my neighbor is buying a 2000 z28 a4.

During idle the engine rocks back n fourth alot, when compared to mine which barely moves.

I figure since the car is a 2000 with 110,000 miles, the motor mount bushings must be shot.

So what I would like to know how hard is it to replace them?

 

anyone ever change theirs?

 

Just did mine over the past 2 weekends. Takes about 4-5 hours per side i'd say. Drop the altenator on the driver's side, and A/C compressor + starter on the pass side. Place a jack under the oil pan with a block of wood and jack up gently, just enough to ease the weight of the motor off the mounts. Remove the large 18mm bolt that attaches the mount to the pedestals on the k member. Then unbolt and remove the pedestals. This should give you sufficient room to fit ratchets and attachements to unbolt the motor mount assemblies from the block. I did mine with the headers attached, they really didn't have any effect.

If you get factory replacements, I assume they would come as a complete assembly. If you go with aftermarket poly bushings, you'll get the bushings, and have to take apart the factory assembly, remove the stock rubber bushing from the clamshell, and install the poly bushings.

Installation is pretty much the reverse of removal. When you have the new mounts on the block, torque them down completely. Then place the pedestal on the k member, and get each of the 4 bolts started somewhat, so that there is still alot of play in the pedestal. Then you should have enough leeway to reinsert the large 18mm bolt connecting the mount to the pedestal. THEN torque the pedestal bolts. If you torque the pedestal bolts first, it is a major PITA to get the mount lined up correctly to feed the 18mm bolt through, and usually requires having a pal take a pry bar to the engine to force it to line up.

And finally, be sure to do one side at a time.

I really didn't find it as bad as many on here had suggested. The toughest part was for some reason the driver's side mount to block studs were obscenely hard to break loose, and I was worried about snapping the bolts off in the block. The pass side bolts for some reason was far easier to loosen.

 

excellent write up and thank you very much for taking the time!!!

 

A search would uncover a lot also, this has been discussed a lot lately.

I went with the Prothane mounts and I like them.

 

A search would uncover alot, but for some reason search only seems to dig up topics on this back to December '05. There were alot of better write ups I remember looking through months ago, but I can attest trying to search the past couple weeks in preparation for my install, there were only a handful of topics on the matter, most in regards to which ones to buy. Not much on install info.

 

Has anyone done this with a BMR k-member? Its a PITA to lineup the mounts when you cant move the pedestal at all.

 

Has anyone done this with a BMR k-member? Its a PITA to lineup the mounts when you cant move the pedestal at all. We tried all weekend to install it. Managed to get one side on, but the drivers side is off. We also dont have a transmission on the back of it.

 

Can you gain any play in the K-member by loosening the bolts where the K member mounts to the chasis? Only other choice is to take a prybar to the engine and have a beefy friend try to move it around.

I could see how that could be tough with an aftermarket K.

 

Unless you guys are seeing this in a light that I can not...

All of the joints of the k-member are welded. If you lower/raise any portion of it, the other side of the k-member will move similarly. I don't see how that will do anything but waste more time.

 

Havent tried unbolting the k-member, but we tried prying on the engine, but the offset is too great.

 

Prothane poly motor mounts get my vote! There is absolutly no downside to them as far as i'm concerned! They are probably cheaper than OEM replacements too

Check out thunder racing to find them ------>