Motor mount fun!

[Panzer909]

So I'm neck-deep into a belts/motor mount job in the garage. Everything was going fine until I went to install my new mounts. The passenger side is just about there, but the drivers side mount is being extremely stubborn. The upper bolts are coming nowhere close to lining up. I think a lot has to do with the rubber edge of the mount being too tall to tuck into the metal edge of the crossmember:




The pic doesn't make it look so bad but that's only the angle. I can't really use a crowbar or big screwdriver due to the confined space, and really don't want to risk damaging the mount. Heck, it was a monumental effort just to get it to this point! Has anyone ran into this issue with this job?

[89-944NA]

Make sure the lower nuts on the engine mounts aren't tight (as in LOTS of play between the mount and the cross mamber), with the mount loose and the engine raised a bit you should be able to align the upper bolt holes.

[John_AZ]

You probably have experience with MMs done on the first 944 in 2004...but,

Did you mark the engine crossmember to the original spot on the body frame?
If you did you should be able to drop the crossmember just a little beyond the reach of the crossmember mounting bolts as you gently lift the engine from below with a floor jack and block of wood under the oil pan.

Using a short pry bar you mentioned it will just barely install.

Did you go with Porsche OEM motor mounts?
Be carefull of the MM mounting bolts, There are short and long lengths for the new style mounts.

Good luck,
J_AZ

[Panzer909]

The lower mount nuts aren't even on yet.

I scribed the original position of the crossmember, but throughout all the fiddling on each side, it's a bit off. I wasn't really concerned because it's going in for a alignment directly after this job anyways. I originally was going to drop the crossmember altogether when I did this years ago on another car, but the power steering line right behind this mount is frozen tight and apparently stripped from the PO. great!

It was a profanity-filled struggle to get the bolts back in properly so I'm looking to avoid having to take them too far off again at all costs. Haven't played with raising up the engine yet since I set the wood/jack to keep it level beforehand. Will have to try that tomorrow when there's daylight again. Yeah, went with the genuine Porsche mounts...they were a little expensive to say the least!!

[Rasta Monsta]

Put some spooge on the top of the mount, like white lithium grease.

[GARG]

Been there get a 6-8" c clamp and pull the top of the mounts yes both of them in.
you want the rubber lip under the plate. Come in from the wheel well rub the top lip with some lube or soap and jack it in place then it will fall inline for the bolts.

[Panzer909]

So I went back in there and rubbed the top of the mounts with Dove liquid soap, moved both sides ever so gently with a prybar, and they popped right in. The top bolts were a little tight to get in afterwards, but otherwise they're all set. Here's a pic of the old ones. The driver's side came out in two pieces when I removed it!!

[Gawernator]

Nice!

[Panzer909]

Oh, and one more thing: Does anyone have an opinion on the best way to re-attach the steering knuckle to the rack? I didn't detach it completely, but it's almost hanging on by a thread. It won't snug back on by grabbing it; I need to coax it back in there somehow:

[Rasta Monsta]

Put anti seize on that rusty bugger then tap from above with a brass drift and bfh.