Gonna replace my Tranny Mount and Torque Arm Bushing...got replacements from Energy Suspensions...been search the boards and I have a few questions:

1. What the heck are the secondary mounts and do I need them? I bought them but it doesn' t look like the go anywhere (I don't see any secondary xmember)

3. Do I use the plate that comes with the ES mount..the enclosed directions say to, but some threads here say that makes the mount to tall (its only like 3/8" or something) and it cause vibrations. ( I am gonna call them tomorrow, though I suspect they will recite the directions)

3. I found a thread where it said you jack up the back of the car to do the torque arm bushing...where's a good spot to put the floor jack...

4. You don't have to take the torque arm off right? That looks like that is a PITA. Just the front part that connects to the tranny.

5. One of the X-member bolts is broke..any one use these drill outs:
http://www.drillout.com/how1.html I am gonna try heating the bolt first, center punching then drilling..any hints appreciated..

Thanks,

 

Ok..it appears after more searching..I don't need the secondary bushings...maybe JEGS will take them back...

Why is it you search and search and then find an answer after you post...oh well still some questions to answer and maybe it will help someone else too

 

3. for the es mount most dont use the plate but ur right about the vibration problems.

4. ebmiller88's site http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/tar...tos.yahoo.com/

you dont have to take out the rear two bolts just mess around with the front mount housing.

 

the ebmiller stuff...looks awesome...we should find some way to make that into a pdf and put in in the tech articles..its looks really well done...I for one am grateful

 

Ok..just got off the phone with ES...they said there's a recall on their tranny mounts....due to some snafu, they thought all the f-body mounts were the same height...and GM says they are not. Guess what: that causes vibration problems because of incorrect driveshaft angle.

He said it *might* fit, you'd have to measure the old one ...or compare to the Autozone stock one. He also said the spacer/preload plate is optional as long as the middle urethane part has somethign to butt up against (like the tranny case).

This is an unwelcome wrinkle..I guess it explains why people see vibration with these mounts....

 

Odd. I never got a vibration from my ES tranny mount. Bought it in '97. I'll have to give ES a call. (And yes I used the preload plate.)

 

Well it Put it on last night (no plate)...it looked to be about the same height (~3 1/8 in.) So I figured it was close enough...also put on the TA bushing (that was fun getting the clamp to close around it...definately use some good channel lock pliers to compress it...and loosen the bolts for the bracket close to the tranny (I didn't take it off..just dremeled the rivets away and punched them out...with it still on the car.

As for the drill-outs--no luck I broke it...at least after it broke I could unscrew it. This after heating with the torch and generous WD-40. Looks like I will be drilling and tapping...

All this done by 1 am...haven't even driven it yet....I wanna see what the difference is...

 

ahh yes, the late night, moonlight wrenching on f-bodies. gotta love it.

 

Yep...I disappeared under the car for several hours...in fact I wasn't even sure of the time until I came in the house...I half expected to see the sunrise..

My advice for broken bolts...
Avoid the extractor gadgets!
Try left-handed drills (Home Depot/Lowes don't carry them)..

Or just drill it out with good sharp drill and tap. I got one of those zincronimum drills from Sears...I had the bolt drilled out, tapped and replaced in like 45 minutes (mostly from jacking up the car). Damn piece of cake (for once!)...Better yet the drill, tap, tap wrench and bolt cost like $10 less than the fancy drill outs....

I did finally get to drive it...you can definately feel the difference..at little more stiff but definately tight...of course now I expect more gremlins now that the trans is not so sloppy...

 

Well the gremlins showed up...got plenty of vibration at higher speeds. I decided that since the ES mount was questionable (from them!), I went and ordered a prothane one from spohn...

A major difference...the car is much, much smoother. I'd stay away from ES mounts, unless you are 100% sure it will work. It seemed to be too tall because of the bumps on it.....

Oh well maybe this will help someone out.

 

Explains a lot to me.

I couldnt pinpoint the goddamned vibration in my 86, so, subsequently when I got the 91 and popped the tranny mount in 2 days, I replaced it with the ES mount.

Suprise. Same vibrations from about 75-80 on up thru 100+

Grrr.

You say Spohn has one that doesnt do that?

-JT

 

Wow that must be my problem too. I put an ES mount on 3 days ago and I got bad vibrations to,also. I had a costum tranny mount braket made from black bird industries,Ive had it on for three months with no problems. I had the bracket made so that I could run 3 inch exhaust. 3 days after I put the mount on my custom bracket broke. Thanks for info.

 

The two mounts are different heights. I put the ES one next to the prothane one (ordered from spohn) and the ES one was like a good 1/4" taller and that was without the plate! The bumps on the ES one pressed against the tranny..probably not a good thing -- ie. vibrations there.

I figured for $25 it'd be worth it to try and I am glad I did.