Protege5: Basic question about engine mounts

[dd123]

Guys,

So, I got a used protege5-2005/5 speed last month and I am thinking about two mods at this time:

1)Short Shifter
2)Engine mounts

My question is about engine mounts:

I certainly feel that I need new engine mounts since I feel a lot of jerks/hops and my car is 6 yrs old with 110K miles with no history of engine mount being replaced.

Here are something about my car usage:
This is my daily driver, I am absolutely not into racing/tracks etc etc.

What I want:
I do not want a super cushy ride/ bit of vibration is fine/definitely looking forward to get more torque/power thru these mount replacements.

My mechanical abilities:
Complete noob. Never ever jacked up my car. But looking forward to spend sometime/money working on my car since I am computer engineer by profession so troubleshooting comes natual to me.

1) How many mounts are there in protege5 ? front (2)/rear(2)/side(2) ?
2) Do i need to replace all of them ?
3) If I want to replace just one or two of them then which one you would recommend me on the basis of easeness to replace for a noob like me and the effectiveness of those mounts ? I heard replacing rear mounts are pain.

4) What kind of mounts you guys recommend based on my needs ? SLS ?
Again: not looking for race/track use just dailiy driver with bit of fun ..

5) Any link to how to with good pics is highly appreciated ?
6) Any local help would be rewarded with $$. I am in San Diego.

Thanks

Deepak

 

[Cellerator]

I suggest just getting the mount inserts for the front just to help but not make the ride too harsh. After I installed all 4 motor mount inserts, I get little vibrations coming from different parts of the car at different ranges of the RPM guage.

There are 4 mounts, 2 on the sides, 1 in the back (biggest headache), and 1 in the front, the 1 in the front is easiest to deal with. Go check the how to forum, they have instructions on how to do all of the mounts. Front 1 can be done without really needing to jack up the car.

 

[Tasty]

Do some reading. Aftermarket motor mounts all around tends to result in pretty harsh cabin vibrations. I personally don't understand why people do it after reading many different accounts on these forums. Short shifter would be a way better mod. Get a short shift boot to go with it.

Before you jump into something like motor mounts, how is the car on stuff like plugs, tranny fluid, etc. A lot of those things are easy to do, and a good way to get acquainted with your P5.

 

[jeg0024]

If your front mount it torn, replace it with a new stock one. Others should be fine.

 

[dd123]

Thanks
I already changed almost all the fluids.
I think I would go for short shifter first.. then
How would I come to know that I would need to get a new timing belt ?
It looks like the previous owner did not get it replaced so it is on my tab!

 

[Redcoat]

Thanks
I already changed almost all the fluids.
I think I would go for short shifter first.. then
How would I come to know that I would need to get a new timing belt ?
It looks like the previous owner did not get it replaced so it is on my tab!

At 110k, I'd say you're on borrowed time in regards to timing belt replacement, though some people on the forum have survived to over 150k on original belt. Owner's manual recommends replacement at 100k.

 

[P-Funk!]

The rear motor mount is for advanced shade tree mechanics (IMHO). I did it - but i would not want to do it again!

Just try the inserts and see if that helps enough. then do the front.

Me? I would stay stock or do the diesel engine mounts or the softest aftermarket ones...

 

[clicknext]

Any aftermarket engine mounts are gonna cause vibration and make the car feel kind of harsh.

If you're not worried about that, I'd try replacing the front mount first. If you don't want vibration, you can see if your mount is torn, and replace it with a new stock mount which should help.

Either way, here's a great how-to on replacing the front mount.
http://www.thinkythings.org/p5/front-motor-mount.html

 

[dd123]

Any aftermarket engine mounts are gonna cause vibration and make the car feel kind of harsh.

If you're not worried about that, I'd try replacing the front mount first. If you don't want vibration, you can see if your mount is torn, and replace it with a new stock mount which should help.

Either way, here's a great how-to on replacing the front mount.
http://www.thinkythings.org/p5/front-motor-mount.html

Thanks!!

 

[nickthaskater]

Any aftermarket engine mounts are gonna cause vibration and make the car feel kind of harsh.

If you're not worried about that, I'd try replacing the front mount first. If you don't want vibration, you can see if your mount is torn, and replace it with a new stock mount which should help.

Either way, here's a great how-to on replacing the front mount.
http://www.thinkythings.org/p5/front-motor-mount.html

I'm sorry to bump such an old thread, especially for my first post, but after having recently purchased a P5 and finding the front mount to be completely shredded, I have to say that the tutorial you've linked to is most definitely NOT the way you want to go in replacing it (I tried it).

Rather than going underneath the car, simply remove the plastic airbox/intake componentry and attack the mount from the top. By doing so you can use a breaker bar (which was desperately needed in my case) to undo the cross bolt. The two lower bolts can be undone easily just by reaching under the car. No need to remove splash guards or crawl around under the engine.

Trying to follow the guide in that link was a waste of 2 hours of my time trying to beat the hell out of my wrench to break the bolt free, wriggling around beneath my car on jack stands.

Doing it from the top down took literally 15 minutes and was easy as cake.