soak in and bolts come out like butter.
Pry bars and hammers are always helpful too, don't be afraid to get ruff with it if you have too.

[MaskedMan]

Thanks itchy, I wasn't sure if penatrent sprays would work on rubber like that as I always thought rubber would seal out the liquid. The mounts were actually under no stress at all. The way the car was set up, I had the engine supported up because the cross member was unbolted. I had planned on replacing it with a spare one I had with no rust on it, but I couldn't remove it fully. I couldn't get it free from the rear mount. The front engine mount was bolted only to the transmission with nothing underneath it. It was just hanging there, but the bolt still wouldn't come out, it's as if it molded together with the rubber of the mount.