Gen 1 Front Motor Mount Recommendations?

[DeepPower]

Gotta replace the front motor mount on my '89 SHO next week. I've been searching this forum for the past 30 minutes and the only firm recommendation I've seen is to stay away from Anchor motor mounts (DEA may be the same quality) and AutoZone has the wrong parts. SHOSource mounts are too pricy for me right now and maybe give too harsh a ride. To make matters more confusing there seems to be a lot of catalog errors everywhere in getting the right part. I don't trust my existing mount enough to have my mechanic reinforce it.

NAPA has two listings:
BK 6021644 (looks like my existing mount) $32.49
BK 6021733 (hydraulic, does not look like my mount) $51.99

Assuming I can trust NAPA quality and these are the correct parts for my car, why would I choose one over the other? Or is there better in that price range?

Thanks in advance!

 

[zoomlater]

I saw RCM sells NOS ones, but they are as just as much as the Shosource ones. Have you tried the WTB section to see if anyone has any good used mounts

 

[DeepPower]

I'll buy new mounts, I'm just looking to find out who makes quality motor mounts and who makes crap.

 

[Devin]

The second link looks like an auto tranny mount. I believe all the OE style mounts are about as reliable. The alternative are aftermarket reinforced mounts.

 

[kevinspann]

The first one looks right to me. I would still reinforce a new mount to some extent.

 

[luigisho]

All the aftermarket mounts are not very good in my experience. I would reinforce the one you have or buy one already modified. The anchor brand stinks but I'm not so sure the others come from a different source at this point. IIRC hydraulic mounts were an ATX thing??

 

[DeepPower]

All the aftermarket mounts are not very good in my experience. I would reinforce the one you have or buy one already modified. The anchor brand stinks but I'm not so sure the others come from a different source at this point. IIRC hydraulic mounts were an ATX thing??

The one I already have has seen too many Boston winters and is too rusted to be trusted. There's also a good chance the bolts are rusted tight and will need to be cut. So consider my existing front mount to be gone.

At this point unless someone has a better recommendation I'm going to buy the first NAPA mount and have my mechanic reinforce it. Below are two descriptions of reinforcing that I found on this forum:

Drill 1/2" holes through it...one on each side. Use 3/8" bolts, stabilizer bar bushings, and 2 nuts each(stop nut). Put the bushings on the OUTSIDE of the mount body with the bolts going through from the inside....
Watch the alignment when drilling, especially if the mount has completely separated. Clamp the 2 halves together. Once one side is done, bolt it up...but not so tight as to compress the rubber more than about 1/4" Use stainless hardware with fine thread and use blue loc-tite on the nuts.
-------
Removed the front motor mount and found it was almost seperated. With the guidance of 93rev2sev, I re-inforced my bad one using a swaybar end link bushings/washers (8 of each), 3/8"x24x3.5" bolts (4), and 3/8"x24 locknuts (4). Drilled four holes and installed the bolts/bushings/washers/nuts and was very surprised at how much better it drove and shifted. Also surprising was that I spent a total of $22 for the parts, much less than the cost of a new one!

 

[itwonder]

I'd love to be found wrong, but I do not think that NAPA mount looks like at match; compare to the photo of a NOS mount on RCM Automotive's web page. My understanding is there is no aftermarket replacement for the front motor mount on the MTX SHO. The mount is unique to that engine/frame, and the small demand provides no motivation for anyone to offer one. The best low-cost option is to reinforce a good used mount. This ground has been plowed many times through the years. If you find the NAPA mount is correct, I'll happily eat some humble pie!

 

[sperold]

I agree with the above, the cantilever arms seem too short.
In the past, there have been lots of confusion between the MTX SHO mount and the MTX mount of the 4 cylinder Taurus.
It is strange that the 4 cylinder mount outlived the much longer production run of the SHO.

 

[luigisho]

Get a used one and modify it. There should be someone parting cars on here or ebay that can sell you one for cheap

 

[LOUDSHO92]

That mount is wrong. It comes from the Tempo. No major chain carries new mounts.

We have several options at SHO Source from rebuilt, to new to reinforced new mounts: http://www.shosource.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=61_5_30

You should get a reinforced mount as it will last the life of the car.

 

[itwonder]

I reinforced my mount using the urethane method, as is used on the reinforced mounts shosource sells. I've never been happy with it, and I regret going that way. The mount is far too stiff; it's just not a good solution, at least for the street, IMHO. It's almost like solid steel. I would buy one of the brand new mounts from shosource, and then reinforce it with the two 3/8" bolts and sway bar bushings as described above. All you need to accomplish is to limit motion enough to ensure the torque cannot separate the big rubber cushion from the steel backing plates. If that is not affordable, then I would do the same, but with a used mount, and I would replace the limit rod with a larger bolt while I was at it.

 

[luigisho]

Any reinforced mount is going to be much stiffer and produce more noise and vibration. There's no way around this unless you use a new part, as is, out of the box.

 

[DeepPower]

I reinforced my mount using the urethane method, as is used on the reinforced mounts shosource sells. I've never been happy with it, and I regret going that way. The mount is far too stiff; it's just not a good solution, at least for the street, IMHO. It's almost like solid steel. I would buy one of the brand new mounts from shosource, and then reinforce it with the two 3/8" bolts and sway bar bushings as described above.

Yes, that's what I've heard. Does SHOSource sell a mount described as above (reinforced with the two 3/8" bolts and sway bar bushings, no urethane ) for a reasonable price?

 

[turbo79]

Gotta replace the front motor mount on my '89 SHO next week. I've been searching this forum for the past 30 minutes and the only firm recommendation I've seen is to stay away from Anchor motor mounts (DEA may be the same quality) and AutoZone has the wrong parts. SHOSource mounts are too pricy for me right now and maybe give too harsh a ride.

Thanks in advance!

If cost is your issue, that's understandable, but the SHO Source reinforced front mount does not make the ride any harsher; there's one installed in my SHO.

I do have Gen III subframe mounts, so maybe my "ride" experience is skewed by that fact. You can feel the engine vibrations a bit more, but, again, no change in the ride stiffness for me.

 

[sperold]

That first mount in the NAPA listing is for the 2.5 liter Taurus 4 cylinder engine, with a manual transmission, it is not a Tempo part.
It is ridiculous that it is still in production, while the SHO mount is not.
If you could find a NAPA store that has that thing in stock, it might be worthwhile having a look at it to see how robust it is, and if just the cantilever arms need to be extended, or what.
The price sure is right, and at least the frame connection part of the mount should fit the Taurus, and with a little rework, who knows.

 

[LOUDSHO92]

Yes, that's what I've heard. Does SHOSource sell a mount described as above (reinforced with the two 3/8" bolts and sway bar bushings, no urethane ) for a reasonable price?

We do not sell any like that but ours do not increase the harshness that much. It is only worse if you have solid subframe bushings.

Also ours come with a lifetime warranty.

 

[DeepPower]

So, what is the verdict on these mounts:
http://www.shosource.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=38

How will these affect my ride?

 

[LOUDSHO92]

They should have minimal impact on your ride and you wont evr have to replace them again. Also they have a lifetime warranty.

 

[DeepPower]

These are the SHOSource mounts I just had installed:
http://www.shosource.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=61_5_30&products_id=38
http://www.shosource.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=61_5_30&products_id=255
http://www.shosource.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=61_5_30&products_id=254

It's difficult to judge the ride as I've been driving around with broken motor mounts for a few months. But I can still say that compared to what I do remember of stock, it's just a bit harsher, but I like it. I also have much better road feel in the steering wheel.

The most noticeable difference is when I start the car, I can feel the engine jump. It's startling at first but I've gotten used to it.

Took my mechanic two days to get it done because of all the rust, he had to cut the bolts off the existing mounts. When it stops snowing here in Texas and the temperature gets above freezing (yes, you read that right) I'll send the motor mounts back to SHOSource for the core charge.

As you can see below the old front mount still had rubber(?) in it but rear mount was completely shot. The transmission mount was separated.