one of the bitchiest FD jobs i find is motor extraction and install.

how can a 13 X 13 X 13 190 pound hunk of metal be such a chore?

it has to do w the motor mounts and subframe. for most, of course, i am posting nothing new here.

the mounts sit down in a well. they have to come up a number of inches before the motor can come forward... as in out.

one option is to remove the 6 motor mount bolts that screw into the rear iron. you have limited space and a gusset ridge in the way of a few of the bolts. they are torqued to 55 pounds so that also presents a problem for a box wrench. very limited room.

wouldn't it be nice if you could forget about the motor mounts and just move the engine forward, up and out?

there is an easy solution. (no doubt this is NOT an original idea)...

i bought a set of Himni mounts to facilitate the job. all i was looking for was a puck w a hole in it.

i removed the OE rubber puck w the studs from the steel motor mount. i tapped the hole in the motor mount. i bought a couple of bolts.

problem solved.

it is so easy. drop the puck in the well. torque the mounts to the engine, drop the engine in. from underneath, insert the bolts thru the subframe and screw them into the tapped hole.

bolt is 2.75 inches under the head, coarse 3/8

 

This thread is useless without pictures!

 

I guess that's useful for those who are pulling their engines in and out frequently, which is probably the more racing-minded. Mounts done right, IMO, should not have any hard coupling (no through bolt). Otherwise you'll get plenty of vibration transferred from the engine.

 

Liiiiike this? https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/writeup-diy-poly-motor-mounts-866516/ (EDIT: These are DIY)

 

That's the type of aftermarket mounts everyone gets most of the time. It's easy and painless to get the engine out with those types of mounts.

I bought my first ones from Gothamracing about 8 years ago and they are still good. Got them on my bridge port 13b and they are urethane mounts. Just ridgid enough for a street car.

Hey Howard, good to see you are posting things on the forums

Any news on the engine and turbo setup?

JT

 

Engine comes out a lot easier if you lower the subframe and remove the bolts to the rack. Removing the rack bolts allows you to lower the subframe more. Us a engine hoist to hold the engine up, remove your front tires, and pull the subframe low enough to clear the frame screws. Leave the lower control arms in tact and you wont have to worry about alignment. If you like to pull the engine with the tranny, I guarantee you the engine will easily slide out without any problems.

 

howard.. did your himni mounts raise the motor... or is it stock height..

 

I dont like solid motor mounts
but your car is a track car, right? that's fine
being able to remove the engine easy would be nice upgrade

 

I also found some success with lowering the subframe.

 

Actually, I've never had problems pulling the engine with the stock motor mounts. Or re-installing for that matter.

It does help to put a jack under the transmission. Get the transmission up as far as it will go, pop the motor off the trans, and then up and out. Do the reverse to get it in there.

You just need to get it up enough so the studs clear the holes in the subframe, then bring it forward some so the studs can then clear the motor mount wells.

If you're doing anything at all with the trans is is way easier to pull the motor with the trans attached and re-install both. One of the hardest things when re-installing an engine is to get the motor and transmission to line up and mate, doing it out of the car is a snap.

Dale

 

doesnt that mess up the alignment?

 

We are working on our idea of the correct way to do motor mounts:

 

Don't forget the Mazda Motorsports engine mounts.

Garfinkle had an interesting take on poly mounts as well.

 

very cool.... isnt solid mounting too harsh for most street driving though?

 

im guessin theres poly at the end where the mount meets the bracket..

 

I installed new motor mounts recently. Got a set from IR Performance and installed using steel arms on both sides.

Didn't pull the motor...just lowered the subframe. The whole job took maybe 2 hours. Didn't even have to re-seal the oil pan. It's been about 3k miles and I was just under the car and it's dry as a bone. Got lucky, I suppose.

 

Yep this is one reason I got the aftermarket ones. Getting the tips of the bolts to clear the subframe while not crushing the secondary intake pipe can be a chore. It's even worse on an RHD because of the brake booster making it hard to remove said pipe.

I suppose it would be a lot easier with a single turbo to do the engine pull thinking about it.

Now I can just go under the car, unbolt the bottom, pull the bolt up and out. Easy as pie with just the arm of the motor mount on there.

 

I've been running my IR's for awhile now. Installed them when I still had the twins. They were actually my first mod...lol.

I can't remember my exact method though I do remember jacking up the tranny. Wasn't too bad.....