[Poritz]

I have a lot of vibration in my 1990 740. I have heard that this is a common problem and that new engine mounts would fix it. How hard is it to do it yourself. I am an ambitious novice.<p>-Poritz

 

[towerymt]

Re: Engine Mounts. How difficult a job? (Poritz)

I have never done the job, however...<p>The procedure is not difficult, but it is grunt work. You will need to jack up the engine, unbolt the mounts, put in the new ones, and here's the tricky part, get them to line up correctly so everything goes back together. You can jack the engine by the oil pan, but it's recommended strongly to use a block of wood to spread the load. If the oil drain plug is in the way, drill an oversize hole in the wood to clear the plug. Jacking by the oil plug will cause damage.<p>Your car uses hydraulic mounts, which are expensive compared to the solid rubber mounts used on older models. Look to see if they are sagging or broken. Rev the engine to see if it moves a lot. Excessive vibration through the steering wheels is usually a symptom of worn motor mounts.<p>Good luck. See my links page if you need a source for new parts.

 

[Poritz]

Re: Engine Mounts. How difficult a job? (towerymt)

You are a wealth of information, towerymt. The vibration is not so much through the steering wheel as it is on the drivers door. The vibration only occurs during idle at a stoplight or in the driveway. If I did this myself I think I would prefer to use a chery picker lift to hoist the engine do the work from above. How much does this generally cost if I were to send it to the shop? Thanks again.<p>-Poritz

 

[towerymt]

Re: Engine Mounts. How difficult a job? (Poritz)

About 2 hours at $50-100 per hour, give or take a little. The indy shops I've used are around $60/hr., and a long time ago I was charged 2hr. to change both motor mounts on my 240 (that's 2 total, 1hr per mount). It probably takes them 30-45min at the most, but it may take you 2hr.