[FlipLegend]

Finally got a hold of one from the dealer for a hundred and now I am contemplating wether or not to do this myself. I tried searching but after 8 pages I gave up because none of the threads were about the actual replacement process. Is this even considered a possible DIY? Do you have to drop the tranny to do this? I have tools, enough to do my JDM Type II swap. I know I know I should have done this replacement with the motor out but I didn't replace my transmission at the time. I'll accept it if I have to go to the dealership for this one. Thanks guys.

 

[stir_fry_boy]

I did mine, without a lift, it was kind of a pain because you have to line up all the bolts (about 6 of them) when you put the new mount in. I used a car jack to hold up the tranny and to adjust the height until I got it right, then bolted the new mount in. If you need help, I will be happy to tell you how I did mine. I did take out the whole exhaust system cat back and muffler. Then undo the plate that is above the cat coverter, this gives you access to the mount. Totaly time it took me = 4 hrs (bad, bad, bad). Typical acura fix....tedious and tempermental. If you need any more help than this, let me know through a PM or in the thread.

 

[Ballistic]

I did mine, without a lift, it was kind of a pain because you have to line up all the bolts (about 6 of them) when you put the new mount in. I used a car jack to hold up the tranny and to adjust the height until I got it right, then bolted the new mount in. If you need help, I will be happy to tell you how I did mine. I did take out the whole exhaust system cat back and muffler. Then undo the plate that is above the cat coverter, this gives you access to the mount. Totaly time it took me = 4 hrs (bad, bad, bad). Typical acura fix....tedious and tempermental. If you need any more help than this, let me know through a PM or in the thread.

Nothing can be a quick fix

 

[stir_fry_boy]

ballistic, you are right, 4 hrs by any means is not quick... especially on a motor mount.

 

[Ballistic]

ballistic, you are always right, 4 hrs by any means is not quick... especially on a motor mount.

forgot the always

 

[FlipLegend]

So is unbolting the cat & exhaust a prerequisite or can I get around that?

 

[LPB]

You need to get the vehicle in the air. The exhaust must be unbolted and as it uses self-locking nuts you need to order new: bolts, springs, self-locking nuts and a new gasket (you disassemble at this location). Before you unbolt, cover the exhaust tips with a towel or something so that the tips do not scratch the bumper cover. You should use a jack to hold the transmission and also to reposition the trans onto the mount as it was before you unbolted the mount. If I remember correctly, I removed both sections of the mount as a unit; the bracket affixed to the underside of the body and the mount. Easiest to disassemble. Need to reassemble (but not tighten) the mount to the bracket prior to install. The bolt is long and no room in the tunnel to remove/install the mount bolt into the bracket (if my memory is correct). I thought there was a DIY from long ago??? Book time for the R&I on the mount is under an hr. using a lift. You should be able to do this in around two hrs., depends upon working height and rusted fasteners.

 

[94G2Coupe]

exhaust MUST come off.. other than that it is pretty simple.
depending on where you are from, the aluminum mount and
steel bolts may have fused together too.. major P.I.T.A.!!!!
have spare parts on hand if this is your only driver as you will
go no where without that mont connected!! good luck!

 

[stir_fry_boy]

I remember having to use a universal with a long extension to get the bolts that mount the aluminum bracket to the transmission. LPB is right, the whole assembly (bracket + mount) is much easier to deal with so take out the bracket with the tranny mount because there is a LONG cross bolt that goes through the mount perpendicular with the car that is a major P.I.T.A. to get out otherwise (actually impossible). For installation, this is the easist way also, put the mount in the bracket (but not completely tight) and put the assembly in the car this will save you a headache. This is how I found out was the easiest way to do it (after 2 hrs of fiddling around with it). I forgot to mention that that 4 hrs included taking the engine mounts out and checking them out to see if they were busted too. Becuase my tranny mount was busted for soooo long that I was afraid that it had busted my engine mounts but they still looked good and I didn't have another $400 just for engine mounts on top of the $170 for the tranny mount (rediculous for a stupid rubber mount and it about broke me). It would be a good DIY but I don't have privilages to post pics. 94G2Coupe is right, the exhaust must come off either just the cat converter or the whole thing muffler and all.

 

[PSA]

Only thing I would add is DO NOT jack up the trans. There should be no stress on the rear mount when it is installed. It isn't there to hold anything up, it's there to prevent the drivetrain from torquing.

 

[bwilder10h]

You just need the jack to support the trans with the mount unbolted or you will put stress on the rest of the mounts. Not technically raising, just supporting.

I had surprisingly good luck just unbolting the cat converter instead of removing the entire exhaust system. My car has 119k but came from Texas so that is probably why the original exhaust unbolted really easily.

 

[FlipLegend]

Thanks for the replies guys. As soon as I finish the E30 and have another car to drive, I will tackle this project and attempt to compile a DIY while I am at it. For you guys who have done it before, you may get some PM's from me.

 

[PSA]

You just need the jack to support the trans with the mount unbolted or you will put stress on the rest of the mounts. Not technically raising, just supporting.

Have to disagree. The whole assembly will sit there very nicely all by itself. The biggest reason for rear trans mount failure is installing it with any pressure on it whatsoever. That's why the factory put those 1/2 in slots in the metal mount.

 

[stir_fry_boy]

When I did it, the tranny actually lowered past where is should be when I put the jack down a little bit (I used a car jack with a few blocks of wood) I think it could have kept going. That is true, the metal slots are there to help you, I think they did that also because you can't get the tranny in the same EXACT spot as where it was before that is why they created slots. You can try it, but I am pretty sure that the tranny can be lowered past where it should be if you lower it or don't support it because there is nothing else to support it except the weight of the engine (given it is quite a bit) the next mount forward is the rear engine mounts that are right between the engine and transmission. I remember I had to play around with the height to get all the bolts in the closest to where they were before, if I didn't have the jack to support the tranny, I don't know where they would have ended up. If you don't put it back to the closest you can to where it was before, I can imagine the mount will not last as long as it should or it may cause extra additional stress on the other mounts in the car then making the project a lot more expensive than the inital one of just replacing the mount. My mount went 50k without a problem with me supporting the tranny with a jack. I didn't have any problems with it.

 

[bwilder10h]

Again, not raising the trans... just supporting the weight. Either way you cut it, it's additional stress on the rest of the mounts if the weight is not supported.

But I'm anal about these kinds of things...

 

[stir_fry_boy]

Bump.....
Did you end up getting that done?

 

[FlipLegend]

Not yet, had to let my bro borrow my air compressor because he's building a deck on his house. I'll get in touch with you guys when the time comes, I'm sure I'll have questions.