heybiff

I'll start off by saying that I botched my engine mount replacement. There I've said it.

I attempted to swap my motor mounts during the summer, but ran into every problem I could doing it. Rusted nuts, stuck parts, and improperly manufactured mounts all slowed me down. When I finally got the old mounts out, and the new mounts in, I couldn't thread the crossmember bolts back in.

In frustration, I pulled the crossmember down further, and tried threading them in by hand. NONE of them would thread in. They just twist. I didn't feel the bolts welded in the frame moving, but to be honest I was so upset, who knows. I took a break and haven't looked back since. Engine still supported from underneath, car still on ramps, crossmember still held up by a jack.

Can anyone offer any advice on what to do now? I thought of just paying a mechanic to fix it (P-car of course. Lots in Philly area), but the car can't be moved without putting the crossmember back on, and that's the problem. If there's someone who will make house calls, I don't know them. I'm at a loss.

What makes this worse is I just started teaching, and time is not on my side. I literally have NO time in evenings, and very little on weekends. I want to drive my car, but can't figure out how to fix it.

Help!
Heybifff

FRporscheman

There are "mobile mechanics" that make house calls. They'll come to your house with a van full of their tools and fix her right up. You can try looking on craigslist for ads, or ask around. Sometimes, a RL will come over and help for a donation in food/drink! I've done it before.

When trying it yourself, do you jack up the engine all the way so the crossmember contacts the frame? Then just wiggle and jiggle the engine until the holes line up. You're saying the bolts go in but don't actually thread? Maybe a stupid question, but are they the correct bolts?

heybiff

Not a stupid question. Yes they are the right bolts. I even kept them separate so that each bolt would go back in it's own hole (paranoia). I thought about mobile mechanics, but I'm not sure of I trust a random guy to get the crossmember back in without destroying the car.

I don't have a problem with a RL'er, but they would need to be able to do the same as the mobile mech, and I couldn't even guarantee I'd be able to be home while they worked (helping rebuilding grandmom's bathroom for next 4 weekends. Big project, and really need to get her back in her house).

Any suggestion is a good one at this point.

heybiff

VOoDOoGTX

:/ this is the easiest thing ever. your not far. but im not about to make the 2 hour drive down there without having anything else too do haha

heybiff

Please go on...

FRporscheman

I'm just trying to understand what your exact problem is. Are you saying the bolts aren't able to reach far enough to catch threads, or that the bolts slip in all the way and never thread? Or are the holes just not lining up?

A friend of mine had a mobile mechanic come and change his clutch. He had never done a 944 turbo clutch before so he made one mistake, but he undid it. The work was well done and the car ran fine afterwards... FWIW.

Clint's 944

Grab a small flashlight and a long skinny screwdriver and look up there to see if you broke the bolts loose? I doudt you would have done that to all four...but I guess there has to be a first time.

Did you happen to remove the caster mounts and have accidentally swapped the bolts around?

Yummybud924

post some pics so we can see exactly what is wrong.

I did my motor mounts but i removed the whole crossmember to do the oil pan gasket aswell.

anways are you having problems getting the engine to sit properly on the mounts?

Lizard944

I remember using one jack under the oil pan, and another (bottle jack) under the crossmember to jack that back up to the frame. I had to use a pry bar to get the holes lined up, but eventually got it.

Calmchaos

Are the bolts going into the holes??... Maybe they're just not lined up. I don't see how the problem could be any different unless there is a lot of resistance on the bolt.

The bolts should be M12 x 75mm

Mrmerlin

to fix this you need to get the weight off the wheels, and jack up the engine, preferably from above ( you can use a set of 2 x 4s and some threaded bolts and a chain to do this, ( just think that you too can be McGiver) then the crosmember will be able to be moved use a long drift in one hole use some anti seize on the bolts.
You owe me a couple of cheese steaks with sauce and fried onions, one from Pats and one from Genos. Go Phillies!

heybiff

I used a drift to line up the holesr at least a side at a time. Or so I thought. The bolts feel like they're threading in, but never go up. Theyjust turn, with a little resistance.

I did not take the weight off the wheels. I know that was unwise, but I thought I could get things back together. However I am sure I've got the right bolts. The camber bracket bolts are actially still in the mounts.

My biggest problem rightnow is lack of time. I teach, so M-F is out of the question, and my Saturdays are used up till Mid Dec. Sundays are work days as well (grading work).

:-(

Heybiff

Mrmerlin

hire some of your students to grade the papers. The crossmember must be close to the chassis B4 the bolts will grab make sure to use anti seize on the bolts