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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Out West
    Posts
    1,311

    Default Anyone chicken out or surrender on installing the rear motor mount?

    Preface: On this car, I have replaced 6 wheel bearings, all struts, trans mount, torque arm, broken ignition switch, etc. On other cars, I do clutches, differential set ups, valve trains, etc.

    At 156K I understand that I am past due for motor mounts. I know there are guys who do this for a living, my dealership wants $800 labor. And $900 parts. I bought the 5 OEM mounts from FCP for $500.

    The installs look pretty easy, except for the rear motor mount. I've read that it's a monster. I've got the instructions off of this site's tech resources list, but they aren't exactly detailed. Like there are bullet points, and you know the one that says, "and then a miracle happens" is left off. I can put the car on the lift in my garage for easy underside access. I've got a good batch of tools. But there are always those little things that catch you up the first time, like it takes 4 hours the first time, and would be 1 hour to do it again now that tricks were discovered.

    Sooo... did anyone think of giving this a go, and chicken out? Or hack around with it for several hours, give up, and take it to the dealer?

    What are those tribal knowledge tricks and miracles that will make this bearable?

    Thanks.
    '04 XC70, Ice White, Taupe. Original owner (196K miles as of may21). 6 wheel bearings, broken ignition switch, broken turbo downtube flange, failed throttle body, many warped rotors, and a myriad of weird crap. Still my favorite car ever.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Virginia Beach
    Posts
    4,116

    Default

    I didn't give up, but I think it took me over an hour and a half for that one mount alone. Offset box wrench. Crows foot wrench. Wobble socket. I don't remember now what worked....but it was difficult to get that one nut on top...and some odd tool combinations were involved to get around the angle gear and mount....
    Current Fleet:
    2016 Tundra Crewmax 4WD 1794
    2005 MB S600 (126K, Michelin AS4, HPL 0W40)
    2005 MB SL600 (55K Michelin AS4, Mobil 1 0W40)
    2004 V70R (143K, six speed M66, HPL 5W40)
    2004 XC90 (235K, HPL 0W30 Euro)
    2002 V70-XC (295K, HPL 0W30 Euro)
    2002 V70-T5 (225K, IPD bars, Bilsteins)
    2001 V70-T5 (125K, IPD downpipe, cat back and other mods)
    1932 Packard Sedan (straight 8, dual sidemounts, original paint and interior, Shell Rotella 15W40)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Boston, MA
    Posts
    1,196

    Default

    Upper bolt is easy, just remove turbo air intake and front O2S wiring.

    For lower bolt you need a 13 mm socket for 1/4" wrench. Only 1/4" extension will fit between subframe and sway bay. Because it is so close to exhaust, the bolt may diffuse into mount and would not want to move. After breaking 4 extensions I had to lower the rear of subframe, partially unbolt sway bar and work with 1/2" socket, extension and a long breaker bar. I had to apply way more torque to this tiny stubborn bolt than to VVT hub that is torqued to 130 Nm! Use anti-seize for sure.

    Transverse engine bar is required for this operation, you at least bottle jack to raise transmission a bit.

    If you have plans to eventually replace the front sway bar that would be a perfect time. XC90's one fits nicely...
    2002 V70 (sold)
    2005 XC70 (Telos Road took it. Did a chassis swap)
    2016 XC60 (sold, P.O.S.)

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Western Head, Nova Scotia
    Posts
    3,089

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by vtl View Post
    Upper bolt is easy, just remove turbo air intake and front O2S wiring.

    For lower bolt you need a 13 mm socket for 1/4" wrench. Only 1/4" extension will fit between subframe and sway bay. Because it is so close to exhaust, the bolt may diffuse into mount and would not want to move. After breaking 4 extensions I had to lower the rear of subframe, partially unbolt sway bar and work with 1/2" socket, extension and a long breaker bar. I had to apply way more torque to this tiny stubborn bolt than to VVT hub that is torqued to 130 Nm! Use anti-seize for sure.

    Transverse engine bar is required for this operation, you at least bottle jack to raise transmission a bit.

    If you have plans to eventually replace the front sway bar that would be a perfect time. XC90's one fits nicely...
    When I did mine on the '02, I did what VTI suggests in the first line. Then I supported the engine with a floor jack and lowered the rear of the subframe. Its been a while, but as I recall once the rear of the subframe was down about 3-4 inches, replacing the rear mount was not all that bad. Just a bit fiddly as the working room is tight.

    At the time I replaced these mounts, the car had close to 300K kms on it. With the new mounts, the position of the engine within the engine compartment changed noticeably. The engine was raised in the compartment by at least an inch showing just how far these mounts (which were solids, not hydraulic btw) can collapse over time.

    Cheers,

    Bill
    Western Head, NS CDN

    '08 BMW 750i (Black Sapphire)-204K kms to-date
    '05 XC70 (Lava Sand)-296K kms to-date
    '02 V70XC-gone @393K kms
    '05 V70R (Magic Blue)-120K mi to-date - gone
    '96 854R (Red)-real CDN-spec 5-speed R - gone @270k kms
    And other Volvos and misc. Euro stuff

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Virginia Beach
    Posts
    4,116

    Default

    Yes! Thanks, I remember now. Lower nut was the challenge, lower the subframe a bit, 1/4" extension, I also removed the heat shielding across the cat by the subframe and used a jack to raise the engine to get the mount out. Because it has studs, you need some extra clearance. Upper nut I was able to get to via odd angles and combinations of wrenches. I didn't go in from the top, but from the descriptions, that was likely easier. I considered removing the bracket from the engine, but that would've required removing the angle gear, which wasn't a good option...

    This is way easier on a FWD car, as you might expect, but I think I still had to fiddle with the subframe to get a socket on the bottom nut...
    Current Fleet:
    2016 Tundra Crewmax 4WD 1794
    2005 MB S600 (126K, Michelin AS4, HPL 0W40)
    2005 MB SL600 (55K Michelin AS4, Mobil 1 0W40)
    2004 V70R (143K, six speed M66, HPL 5W40)
    2004 XC90 (235K, HPL 0W30 Euro)
    2002 V70-XC (295K, HPL 0W30 Euro)
    2002 V70-T5 (225K, IPD bars, Bilsteins)
    2001 V70-T5 (125K, IPD downpipe, cat back and other mods)
    1932 Packard Sedan (straight 8, dual sidemounts, original paint and interior, Shell Rotella 15W40)

  6. #6

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Astro14 View Post
    Y
    This is way easier on a FWD car, as you might expect, but I think I still had to fiddle with the subframe to get a socket on the bottom nut...
    My experience doing this job is only on my FWD 05 V70, but I was able to do the job without fiddling with the subframe, or lifting the engine (I did of course lift the engine to remove the mount) - but it took serious gymnastics with some combination of wobble extensions and short sockets, using a 3/8 drive. The bolt, however, was seized in the mount and I broke off the head - using a 3/8 breaker bar. Fortunately the bolt snapped at the edge of the mount, so this did not cause any problems in removing the old mount. I also broke one socket in the process. The gymnastics for getting the new bolt in were a bit easier. For full disclosure, I should also mention that on my first attempt I gave up on the rear mount and decided to take it to a shop - but being somewhat stubborn about such matters I later decided to try again and was able to get it.
    Last edited by Waterdog; 09-07-2017 at 08:01 PM. Reason: correct drive size

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Canberra, Australia
    Posts
    278

    Default

    I have had the front and rear mounts in the box for more than a year because i gave up after looking for a way to do the rear nut. Theres a video on youtube of the guy recording doing front and rear but he didn't show how he got the rear nut off.
    Hopefully i can do it when i do the valvebody. Maybe 1/4 wobble extension, short socket and the impact drive can undo that nut but VTL said he broke a few extensions so thats a worry.
    2002 V70XC Cross Country 178k (km)
    young stubborn guy with his wagon
    Service Logs: http://tinyurl.com/o9fld84

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Out West
    Posts
    1,311

    Default

    Done. Here are some thoughts in random order. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, just tricky and aggravating. I put my car on my lift so I could sit on a stool under it while I worked, and used a scissor jack on a cross beam spanning the ramps to lift the motor. I did the rear one first. I slogged Kroil penetrating oil on the top nut and bottom bolt, and let it sit for a few hours. Using a quality SK 1/4" extension, no wobble, I reached up to the bottom bolt and used a stepped down 1/2" ratchet (to make it easier on my arms and hands) to pop the bolt loose. No drama there. Cool! On the top side, I removed the strut stabilizer from the two towers, which gave me a direct line of site shot to the nut on top of the mount. I put 3 or 4 1/2" extensions together for an easy removal. At this point, I was thinking, "hey, this is chicken feed!" Then the problems started. I started jacking up the rear of the motor. And jacking. And jacking. And jacking. I thought I was going to tear a wiring harness or hose or something before the motor was high enough to get the mount out out of the cup. Once the stud and bottom socket were free, I had to jack the motor even higher to find a way to snake the mount out. I found a route on the passenger side of the transfer case. It barely squeaked out. Barely.

    Before I put the new mount in, I cut the no-thread lead-in section off of the top stud with a cut off wheel. I just cleaned the threads up nicely so a nut would start before putting it back in place. That shortened the stud about 3/8" which made a world of difference getting the mount into place. Once in place, I put the nut on, and bolt in the bottom, but left both way loose so the motor could move easily while doing the front mount.

    I removed the bottom bolt of the front mount easily, that one's a gimme through the hole in the frame cross member. The top one was a little more challenging. After removing some harnesses and stuff, I was able to get sight of the nut. I tried a flare wobble on the end of an extension, but that wasn't working for me, and I was getting precariously close to rounding off the nut. I found an old-skool articulating knuckle wobble in my truck tool box, and that one worked. Easy, right? No. I raised the motor up, and up, and up, and up... and finally got the mount out. But I could not find a way to get it out the bottom. And I didn't want to mess with pulling the cooling fans, air intake tubes, etc, that were in the way to get it out the top. So I had to find a way to get it out the bottom. Talk about a puzzle ring. I raised the motor more, a ridiculous amount and still couldn't get it out. Raising the motor more started to raise the front of the car along with it, I was topped out. Getting creative, I started looking for an alternative route on the driver's side. It looked like there was room, except for there was a flange poking out from the transmission housing in the perfect wrong place that blocked the mount. It looked impressive, with a machined hole in it. But nothing in it. By now, I was ready to take desperate measures. I got my vibratory cutter out, and whacked it off! As I cut, I was thinking, "please, please don't start leaking red stuff". But it was dry, and made enough room for the extraction. yay! I prepped the stud the same way as I did the rear to make it shorter for an easier insertion and alignment, and worked it in.

    The other three mounts are straight forward to replace.

    So, results? Before I removed the stock mounts, I put a straight edge across the subframe, and marked its location with a magic marker. Then I put a mark on the oil pan with marker, and used a micrometer to measure the distance from the straight edge to the mark on the pan. With the new mounts, the motor only sat .110" higher. I don't notice any difference driving or idling. Mine were probably still good enough for now. Oh well, that's that last time I will ever have to think about motor mounts again, and it only cost me $500 (OEM from FCP) and about 7 hours. If I had paid the dealer the $1,700 quoted and not noticed any difference, I would have been a little frosted. The "thwauck" sound I hear when I go over bumps is still there. So the mystery continues.

    Thanks for the tips and tricks on this project. I appreciate everyone's help! I've done worse jobs, the clutch on my Honda, before I had a lift, was downright unpleasant. And I hate pulling a big block motor and trans out of my Chevelle. Done that twice, that's 2 times too many.

    I just read about PCV valves blowing out cam seals. I had my seals replaced, but I haven't messed with the PCV system. That's the next adventure...
    '04 XC70, Ice White, Taupe. Original owner (196K miles as of may21). 6 wheel bearings, broken ignition switch, broken turbo downtube flange, failed throttle body, many warped rotors, and a myriad of weird crap. Still my favorite car ever.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Posts
    267

    Default

    All these threads and my visual inspection of the rear motor mount scared me! I put off doing this just because of the hype.
    It was so easy. Don't believe the hype!

    Pop the hood.

    Remove the strut brace.

    Crawl under the hood.

    look down where the heater hoses go into the firewall to locate the top of the mount, you may have to push the hoses a little toward the driver's side.

    Put a 14mm socket on the end of a few extensions. Put some stik-tack on the end of the socket to retrieve the nut.

    Remove the rear mount's top nut.

    Up on jack stands!

    Remove passenger front wheel (loosen lugs when on the floor).

    Bend up dirt shield to reveal passenger side engine mount, sometimes referred to as a "pad".

    Remove two bolts on the pad upright that go into the engine.

    Under the car- remove splash guard.

    remove two front bolts that fix the transmission strut mount to the frame.

    Using a regular (3/8") 15mm socket on a 1/4"reducer, mated to a six inch 1/4" wobble extension, adapted back up to a 3/8" torque ratchet, I could simply sneak the socket in between the cat bracket and the sway bar sideways, about 3 inches toward the drivers side of the bottom mount bolt. It was tight, but for me, no pry bar necessary, didn't have to remove anything.

    Remove the bottom bolt from the mount.

    ***Here's the trick***
    Everybody says to raise the engine using a jack and block of wood under the oil pan. Don't! Instead- carefully raise the transmission with a bottle jack and block of wood. There is a little "foot" thingy under the transmission that seems like it's there just for this purpose. My old mount was compressed by a good 3/4" and I had no trouble getting it out from the bottom, toward the passenger side and putting the new one in. Plenty of room using this tranny jacking point!

    Work the new mount into the cavity with the heat shield facing the cat. Mind the orientation keys.

    Drop the transmission just a little so some threads go through the top mounting holes allowing you to grab them with the top bolt.

    Crawl back under the hood and thread the bolt (which is still conveniently stuck in the 14mm socket!) back onto the new top stud of the mount. Keep it nice and loose so you can get the bottom lined up.

    Crawl back under.

    Sneak the 15mm socket with the 1/4" wobble extension back in the same way as previously described.

    Thread the bottom bolt into the mount. Keep it loose.

    Slowly lower the transmission, periodically ensuring that the orientation keys in the heat shield and the mount are correctly seating.

    Remove jack.

    Tighten bottom bolt and top nut completing the install of the rear engine mount!

    While you have this all unbuttoned, replace all the other mounts. It's so easy at this point!

    Oh! Everything is so smooooth now!

    High-five! Have a beer!
    Guy Welch
    2004 XC70 90K miles
    Ash Gold Metallic/Oak
    English Shepherd option installed in rear.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Toronto, Canada
    Posts
    602

    Default

    The critical tools for removing the bottom bolt of the rear engine mount, in my experience, are 1/4 inch drive sockets and 1/4 inch extension bars. If you have those, it's an fairly easy job. If not, it's torture.
    Last edited by goldxc70; 10-26-2018 at 03:41 PM.

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