W108 M117 Motor Mount Replacement - Right Side

[nhdoc]

Are there any tips to aid in the replacement of the right side motor mount on my '72 280SEL 4.5? I did the left one yesterday and ran out of time to do the right one...the right one seems much less accessible than the left one so I was wondering if I am missing something? Can it be done without removing the mounting arm from the engine?

It was quite challenging getting the bolts in after replacing the left one. Nothing wanted to line up - even leaving the center bolt loose it was hard to get the two small mounting bolts in. I finally figured out a trick...I but two awls through the mounting holes while the engine was lifted, then lowered the engine slightly to put some weight on the mount...then the holes came close to lining up and I was able to wiggle the mount into proper alignment. It's hard to get the front bolt in because you have to do it from below and can't see the hole or how close it is to lining up...took me about an hour to get them in.

[cth350]

I've always put the small bolts in first, but loose and then put the large bolt in through the aluminum arm. Raising and lowering the engine a part of the equation. Don't tighten up either side until you're done.

-CTH

[nhdoc]

Originally Posted by cth350

I've always put the small bolts in first, but loose and then put the large bolt in through the aluminum arm. Raising and lowering the engine a part of the equation. Don't tighten up either side until you're done.

-CTH

When I was doing the left side I tried to put in the two small bolts first but no matter what position I put the engine in I could not get the hole for the large bolt to even come close to lining up to the mount. So then I put the big center bolt in first and located the mount as I said, using two awls. That worked OK for the left side, but the right side looked a lot more cramped...oh well, I will just have to see what I can see tomorrow when I tackle it.

Maybe my mistake was doing one side at a time, but I figured that way I could still keep the car driveable even if I ran into a time crunch (as I did).

[nhdoc]

Turns out the right side was no trouble at all...did it this morning. I realized after the mounts were changed that I had to re-adjust the fan shroud as the engine was now sitting about 1" higher than it had been and the fan was scraping on the top of it.

Sadly, the mounts didn't cure my shudder problem...but still it was a worthwhile replacement as the old ones were pretty flattened.

[senorunimog]

Good catch on the shrowd, I didnt notice when I did my 1st set of motor mounts..... then the fan ate it Fan shrowds arent cheap, and they're always gone or broken in the salvage yards..