From: Wally Plumley [wplumley@avana.net]
Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2000 9:10 AM
To: 928
Subject: [928] Re: Motor Mount replacement

At 05:09 AM 8/9/00 -0400, Dave wrote:
>Any hints or tips out there for the do-it-yourselfer/home mechanic?
>
>I've searched the standard areas and all I found was general info and "it
>was easier to take it to the P-mechanic"
>
>Any BTDT advice?


Replacing the motor mounts is one of the more frustrating tasks that I have 
under taken on the 928. It is a hard, dirty and expensive job - but it did 
make a very noticeable difference in both of my cars.
Some reasons for frustration:
The nine-volume shop manual doesn't even mention this job, and doesn't have 
a good illustration of it.
The area is dirty.
You have to take off several unrelated items to replace the mounts.
Fasteners are very tight and very hard to get to.
You have to jack the engine.
The mounts are expensive - $210.60 each for '82 - up.


Some tips:

Support the car securely at a comfortable working height. You will be 
reaching up into the engine compartment 8", so allow for that. You will 
need a jack to support the engine - a small bottle jack takes up less room 
under the car.

Replacing the mounts is easy once the cross-member is out, basically 
impossible without it being out. Removing the cross-member requires 
dropping the steering rack and the inner lower control arm mountings. If 
you plan to replace the front shocks, now is the time.

1) Jack the car.
2) I chose to lower the steering rack rather than removing it. You can 
leave the hoses connected - don't over-stress them. Remove the steering 
shaft universal joint. There is one nut on top by the shaft that is a pain 
to hold. Try sticking a flat-bladed screwdriver beside it to hold it.
3) I chose to remove the lower control arm mounts. This shouldn't screw up 
your alignment. Removal is pretty obvious. Be careful of the ball joint 
boots and the brake lines - it is easy to damage them by letting the arms 
swing.
4) Support the engine - be sure to spread the load with a large wooden 
piece, so you don't damage the crankcase. Drop the cross-member and mounts. 
There are a few other pieces that are in the way, such as ground cables, 
etc. Remove what you have to.
5) Replace everything, but first: Snug - don't over-tighten - all of the 
oil pan bolts; Clean and check everything that you touch, such as ground 
cables, etc.
6) When you get to the steering universal: Pull the plastic plug found on 
the front of the rack housing just in front of where the shaft goes in. 
Look inside the hole, find the dimple in the rack, and center it in the 
hole. This centers the rack. Install the universal so that the steering 
wheel is straight with the dimple centered.

I have probably forgotten something - this is the type of thing that you 
try to blot out of your memory.

Have fun!

Wally Plumley
928 Specialists