Wayne Smith

After changing the transmission mounts on two friends' cars I figured I'd change mine, quickly, without hassle. Oops. Shouldn't get too cocky!!! I had an awful time with the saddle bracket, both getting it out of the way to get the new mounts inserted and getting it back on over its mounting bolts. And aligning the brackets with the hole in the transmission was another nightmare. But it's done.

Anyway, hassles or not, the new mounts are installed. So what do I think?

The hard motor mounts definitely fixed the rear end sway. The DSC shock recalibration cured the rear end jump. And the black transmission mounts definitely solidify the core. The car is wonderful.

There is no more noise in the car on account of these mounts. No more harshness. If anything there is a bit less (low frequency) vibration since the drive train isn't shifting during transitions. I haven't found and downside.

I can't believe Porsche actually called those original flat pieces of rubber a mount. IMHO they might as well not be there.

It's amazing how solid this car is after 136K miles. It's amazing how rigid it can be (for a street car) with just a few simple adjustments. Very happy with the outcome.

Thanks F1!!!

ADias

Nice!

9INE97

Nice shop setup!

Petza914

Nice Wayne. I'm running the orange ones myself.

EMC2

Great post @Wayne Smith . I have the orange FF inserts in combination with their engine mounts and love the result. There is definitely a more direct and connected feeling. Since I can recall clearly the improvement the orange transmission mount insert made, you've tempted me to even go a step further and switch up to the black ones next time I'm under there...

Just a point of clarification, those flat pieces you show are not the actual mount, they are just there as a dampener between the mount assembly and the transmission.
The actual mount has to be pressed out (much more effort), which is why these inserts are such a great solution as they fill the voids in the original mount rubber. In my view the inserts will most likely also prolong the life of the original mount if you install them early enough.

OEM mount shown below:

Petza914

Yep, FF says you can install their inserts as long as the original mount is still intact without cracks. My side rubber pieces were completely deteriorated and fell apart on removal.

Wayne Smith

Thanks for that clarification. I was wondering about that. Yet, given the relative flimsiness of the press steel brackets that wrap around the transmission, it seems like the soft flat rubber piece is an essential mating/joining part, even if it is only surface contact.

Definitely the F1 inserts tie everything together.

After sleeping on the change, still surprised that the black option didn't add to NVH, I might explain the difference using a fan sitting on a table top. The fan may rattle a bit but not be all that noticeable. But when you secure the base with your hand it smoothes out nicely. The flat pieces weren't doing much. The black pieces inserted into the transmission act like your hand to tie it all together.

My inserts (the actual mount as you point out) looked good as did the others I did (both 997.2). Glad they were replaced before they required pressing out. In light of the OEM bushing requiring a press, this seems like something that should be done sooner rather than later. I believe the F1 mount must extend that bushing's life ... An added benefit!!!

EMC2 and Pete ... Thanks for the feedback and clarification. Love the Forum input 8)