Replacing S3 Engine Mounts

Replacing S3 Engine Mounts

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White S3

Original Poster:

170 posts

136 months

Monday 26th January 2015
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What a censored awful job. With hindsight, I wish I'd replaced them when I had the body off 18mths ago. If you currently have your PnJ apart doing the outriggers etc... CHANGE THE MOUNTS TOO IF THEY HAVEN'T BEEN DONE RECENTLY.



Above is the reason for the forage into the "man cave". One sad offside mount which allowed the sump to rest on the ARB. Nearside one still measures up at 50mm and doesn't appear to be distorted laterally - chose not to replace based on the fact that I couldn't get a spanner onto the chassis end of the mount with sufficient purchase to loosen it!

Anyway below is a list of the items needed to be removed to be able to replace the offending item:
Both front wheels
Anti Roll Bar
Dizzy Cap
Oil Filler Cap (fouling bulkhead when engine jacked up)
Ignition Module plug (fouling bulkhead when engine jacked up)
Spark Plug leads - offside (just to clear space)
Exhaust
'J' downpipes (fouling on chassis cross member)
Offside Engine Bracket
and finally the mount itself.

Unbolting the sodding thing was a challenge - invaluable advice from a previous thread -

[quote=clarenceboddiger]"Tough Nut" 2006
... 4 different 17mm ring spanners from friends. The Britool (CM17 Stamping) one has the points in a different position to all the others including Draper,Elora,Hilka.I managed to get a minute turn with my original spanner then used the Britool spanner to do the same and kept alternating between the two ring spanners.

This was just for the engine end of the mount, but the chassis end I found needed a 17mm flexi-head ratchet spanner. Lots of wiggling and pulling the old mount finally came out and the new was relatively easy to get in if you are good at 3D-Tetrus. As with a previous thread, I did loosely connect the mount to the bracket before putting back onto the engine/chassis and then lowered the engine fully before tightening all bolts.

Have yet to fully re-assemble exhaust and ARB so not too sure how much clearance I now have, but it was zero before. I'll update the post once complete but comparing with other points on the chassis, I'd say it should be 25-30mm. Total time for one (and a half) mount changes - 8 hrs with a bit left to do!

Next job, looking at it now, will be to degrease/prepare/repaint sump - Anyone know how hot it gets (for the correct rated paint)?

Marc C

128 posts

125 months

Monday 26th January 2015
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After this job on my car, the bonnet fouled the ISCV and needed further tweaking, moving and shoving about on the mounts to clear it. Worth checking before tightening everything down
ATB
Marc

phillpot

17,115 posts

183 months

Tuesday 27th January 2015
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Fun job eh wink


Ratchet spanner is the way to go (decent quality, very small increments) and a few other suggestions here.

RayTVR

1,040 posts

143 months

Tuesday 27th January 2015
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It's a fun job. Looking at the scar on the back of my hand as I type..

Griffinr

1,017 posts

174 months

Tuesday 27th January 2015
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phillpot said:
Fun job eh wink


Ratchet spanner is the way to go (decent quality, very small increments) and a few other suggestions here.
I have a set of the Halfords flexi-head ratchet spanners, one of my best ever buys. Still had to cut the rubber off one of the old engine mounts and then grind through the plate and stud to get it off.
Rob.

Barkychoc

7,848 posts

204 months

Tuesday 27th January 2015
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Good to see our late friend Ken (ClarenceBodigger) still helping out !

Kitchski

6,515 posts

231 months

Tuesday 27th January 2015
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Sump'll rarely get near 90deg. I used POR15 on mine, BUT the best way to prep it is with it removed....another job best done during chassis works!

Fefeu52

198 posts

66 months

Monday 14th February 2022
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I just want to thank everybody for the tips. I removed it yesterday in 2 hours. The 17mm ratchet spanner was essential.
I just have to sandblast and paint the engine mounts before putting it back together with new mounts and cups.

phillpot

17,115 posts

183 months

Monday 14th February 2022
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Fefeu52 said:
I just want to thank everybody for the tips.
You'd best pop over to Facebook to do that, no one here these days tumbleweed

Fefeu52

198 posts

66 months

Monday 14th February 2022
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I don't mind.... I hate FB.

TwinKam

2,976 posts

95 months

Monday 14th February 2022
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Me too... there's no way that this kind of helpful historic information could ever be retrieved from Fakebook. Thank the Lord for forums, long may they they exist.