Motor mount questions!

[Tyler]

So my mounts are definitely shot, whether its the front, rear, trans, or all or two I want to change all three. but what I am wondering about is if there is any option other then the shosource front mount. where can i find OEM front and tranny mounts? it looks like the rear mounts are the same on NAPA but the front and tranny mounts are for the ATX i assume. any input would be appreciated especially since it hurts to see the gashes in my beautiful intake from the intake hitting the hood.

 

[kevinspann]

I think trans mounts can still be found new, front mounts cannot. Lots of people just bolt the mounts together, but there will be more NVH.

 

[Tyler]

I think trans mounts can still be found new, front mounts cannot. Lots of people just bolt the mounts together, but there will be more NVH.

Would you have any idea where to look for tranny mounts? And if so shosource should probably be the best way to go then. What do you mean that people just bolt the mounts together?

 

[LOUDSHO92]

There are no more OEM front mount any more which is why we reinforce them. Also we reinforce them so they will not fail.

 

[Tyler]

There are no more OEM front mount any more which is why we reinforce them. Also we reinforce them so they will not fail.

Well I have looked at the shosource mount and want it more than anything! But I don't think I can afford it is the problem, maybe the tranny mount at most but as much as I want the reinforced mount I just don't know.

 

[LJRuddy]

You can reinforce your own front mount. Just need to buy a metal cutting drill bit, 2 long grade 8 bolts, few washers, nuts and some loctite.

 

[shopartsnw]

We rarely see transmission mount failures. Usually it is the front mount failing that causes damage to the front intake. The rear mount usually fails from a leaky cam seal or power steering system that softens the rubber mount.

You can quickly check the mounts by opening your hood, setting the emergency brake and holding your foot on the regular brake. If you are good at heel toe, you can then put the car in first and reverse and let the clutch out a bit to see how much the engine moves in the front and rear. It is not positive proof, but it gives you a better idea of if you have a bad front or rear mount.

That way, you can buy only the mount you need to save $$.

Mike

 

[Tyler]

We rarely see transmission mount failures. Usually it is the front mount failing that causes damage to the front intake. The rear mount usually fails from a leaky cam seal or power steering system that softens the rubber mount.

You can quickly check the mounts by opening your hood, setting the emergency brake and holding your foot on the regular brake. If you are good at heel toe, you can then put the car in first and reverse and let the clutch out a bit to see how much the engine moves in the front and rear. It is not positive proof, but it gives you a better idea of if you have a bad front or rear mount.

That way, you can buy only the mount you need to save $$.

Mike

I will do that as soon as I get out of school today, and then probably buy a new mount tonight. Thanks for all the info! My next question is a little off topic but are there any common parts that fail that would cause the heater not to work? The fan works fine and I can adjust the temperature from cold to barely warmer then that, even after letting the engine warm up and turning the heat not all the way. Are there any indicators that I can look for that would suggest something has failed relevant to the heater?

 

[jimtash]

It's the blend door actuator. Think you have to take the dash out to replace it.

 

[shopartsnw]

There is a self test for the 90-95 models. I do not know if it will work on the 89s, but you can give it a try. Here is the link

http://wiki.wikisho.com/wiki/Running_the_Auto_AC_self-test

Mike

 

[kevinspann]

Manual (****) or digital HVAC controls?

 

[Tyler]

Manual (****) or digital HVAC controls?

I have the manual (****) version. I looked at the like but it's for the automatic climate control which I don't have. Is there anyway to tell if its the blend door actuator for sure if I pull the dash off?

 

[kevinspann]

Don't do that yet...I think the manual ones have an issues with the cable breaking, which could be the issue. How much resistance is there to turning?

 

[Tyler]

Don't do that yet...I think the manual ones have an issues with the cable breaking, which could be the issue. How much resistance is there to turning?

There is a lot of resistance actually and when the heater stopped working it got even harder to turn. What would that mean? Thanks by the way you guys are helping so much, it's starting to get cold here in New Mexico. You'd think it's a desert and hot. No it's getting close to 40 degrees in the morning!

 

[jimtash]

You might get by with just lubricating the cable. More than likely is has some surface rust on it as well. Don't force it any longer until you repair or replace it as you'll damage the housing and possibly break the bracket it fits into.

If you look under the dash and follow the cable to the blend door, you might be able to move it with your hand. Not sure how the manual climate controls are laid out in these cars though.

 

[Tyler]

You might get by with just lubricating the cable. More than likely is has some surface rust on it as well. Don't force it any longer until you repair or replace it as you'll damage the housing and possibly break the bracket it fits into.

If you look under the dash and follow the cable to the blend door, you might be able to move it with your hand. Not sure how the manual climate controls are laid out in these cars though.

So I took the dash almost completely off and looked where the cable starts and it looked fine at the tip, obviously it could be kinked up father down but I won't be able to tell until tomorrow when I take it out. if i move it with my hand and feel heat what does that mean? Thanks for all the input by the way!

 

[kevinspann]

Is it easy to move with the **** disconnected? That would mean your issue is at the **** area.

 

[jimtash]

Means you have heat. The blend door means exactly that.

Make sure you get the appropriate tool or at least be extra careful if you remove the cable. It's important to not break the bracket because it's a integral part of how the whole assembly operates. The bracket holding the cable housing is what allows the cable to move inside. Break the bracket and the housing won't have anything to push up against. And yeah, learned that lesson back in the day with another car.

 

[Tyler]

Means you have heat. The blend door means exactly that.

Make sure you get the appropriate tool or at least be extra careful if you remove the cable. It's important to not break the bracket because it's a integral part of how the whole assembly operates. The bracket holding the cable housing is what allows the cable to move inside. Break the bracket and the housing won't have anything to push up against. And yeah, learned that lesson back in the day with another car.

Ok I'll make sure to be extra careful with the cable, I have two shop manuals so they'll probably have the correct way to remove it, I'll take it out tomorrow morning, and if that doesn't work I guess I'll go from there. Thanks guys! You guys save me so much time and money it's not even funny!

 

[Tyler]

So I looked at where the cable connects to the Blend Door Actuator and the cable at that end moves just fine, so I can rule out it being a cable problem. So that would leave either a heater core problem or a BLend Door Actuator problem. Which means ill have to pull the dash completely I assume. Would there be any sort of test I could run to better determine what has failed before I remove the dash? So that way I can order the part right away and start the dash pull and change only what I need? And where could I find OEM heater cores and Blend Door Actuators for my gen 1? Thanks!