Engine Mount Question 1999

[troyhyde]

Hi folks, I have a '99 XC70 that I bought last year with 135k. Car was really clean and just needed a bit of love and maintenance to make it perfect. Did all the neglected work which included replacing all mounts with OEM parts. The cabin had a bit too much engine vibration. I've put about 18k on it and already the "rear engine pad" aka funny looking triangular mount that is located on the driver's side bottom of trans-to-subframe (a V chunk of rubber with a threaded rod) has appeared to have collapsed. For reference it is Volvo part #9161101. The unit I pulled with 135k had a minimal air gap in the triangle slot with the engine/trans weight applied (had some sag). The Volvo branded replacement has already collapsed where there is no air gap at all.

Is this normal? Looks like a failure to me but my experience with this mount and its engineering is nil.

Got some vibrations in the cabin again and all other mounts are (and look) fresh with no apparent issues. The triangle one is the only one that looks off to me, just not sure....

[JRL]

The hydraulic mounts rarely fail but it's round not V shaped, no mount is v shaped

[troyhyde]

I am familiar with hydraulic mounts. I would tend to disagree with the statement that they rarely fail. They rarely burst open but nearly all I've seen fail with age, they simply harden and settle downward (shrink). On cars with a pair of hydraulics, they settle onto the trans. bump stop after 10 years give or take.

This is a weird mount that seems to have only appeared on 97-00 cars, the cars have the front hydraulic (under radiator) but do not have the rear situated near the exhaust. Instead it is on the driver's side (trans. end). It can be viewed through the wheel well with the tire/wheel off the car.

Looks like a V or maybe even an X if you want to go crazy. Definitely just a chunk of rubber. (google the part number and get an image, I'm too dumb to figure out how to load a picture)

[George77]

Hi folks, I have a '99 XC70 that I bought last year with 135k. Car was really clean and just needed a bit of love and maintenance to make it perfect. Did all the neglected work which included replacing all mounts with OEM parts. The cabin had a bit too much engine vibration. I've put about 18k on it and already the "rear engine pad" aka funny looking triangular mount that is located on the driver's side bottom of trans-to-subframe (a V chunk of rubber with a threaded rod) has appeared to have collapsed. For reference it is Volvo part #9161101. The unit I pulled with 135k had a minimal air gap in the triangle slot with the engine/trans weight applied (had some sag). The Volvo branded replacement has already collapsed where there is no air gap at all.

Is this normal? Looks like a failure to me but my experience with this mount and its engineering is nil.

Got some vibrations in the cabin again and all other mounts are (and look) fresh with no apparent issues. The triangle one is the only one that looks off to me, just not sure....

Hi,I am fixing volvos as my job,I have encounter situations when I've change the passenger side engine mount with a Febi or other oem brands but Not original from the dealer and there was a engine vibration in the cabin,the mount's rubber it was to hard,after getting an original one the vibration disappeared.But I think lately they changed the rubber and the mounts should be ok but I am not 100% sure.

[troyhyde]

Hi,I am fixing volvos as my job,I have encounter situations when I've change the passenger side engine mount with a Febi or other oem brands but Not original from the dealer and there was a engine vibration in the cabin,the mount's rubber it was to hard,after getting an original one the vibration disappeared.But I think lately they changed the rubber and the mounts should be ok but I am not 100% sure.

Problem solved (by replacing with a new mount). My problem was not that it was too hard, it was too soft and sat down on the mounts bump stop. Came as a surprise since it was an OEM Volvo part and it didn't survive 8 months. Bad vibrations when the car was in gear, now fixed. Hopefully this one lasts longer.

For posterity, yes, there needs to be an air gap in the mount!