NitroDann Engine Mount Bushing Change
Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2025 9:06 am
After years of running the poly ND engine mount I decided I was over the vibrations it caused. At certain idle rpms the seats, dash and bonnet vibrated enough to make the car slightly less pleasant than I'd like. It's ability to hold the gear stick in place mid corner on track though was worth it and the vibrations are none existent when driving at speed, but it's time to change.
I had been told the bush is moulded off a rear upper outer bush so I purchased a genuine Mazda rubber bush ($40) and I finally got time to swap it over.
Thankfully the engine mount is made so the cradle is mounted to the engine with the bush captive on the chassis side, so I only had to remove one half to access the bush. Removing the entire mount is an exercise in removing the turbo drain and brace etc which required tools I don't have due to tight access.
The centre pin of both bushes measure exactly the same but the lip on the poly bush is thicker so took up the slack between the bush lip and the tube. The rubber bush leaves about 1.5mm both sides of the tube, but the lip is hard against the thicker metal side of the mount so should be fine. You can see on the poly bush where its been compressed around the wider side section.
There shouldn't be much forward/back movement but I will keep a regular eye for any movement.
The end result:
Much much nicer. Rain drops don't dance across the bonnet anymore. I'd say it is halfway between factory rubber bushes and the ND poly bush (I have a mazdaspeed rubber drivers side mount). Time will tell how much movement of the gear stick there is when I get on it so will report back, but immediate results are positive and even just putting around the suburbs at 50kph is much smoother. Do recommend.
I had been told the bush is moulded off a rear upper outer bush so I purchased a genuine Mazda rubber bush ($40) and I finally got time to swap it over.
Thankfully the engine mount is made so the cradle is mounted to the engine with the bush captive on the chassis side, so I only had to remove one half to access the bush. Removing the entire mount is an exercise in removing the turbo drain and brace etc which required tools I don't have due to tight access.
The centre pin of both bushes measure exactly the same but the lip on the poly bush is thicker so took up the slack between the bush lip and the tube. The rubber bush leaves about 1.5mm both sides of the tube, but the lip is hard against the thicker metal side of the mount so should be fine. You can see on the poly bush where its been compressed around the wider side section.
There shouldn't be much forward/back movement but I will keep a regular eye for any movement.
The end result:
Much much nicer. Rain drops don't dance across the bonnet anymore. I'd say it is halfway between factory rubber bushes and the ND poly bush (I have a mazdaspeed rubber drivers side mount). Time will tell how much movement of the gear stick there is when I get on it so will report back, but immediate results are positive and even just putting around the suburbs at 50kph is much smoother. Do recommend.
