Installed a new motor mount today...

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I finally replaced the original Torque-Axis Mount today on my ’96 Saturn SL2 DOHC with 94,700 miles using the new part from www.saturnparts.com. The difference is amazing: with the old mount, both the dash and fenders would vibrate violently. In Reverse, the rear end would shake. Now, there is absolutely NO vibration in any gear.

I decided to write-up a little DIY guide:

How to: Replace Torque-Axis Mount on 1992-2002 Saturn S-Series.

Parts Required:
- Torque-Axis Mount, P/N: 21012185, USE GENUINE SATURN PART ONLY. (Approx. $50.00 from www.saturnparts.com)
- (3) Engine Mount to Front Cover studs, P/N: 21008003
- (3) Engine Mount to Front Cover nuts, P/N: 21006320
- Berryman’s B12 Chemtool Carburetor Cleaner
- Loctite 242

Tools Required:
- Hydraulic Floor Jack
- Block of wood, mine was about 6”X3”X2”
- One Jack Stand
- 15MM, 6-pt, ½” drive, standard impact socket
- ½” drive Breaker Bar
- ½” drive Ratchet Adapter
- ½” drive speedwrench
- ½” drive torque wrench, foot-lbs
- ½” drive extension
- ¼” drive, ¼” socket
- ¼” drive screwdriver
- Tabletop clamp
- Aluminum “covers” to fit over each end of the tabletop clamp, better known as “soft jaws.”

Procedure:

1) Loosen both engine mount to mid-rail bracket nuts using the 15MM socket attached to the breaker bar and ratchet adapter.. Use speedwrench w/ 15MM socket attachment to continue removing the bolts. Once nuts are removed, thoroughly clean both nuts AND studs using B12 Chemtool.

2) Raise right side of the vehicle using the hydraulic floor jack, then support right front side of vehicle (only) using a single jack stand.

3) Remove/lower jack stand, and place a block of wood on the appropriate location of the floor jack. Then, line-up the hydraulic floor jack, plus wooden block below the oil pan. Once the wooden block is touching the underside of the oil pan, raise the vehicle about two inches.

4) Loosen the three engine mount to engine front cover nuts using the breaker bar, 15MM socket attached to the ratchet adapter and breaker bar.

5) Depending on your luck, either the nuts themselves will come out (unlikely), or the entire assembly (nut and stud together) will unscrew. Usually it’s the latter. If you have access to a tabletop clamp AND soft jaws, remove the nut/stud assembly and proceed to separate the nut and stud. If you do not have access to a tabletop clamp, throw the stud/nut assembly away, and use new studs/nuts. DO NOT screw in the old stud if the nut is still attached. You run a greater risk of stripping the holes on the front cover.

Note: If the stud is still attached (only nut came out), use a ¼” socket attached to a screwdriver to confirm that the stud is mounted tightly. Clean the stud with Carburetor Cleaner at this point.

6) If you managed to separate the nut/stud like I did, thoroughly clean the old studs and nuts with B12 Chemtool Carburetor Cleaner.

7) Use B12 Chemtool and thoroughly clean the front cover area surrounding the three holes. Spray some cleaner into the three holes and clean them as well as possible.

8) Liberally coat the end of the stud (going into the engine front cover) with Loctite 242. This is very important as it will minimize the chances of the stud backing out or becoming loose. It will also act as a lubricant to ease assembly.

9) Slowly install the three studs by hand into the engine front cover. Tighten them hand tight, then use a screwdriver with ¼” socket to tighten them further.

10) Install the new mount. It should line-up easily with the three studs. The two mid-rail studs may not line-up perfectly, so you may need to rock the engine back slightly to get them to line-up.

11) Reinstall the nuts for the three studs ONLY. Thread in by hand, tighten with speedwrench and 15mm socket, then use the torque wrench and 15MM socket to 40 ft-lbs.

12) Lower the powertrain completely and remove the jack stand as well. Reinstall the two engine mount to mid-rail nuts and torque them to 40 ft-lbs as well. The torque wrench + ½” drive extension+ 15mm socket will work perfectly to torque, speedwrench works fine to tighten.

13) Start up engine, shift through all gears. Then shut-off the engine and retorque all nuts to 40 ft-lbs.

14) Enjoy your vibration free car! (hopefully)
 
No offense, Critter, and it was nice of you to post that, but does anyone here actually, you know, HAVE a Saturn anymore?
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I'll go away now..
cheers.gif
 
Quote:


No offense, Critter, and it was nice of you to post that, but does anyone here actually, you know, HAVE a Saturn anymore?




Now I see how you got over 1,000 posts on here.

Man, you are a freakin' idiot.
 
Awesome post Critic - I've been a slow DIY'er. Recently changed transmission fluid for the first time. Now looking at spark plugs. Your post helps with confidence to a degree
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If you live nearby that would have been fun to watch. Always did enjoy watching my grandpa work on cars...
 
Quote:


Now looking at spark plugs. Your post helps with confidence to a degree
wink.gif




It took me a little over 30 minutes to do the job, granted that this was the second try. First try? Well, the new mount wouldn't line-up. I think the problem was that the piece of wood I used was too long, and lifted the frame, not so much the engine.

Mike- Don't bother separating the studs/nuts like I did. I had a tabletop clamp and soft jaws at the shop, so I was able to utilize it. Otherwise, just buy new studs and nuts. They aren't THAT expensive.

Even though I had fully separated the nuts and studs when I reinstalled them after my failed first attempt, when I removed the nuts again a week later, they were stuck again.
 
Thanks for the info Mike! I wound up using an aftermarket lower mount ($39 from AutoZone) as I didn't order it from the online source you sited above...no I didn't plan properly.

It was quite easy, even with a sore back!

Thanks again!
cheers.gif
 
NP. Did you have to put in new studs? How were you able to separate yours?
 
And the mount is toast AGAIN. Actually, it has been toast for at least a few thousand miles, but it has been getting worse in the last few hundred miles.

143,580 miles on the clock right now.

The Anchor branded aftermarket mounts from rockauto and autozone now appear to be of the correct design, which wasn't the case several years ago.

Are they worth a shot?
 
Have you held an anchor in your hand? Maybe they use a stock photo.

I've used them in that app. I think the factory piece is too worried about absorbing vibrations and the design is weak from the get-go.

At some point in the distant past the Autozone anchor had a lifetime warranty through the store while rockauto had a 1 year or so. Makes the extra $$ for Brick & Mortar worthwhile; you can just take it in there for another one when it gets soft.
 
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