Bill Ball

Not your problem, but I will report that after I installed my first set of Carl's solid mounts, provided by the car owner, into a 928, it ended up with a "rattle" on hard acceleration. I didn't get time to figure it out, but I think it's either a long mount bolt hitting the steering rack (Carl does not cut them like Roger and they are a different mount anyway) OR perhaps the safety hooks hitting each other. I noticed the hooks were very close to each other after I finished. The mounts flexing on hard acceleration could be causing them to hit each other.

Don Carter

Looks like MrMerlin was correct, my noise was hook related. This evening I focused on the passenger side hook, which I was more suspicious of, and did two things. I noticed that the inside peice that comes from the round plate under the MM was not positioned correctly inside the outer hook (closer on one side then the other). I took a mini sledge and a chisel and was able to rotate the plate slightly to center the piece better inside the outer hook. So that would address if the two hook peices were hitting each other.

The other thing I did was cut up a tennis ball and stuck a peice between the outer hook and the cross member. It was a snug fit so it held itself in place. This should eliminate the noise temporarily if the hook was hitting the crossmember. If it is hitting the crossmember, I don't see how I can do much about it since the outer hook is bolted directly to the block and can't really be positioned differently.

I took the car to run some errands and didn't hear the noise at all. On the way back I heard it once or twice on a bumpy area in my driveway, but at least I know I'm on the right track. One of the two fixes helped significantly.

Lesson learned, be careful when positioning the hooks and the MM base plate before tightening the bottom bolt.

Calgary Ole

Lesson learned my friend...congrats

Herman K

Take tennis ball fix car - what's the world coming to?

Bill Ball

I'm careful to get the hooks lined up. The tiny locator pin on Carl's solid mounts (and I think Roger's as well) makes this an issue. On a fresh mount the safety hooks are supposed to be close (they spread apart as the mount collapses) but should not be able to hit each other or the crossmember. Looks like something to check carefully with non-stock mounts.

Mrmerlin

just a note you can move the hook thats attached to the engine , it is a simple matter of loosening the motor mount bolts then wedging something in the hook and then tightening the bolts , also consider replacing the trans mounts as they can let the whole driveline move front to back

Don Carter

Herman,

it was a German made tennis ball

Merlin,

I may try that next. Didn't think there would be much room to shift the mount after losening.

Don Carter

Unfortunately my noise is back, and it may be even worse than before.

The tennis ball material is still in place between the passenger side MM hook and the cross member, so that's not it. The inner hook on that side still seems too close to the outer hook and they may be hitting each other. When I can find the time and have the parts, I may drop the rack, install new bushings and losen the lower MM bolt and try to readjust the lower plate which the inner hook is part of.

It seems unlikely that the MM job would suddenly cause noise from the ball joints or other suspension components, but if anyone has any other ideas, please chime in. I've checked all the heat sheilds and don't notice any issues.

Don Carter

In my continuing search for the source of this noise, this evening I decided to completely remove the sway bar, since it's an easy job, and it would eliminate one possibility that was related to the MM job. So far, the noise seems to be completely gone. I've thought that before, so I'll need to drive it another day or two to know for sure, but I'm thinking the sway bar was the problem.

I did try lubricating the bushings a few weeks ago, and it seemed to help for a while, but the noise quickly came back.

So my Roger Mounts might be fine, and I need either new sway bar bushings, or the bushings in the sway bar drop links are bad, although nothing looks or feels worn out or loose.

Any advice would be appreciated.

jeff spahn

try wrapping the bar with teflon tape where they touch the bushings. this will eliminate this part from the equation.

Landseer

Don, mine made noise at one of the bolts that attach the bar itself to the downlinks.

The shoulder of the bolt on the right side was worn where the bar touched it from being loose. The hole in the bar was wallowed a little bit. I flipped the bolt and tightened it and it worked.

Took a long time to figure out the source of the noise. It antennuated through the suspension. Over time, Iould have sworn I had a terrible rear suspension problem, a steering rack problem, a left front brake caliper mounting problem and, if I tapped the left caliper with a hammer, a headlight bar mounting problem. Definitely sounded like front left when I hit an expansion joint at low speed.

It was this single bolt situation on the right side. Yours may be a different cause, but its amazing how hard it is to track down on these cars.

Don Carter

Landseer,

I remember now you mentioning the bolt problem, but didn't think about it last night. I'll check it out thanks.

Don Carter

The noise is still gone today, so I'm fairly certain is was the sway bar.

Taking a closer look at the bolts and holes in the bar, it does look like one of them has a shiney wear ring around it, and the inside of one of the holes is shiney. The bolt doesn't seem heavily worn, but maybe the friction was enough to make the noise. The bolts didn't seem lose, but maybe pivoting the bar down during the motor mount job was just enough to slightly losen the bolt enough to make the noise. We did not losen the bolts at all. The noise started immediately after the new mounts were in, like same day.

Anyway, to fix it, I thinking reverse the bolts as Landseer did and make sure they are tight enough.

The bushings have some abrasions on them but are not falling apart or even very deteriorated, still I should probably should replace them while I have it off. The inside of the bushing bracket has some hard rubbery coating on it that I'm think I will take off with an air tool with a wire bush attachment. Any thoughts on stock or poly?

Hopefully there's no problem with the drop links.

This thread would be worthless without...

SeanR

Talk to Rog about those bushing most of us are using. Grease-able, cheap and quick to install. They come with mounts too.

Don Carter

Sean,

Already in touch with Roger on the bushings, but just trying to decide between stock and poly. Searching some old threads I found some that were unhappy with the fitment of poly bushings, but not sure if these were the same as Roger sells. It may not matter though if a couple of washers are needed to get a tight attachment as long as it works, especially if it makes the car handle better than stock. Sounds like there are a few DFW folks that are happy with the poly bushings.