When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I followed Stan's instructions for increasing the vertical gap between the finger pad and the hook. It worked perfectly. However, the vibration persists, and I think I know why. The right (passenger) upper finger is sitting about 2 mm from the hook in the horizontal, while the vertical space is now about 5 mm or more. I tried to pry additional horizontal space, but I think the solution is moving the passenger side finger pad toward the front of the car. I would like to avoid using the engine support bar. It would be great if I could drop the steering rack, loosen the lower motor mount bolt, jack up the engine slightly on the passenger side "ear" enough to unload the finger pad enough to pry it forward a few mm away from the hook.
The vibration only occurs in two situations. There's very slight vibration (someone not familiar with these cars may not notice) when accelerating hard in a straight line. There's more vibration when making a sweeping turn to the right and accelerating hard. Oddly, there is no vibration when turning sharply right or left (round and round in a cul de sac as if on a skid pad).
It seems to either be an inertial effect or due to a momentary twisting of the unibody. Must be accelerating to make it happen, and the direction of the acceleration must be a vector from the driver through the passenger headlight (sweeping right turn). Whatever the mechanics, the finger pad and hook touch horizontally.
I should mention that both right and left fingers/hooks have similar and ample vertical gaps after applying mrmerlin's technique. However, the left side (driver's) has about 4 mm fore/aft horizontal clearance between the vertical section of the J hook and the upper finger, while the right side has about 2 mm.
I can't think of any other cause for this vibration. At idle or with gradual acceleration straight ahead or making left turns the engine is smoother than before I put the mounts in.
I like your idea! I drove it again this evening (3rd drive with the new mounts) and the vibration (a metal on metal kind of grinding noise) was a bit less evident, taking a bit more gas to initiate. I'm sensing Sean has seen this before.
Just the right size, at under 6 inches long. Using a mirror I can see where the upper finger has worn the paint off the inside of J hook. It's a very small point of contact.
I've read several posts that say they haven't experienced much settling of the Volvo mounts. Mine have settled quite a bit after 4-5 drives. It's really getting close to perfect height at this point (I just hope it doesn't sink much more).
FWIW the fingers can also be moved sideways to get them perfect .
To do this,
take a longer prybar and place the tip on one side of the upper finger,
then tap the bar with a hammer dont use much force this will drive the finger into place
FWIW the fingers can also be moved sideways to get them perfect .
To do this,
take a longer prybar and place the tip on one side of the upper finger,
then tap the bar with a hammer dont use much force this will drive the finger into place
Are these alignment adjustments just consequence of the Volvo mounts being slightly taller? Some people report them being "plug & play", so what causes variation in experience?
I've no vested interest, but I just did MM replacement using the ridiculously expensive Porsche mounts, only because I didn't have confidence to resolve any issues that might arise as result of taller height!
Stratford...
The height of the Volvo mounts is not an issue. You can see in the series of pictures that the Volvo mounts have settled down nicely. Seem to be holding steady at the level of the last "crossbar" photo I posted. There really aren't any alignment/adjustment consequences with these mounts. It's more an installer skill problem Following Mrmerlin's instructions I attached the left (driver) mount to the cross member and attached the right mount to the ribs on the engine. This meant I had to insert the finger pad on the right side between the crossmember, get the lower mount stud through the center, and try to keep the alignment holes concentric. Not so easy, but I'm sure with practice it becomes easy and natural. I looked at some photos I took prior to bolting the steering rack up. I can see that the alignment holes on the right side are off by about 2 mm toward the rear of the car (actually the result of finger pad being slightly rotated..bringing the finger closer to the hook on the side closer to the engine). Had I adjusted the finger pad alignment more accurately before putting the rack back in, I wouldn't have an issue. Still, even now I don't expect this to be a continuing problem. I can adjust it as Mrmerlin describes, or even file off maybe 1.5 mm of the finger where it is rubbing when accelerating and turning slightly to the right. Not a big deal.
Thanks Jon - I thought the problem was down to mounts being taller, so the frame of mount has to be distorted slightly for finger pad to fit.
But now I'm puzzled by need to keep the alignment holes eccentric. I thought the Volvo mounts had a similar alignment pin to the Porsche mounts? I'd read on need to get them concentric with the old Anchor mounts that were popular before the quality issues, butthey didn't have the alignment stud.
It's impossible to describe without being overly wordy and confusing. Fortunately, after responding I found pictures that should help illustrate the following....
Passenger's side:
Driver's side:
The Volvo alignment pin is smaller diameter, and cut off just above the base. The "stump" of the pin does help line up the hole in the crossmember and hole in the finger pad. However, because the pin on the Volvo mounts is slightly narrower, it allows a little rotational slop in the hole alignments (a few mm). AND...the mounting studs in the top and bottom of the Volvo mounts are also slightly narrower than the center holes in the finger pads, the crossmember, and the upper mount brackets. So it does take some effort to keep the bottom threaded studs centered (which you will see I didn't fully accomplish).
Initially during installation the height of the mounts does make it difficult to insert the finger pad flush with the base of the mount (when mount is first installed on right side of engine) because the hook and finger are interfering until the weight is on the mounts. Once weight is on the mounts the finger and hook separate - and this is the moment to make the adjustments to make the holes in the finger pad and crossmember as concentric as possible -- with the stump of the narrower pin on the base of the Volvo mount as close to centered in the holes as possible. I couldn't get them perfectly aligned, as you can see in the photos.
OK...so I guess I take back what I said. The extra height isn't really a big problem. However, I'm sure there is a relative difference... installing OEM mounts is truly plug and play where everything just lines up...no fiddling, no prying...done. Still, I like the Volvo mounts. For me they are worth the little bit of centering and adjusting.
Last edited by Captain_Slow; 01-07-2015 at 08:04 AM.
I get it now - makes perfect sense about extra play around both alignment stud and the narrower mounting studs.
Another thing that makes using the stock mounts easy is the rectangular raised area machined into top of the mounts. This engages into recessed section at top of the mount brackets, and keeps everything square as you torque the top nut, so the stud is in exactly the right place when you put mount on crossmember. I think you can see those rectangular "bumps" on attached pic of my new mounts.
I should really have chosen the Volvo mounts - I understand they may even last longer than the Porsche ones? My original plan was to take everything apart and test fit Volvo mounts. If I had difficulties I would then order Porsche, since Volvo mounts almost cheap enough to risk writing them off. But I lost heart and to save time ordered Porsche mounts with all the other stuff I was changing!
At the time I read notes on alignment and Stan's procedure for fitting the Volvo mounts and ensuring everything was correct. Really it would have been much less work getting the finger pad lined up than the struggle I had getting the upper transverse support bolts back in on the crossmember! Next time I will very likely go Volvo so thanks for posting your experiences here and adding to knowledge base.
On my 88 S4, I still have a vibration after changing to volvo mounts. I suspect the hooks hitting. I checked them tongiht and they are very close, maybe 1mm.
they may also not lined up straight.
how to bend them with socket and jack? I dont understand Stans instruction.
There's a separate thread in the last couple weeks that describes a noise caused by cat heat shield clearance issues. If you have finger clearance more than a few mm's, that's usually plenty to avoid noises there. Look elsewhere, like those heat shields, to find what's touching.
We should also be clear on what we experience when we say "vibration", since there are noises that may or may not correlate with vibration. Motor mount hooks generally won't cause a vibration, but will generate some noises if there's contact. The engine can rock enough in new mounts to generate noises including contact at the fingers, but they tend to be very low frequency noises unless the engine is running quite poorly already.
Put floor jack under the big bolt holding the bottom of the motor mount bracket in place. Place a 1/2 inch (diameter) long extension (10+ inches should work) with 19 mm socket attached (or, as I did, use a cross-type lug nut wrench with the 19 mm size up on the bolt), other end in center of the jack pad. Make sure extension/lug wrench is vertical, then gently jack it up about 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Enough to force the lower HOOK into contact with the EAR of the "washer" sitting under the mount. They bend each other so when you lower the jack they will be farther apart. Works very well. I'd say it is THE way to do it.
01-04-2015 | 04:53 PM
Following Mrmerlin's instructions I attached the left (driver) mount to the cross member and attached the right mount to the ribs on the engine. This meant I had to insert the finger pad on the right side between the crossmember, get the lower mount stud through the center, and try to keep the alignment holes concentric. Not so easy, but I'm sure with practice it becomes easy and natural. I looked at some photos I took prior to bolting the steering rack up. I can see that the alignment holes on the right side are off by about 2 mm toward the rear of the car (actually the result of finger pad being slightly rotated..bringing the finger closer to the hook on the side closer to the engine). Had I adjusted the finger pad alignment more accurately before putting the rack back in, I wouldn't have an issue. Still, even now I don't expect this to be a continuing problem. I can adjust it as Mrmerlin describes, or even file off maybe 1.5 mm of the finger where it is rubbing when accelerating and turning slightly to the right. Not a big deal.
