legacycentral bbs

I can see two on the crossmember, but I was wondering if maybe there's one I missed...

Anyway, I plan to replace them since my engine idle seems smooth on the tach but the car still shakes occasionally, and I hear clunking sometimes, and the engine seems to move in the engine bay more than other cars I've seen...

Also, is it possible that bad motor mounts allowing the engine to jerk around a bit, could that trip the knock sensor? I think I've narrowed my hesitation down to that little SOB...

Not sure about the engine movement causing the hesitation but there are two engine mounts below the engine and a pitch-stop mount that goes from the back of the engine (underneath the throttle body) to the firewall.

If the mounts were real bad I suppose the engine could get hit by something and trip the knock sensor. STI mounts are available they are quite a bit harder. I have the STI mount for the transmission and it does hold things pretty steady.
AL(CO)

i got a cracked motor mount here too.... thinkin about gettin some STI motor/tranny mounts... but yea i only know of the two engine mounts.... hadnt even noticed the pitch stop mount tho.... i would assume that u have a broken motor mount if its idling smooth on the tac but is shaking alot cuz thas the same thing i get

Looks a little like a dog bone!!

Now don't these STi mounts put more stress on clutch, tranny, axles, etc.? I would think logically since the mounts are absorbing less energy, that the drivetrain would have to make up for that...

And has anybody done it? I have the basic idea, lift the engine, and switch out the mounts, but does anybody have any special tips or any tools I need?

As you can tell I've never done motor mounts before ...

Well, upon inspection of this pitch-stop mount (finally got around to it), it is not even bolted to the engine! It's in the right spot and the holes are lined up and everything, but there's no bolt in there! Those @#$%^ people that did my clutch!

It's Saturday, and I don't really feel like thinking , does that mount prevent fore-aft motion or side-to-side motion?

well the stop pitch thing isn't bolted to the motor at all its bolted to the tranny. leave that bolt out for now since you will need to jack up the motor to put in new mounts. plan on jacking it up 2 to 3 inches. its not so simple as slipping in the new mounts. there are the bolts that need the extra room also. I had a very hard time pulling my motor because of this reason.

Good Luck,

Mike

I wouldn't worry too much about the pitch stop mounts. the scca pro rally cars don't use them. so it can't be too important.

OUCH!!!

$330 for new motor mounts, all 3, and that's wholesale! Hope my Valentine's date doesn't mind Mickey D's!

Of course I had to special order them... God forbid the dealer carry parts for a 91 Legacy, so I don't even have the stupid things yet.

? I havnt payed close attention but I swore the STI mounts for all the other models also applied to our cars, and those can be had cheap/

Motor mounts are motor mounts......ones for the legacy will fit in the impreza and vice-versa.......

I think you are being swindled my friend..... $330 is a gouging.......and what is this third mount??

The third is the dogbone tranny mount, and I checked prices for Toyota motor mounts, they're just as bad...

I paid (all prices ~)$110 for left, $130 for right, $75 for dogbone, that's wholesale, saved total of $57 off list...

Well, I tried to replace them today, and have run into a very irritating and unnecessary problem: I got the motor up oh so close to being high enough for the mount bolts to clear the crossmember, and then the motor stopped moving, I just started jacking the whole front end of the car up. Okay, something's hitting something, my genius intellect told me. I looked all around, all hoses, pipes, etc. etc., were clearing, had plenty of slack, so what could it be? I looked underneath at the bolts again... I was so freakin close!!! Then, out of the corner of my eye, I found it: The @#$%^& exhaust manifolds were hitting the crossmember! ! So I said "forget it, I don't have time today", and put the nuts back on...

So now I have to take probably a good chunk of Sunday and find a way to loosen the exhaust manifolds. Yeah, those are coming loose with a socket wrench, sure...

What moron designed this? This has absolutely no purpose, there is no reason why they couldn't have cut curves into the crossmember for this procedure or changed the positioning of the exhaust manifolds, Stupid, stupid, stupid!

It's all part of the automotive seller's plans . . .

That's so the dealer can charge you out the wazoo to replace something . . . difficulty is ENGINEERED in so that the average person will quit after seeing something like this and take it to the dealer . . .

DON'T GIVE UP, FIGHT THE POWER!!

Okay, this post is stupid, but I'm sure some of it is at least partially true . ..

No it's not stupid, I agree with you completely...

HELL if I'm gonna pay someone else for something I have the capability to do for free...

Besides, why am I on this forum anyway? Aren't I an enthusiast ? I want to do stuff like this myself, I get some sick pleasure out of skinning my knuckles on hot metal, getting all dirty and sweaty, and getting satisfaction of doing it myself, being proud of a job well done...

Subarus arn't bad to work on at all! There are a lot of cars that are just a pain in the ass to do anything on.

I know that... heck, I honestly have never seen a (modern) car that's easier to work on! I'm just pissed at the sheer lack of necessity of this problem. I understand that motor mounts aren't a picnic, but when a stupid design flaw makes it worse, that's what really irks me...

Well, I did my mounts today, and guess what? The exhaust manifolds DO come off with a socket wrench (and a long pipe for more leverage). With that out of the way, the rest of it is a pretty normal procedure. The hardest thing I'd have to say about the whole thing is getting the old mounts off of the bracket, I had to use a vise to hold the bracket while I broke the nuts loose...

Of all the things I've ever done to my car, this has been the best improvement in the overall feel of the car, no more shaking, no more jerking, engine starts and turns off more smoothly, clutch engagement is smoother and more predictable; the car basically feels newer. And I still haven't done the pitch-stop mount yet! I'm excited that putting it on will make the car feel like a million bucks...

Well, I got my STi mounts, but I can't put em in because the bolts that go into the block are underneath the damn cross-member. Sigh... looks like this is gonna be quite a bit more expensive than I thought....