968 Motor mounts

[BOB968]

Folks: I am planning my spring repair list and on the list is new motor mounts for my 98 968 Cab. OEM Porsched is ridiculously pricey --About $460 each. Aftermarket are ridiculously cheap--about $65. While I prefer OEM parts, I find it hard to justify. Can anyone provide their experience with the aftermarket units and what brand? Thanks to all that respond.
Bob

[walfreyydo]

This is a contentious topic, but I will share my experience.

On my S2, Ive had the aftermarket (Meyle 4143750001) mounts for going on 3-4 years now and drive about 5,000 miles per year. Ive had zero problems and dont notice any vibration. I also do a lot of autocross and events with my car and they have held up.

+1 for the Meyle mounts if you ask me. If they ever do go bad, Ill just replace them with the same since labor is free. If you are paying someone else to do the mounts, then you may want to consider OEM since longevity would be your primary concern.

[Dano944]

My independent repair shop would only install OEM mounts on my ‘83 944. They wouldn’t guarantee aftermarket ones. I couldn’t tell you the difference, but my engine is silk smooth with OEM.

[tims944]

bob, go oem, and realistically in your life time you shouldnt have to do them again. i will install other brands for customers but cannot push oem enough. the originals have lasted 25-35 years... they will again.

[BOB968]

I don't have any issues to report regarding my existing motor mounts--no excessive vibration or anything like that. Given the crazy $$ for OEM mounts and the non consensus of aftermarket units, I will wait until I get everything apart to decide. Aside from vibration isssues, is there any other way to assess condition--leaking, torn, ??

[walfreyydo]

Recommend bookmarking and reading through the entirety of Clarks Garage shop manual. Lots of very very useful and important info in there, including how to check your engine mounts:
https://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/eng-11.htm

[BOB968]

Thanks Walfreyydo. That is excellent info and exactly what I need.

[tims944]

Yes bon tou can measure them.
Need to remove weight off them so measure decompressed height of mounts. Essentially the gap from base to top when engine weight is off. Then measure it with weight on compressed gives a very good idea how worn out they are. The ammount of times I pull engines out or lift to do.kpints and they fall apart on 2 pieces is probably more than 50%. It's neglected because the cost but just as.ikportsnt as other maintenance.

Tim

[Monkey Wrench]

an option might be to use polyurethane and mold new rubber yourself.
here's a quick and dirty video , just to demonstrate the idea..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnNDEbOMjaM

I got some experience using it to cast printing press rollers, the liquid came in drums and we had different drums with different durometers.. its molded and then baked and the heat hardens the stuff. about 450 degrees and an hour per inch..
it can be ground to shape it. we had a line of wet grinders and wet sanders, the wet keeps the stone or paper cool as it grinds the size but you can also mold it easily. drills and milling cutters won't work on rubber or synthetic rubber. grinders do but the heat at contact point needs to be kept under the melting threshold

you can probably change the hardness to suit yourself by buying the right durometer..

in this video he's getting it in a calking tube..

we used a special bonding agent, that helps attach the rubber to the steel, you'd likely need that to get a good bond and I'd rough up any contact areas with a angle grinder. you can also use a mold release. silicone spray might do for that.
there are various materials you can use to make a mold off the old one.. if its just one, the mold can be one off and expendable..

will they last? I can't say. I don't think I'd try to fix a rubber centered clutch this way but it might be worth a try for a motor mount.

[J1NX3D]

it's been about 6 yrs but I recall 968 tiptronic engine mounts being the same as 944 but an engine mount on one side for the 6-spd being different to the same side for the tiptronic, so make sure you get what you need.

[originalowner]

Just looked at the PET, the 6 speed uses the same mounts as 944 (951 375 042 04), the auto uses a different mount (951 375 042 07).