Sorry for the following rather ignorant questions.
Does anyone have a recommendation on when to replace engine mounts. My understanding is that the mounts' failing is a slowly progressing process.
On a daily driver you get used to many things and I do not notice anything but things that change rather rapidly.
I detailed my car yesterday and noticed a difference between the tailpipes. Driver side is down 1 3/16th in from the bumper edge, passenger side is at 1 in. Not much but my OCD kicked in.
It's a 08 cab and I'm pretty sure the mounts are original.

What is the 'normal' distance with new mounts and would changing them improve anything (Aside from cosmetics)?

 

The tailpipes have a lot of flex in how they mount. I've changed several mounts on various cars to tighten up each car and minimize wallow. I have not seen any car where I would consider the tailpipes to be an indicator.

The motor hangs down and is constantly loading the mounts. Age IMHO is the bigger factor. My thought is to make changing the mounts a maintenance item and refresh them every 5 to 8 years.

As for the tailpipes ... Loosen the single mounting bolt. Reposition the tailpipe. Tighten the mounting bolt. These tailpipes are sometimes very tight and at first require significant encouragement to move.

 

Your car being an 08, I'd change the mounts.

 

I have an 05 and changed mine at 55k miles, just because...

 

Curious…I get that the mounts wear out but I’ve never had to replace the engine mounts on any other car I’ve ever had. Why do these wear out so easily?

 

Because in most cars, the engine rests on the mounts. In the 911, it actually hangs from the mounts so they're being stressed all the time, even when the car is stationary.

 

Do people recommend OEM or ?

 

There's a lot of discussion on the topic. Some want to stiffen it way up, others want a refreshed OEM feel. I bought the Function First because they seem to be an 'in-between' alternative. Only you can decide.

 

I have the RSS ones in my car and installed my old OEM ones into my wife's car (half the mileage).

 

I opted for Rennline since they include a number of bushings for tuning. And I liked the appearance. I went full hard to begin with figuring I would be willing to soften things if it was too harsh but not as likely to go harder later. My 2010 C4S has a very slight amount of additional NVH but it is hardly noticeable and only at a seldom used rpm range (2600 to 3000). Later I added FF black (hardest) transmission mounts. Again, no problem.

But that was my car.

OTOH I installed the middle hardness Rennline bushings on a friend's 997.1 and the NVH rattles the sunroof and more ... excessively. I'll be changing those out next week.

I'd like to go full hard with those bushings first and see if this is a problem of harmonics. Maybe the harder bushings would tighten things up and reduce the NVH. Yeah, not likely. Softer is a last option IMHO. But as seen above YMMV.

 

I’d say one should look to replace the mounts if they feel like the car handles a little wonky. I wouldn’t go by tailpipe distance unless that looks unsightly to you and you’d rather not adjust the tips because they are old or rusted.

Almost everyone who replaces their mounts will see a difference in distance between the old and new mounts. I’m not convinced that distance is all from wear. I’d guess a 1YR old mount will have stretched a bit from use. I don’t think having an engine that sits a bit lower is a problem. It’s the total play that can cause handling issues. A 450-lb engine swinging around back there can affect handling.

My 99’s original mounts were replaced in 2017 or 2018, and they were not broken, but car’s handling did improve.

 

I have had to replace engine mounts before on 2 cars, but I tend to drive them until they won't drive anymore... With the 911, it's not that they are under stress all the time. All engine mounts are under stress all the time. These are unique because they are not under compression, they are being stretched and the engine moves around much more which adds to the breakdown of the rubber. I think I may get mine replaced. I have a bit of wallow on uneven roads when cornering. the DSC controller I just installed definitely made a big difference, but it's still noticeable.

 

If yours are original, swapping them out for new engine mounts are one of the simplest, most affordable ways to make a marked improvement in your 997 driving experience.

I bought a 2008 in the summer of 2020 and replaced the mounts that fall. It made an immediate and positive difference in how solid and responsive the car felt. I was surprised, because I detected nothing "wrong" before, but could definitely feel the improvement.

I went with Function First because they split the softness of OEM and the stiffness of some of the other more hardcore mounts. I really like how they make the car feel more "alive" without being too harsh.

If you want to keep things smooth, I'd go OEM.

If you want to sharpen up a bit, I'd go Function First or another middle-of-the-road mount.

I want my car to feel great on the road, so I didn't consider some of the harsher, stiffer mounts, but if that's your thing, people on the forum have had good results with those as well.

Whatever you choose, I highly recommend taking the plunge!

(and then look into a DSC controller, the other best bang-for-the-buck improvement you can make if your car has adjustable shocks).

 

Indeed, biggest improvement has been on turns, you no longer have the engine move as much and create a weird handling, almost like a load shifting mid corner.

I went with peasant solution of 964 RS URO mounts , they are stiffer, lighter and more compact .

 

Changing mine this month 2005 75,000 miles. Little bit of exhaust drop. Barely noticeable

Also firming up the tranny mounts. And changing the trans fluid.

Then if need be I'll adjust the shift linkages. Having the drivetrain in the proper location helps with shifting, I have been told.