Help: NB2 Port-Side Engine Mount

[Lokiel]

Does anyone have any tips on removing the port-side engine mount on an NB2?

This is what it looks like:



The NB2 has 4 bolts vs 3 on the NA and NB1 as well as an extra lip on the bottom left corner that hooks under the oil pan lip.
These changes are a real pain in the arse!

Turbo and exhaust manifold are out and I'm raising the engine via a jack with a block of wood between it and the oil pan.

No matter what I do, I can't get enough clearance on that bottom left lip so I can't rotate the mount at all.
I even fashioned a lever to help tilt the engine away from me but that didn't help either.
Even a crowbar between the mount and engine block didn't give me enough clearance.

I haven't tried loosening the other engine mount so maybe that's needed?
Some other suggestions I read were to remove the gearbox but that seems like a hell of a lot of work just to replace the engine mount.

Starting to think it's a 2-person job or the engine needs to come out for NBs.

Any tips appreciated.

At this point I'm thinking of buying the Ryobi Cordless angle grinder since all my cordless tools are Ryobi and going primeval on it (I haven't got an angle grinder yet and I feel that any serious DIYer needs an angle grinder - the jigsaw, dremel and reciprocating saw have sufficed so far but this jobs needs a grinder).

[hks_kansei]

From memory I had to loosen off both mounts on my NB8A to get them in, and if I recall it was easiest to start off by threading the bottom half in first (the subframe side) and then lining up the plate on the block.
Still a dick of a job.


As far as the "dont leave it overnight" thing in the image, ignore that, you wont cause any damage by leaving it on the jack/stand so long as you've got some wood under the sump.
It's not an old holden with a pressed steel sump that bends in a stiff breeze.

[StanTheMan]

Which side is port? For the non nautical individuals

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[manga_blue]

Which side is port? For the non nautical individuals

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Opposite the sherry

[Magpie]

Is there anything on the back of the engine that is stopping it being raised high enough? It was a bitch to get them out on mine, had to jack the engine up high enough to wrestle them out. I ended up having to get the cover off first then wiggle the mount out.

[Lokiel]

After doing a LOT more reading/surfing on the subject it seems like I may need to remove the starboard/hot-side mount first just to rock the motor more and gain enough wiggle room to get the port/hot-side mount out.

This based on the fact that the starboard/cold-side mount has a slot in it that makes it easier to install and most have commented that it's not too difficult to get in and out.

With the starboard/cold-side mount still connected, I couldn't raise the engine a lot and only tilt it minimally (will try just loosening the nuts first though since re-alignment is going to be a bitch).

Will buy the angle grinder as a back-up option!

[apsilon]

If it's similar to an NA I'd recommend loosening both engine mounts where they connect to the sub frame then jacking it up. For me the hotside was by far the easiest of the two so if you've got the exhaust already out you should be able to remove the engine mount in under 5 min. By comparison I spent at least an hour on the cold side trying to remove it with everything in the way.

Once the bolts are removed are you removing the mount from above the car? That's what i did. With the exhaust and airbox out and engine jacked up I just reached down and lifted it straight out.

[RS2000]

With my NB8A, engine high as could go, & all mount bracket bolts out, the hot side was easy. The cold side mount steel cap had to be separated from the mount in situ before being able to get past the steering column, & the opposite when installing.

[Lokiel]

The NB2/NB8B/NB8C has a different bracket than the NB8A or NA8 which makes it more difficult/impossible

The extra lip in the SW corner and the extra mount in the SE corner to the transmission require a lot of sidewise engine movement to get out which I can't get (I even put a dolley under the car with a large wood block on it, the scissor jack on that and another block of wood on top of the jack, then tried moving the dolley to the cold-side but couldn't budge it far).

Will look into destroying the existing bushing with a drill, that should give me enough clearance to remove it.

[hks_kansei]

I wouldnt really bother destroying the old mount.

If you need to saw the old mount in half to fit through X gap to remove it, then you'll not be able to get the new one in through the same gap.


And you'll just be stuck still wrestling the engine around trying to fit the new one, without the backup of the old one being there.

[ianoz]

In a perverse sort of way this thread is good to see. I did the mounts on my 8b and it was an absolute s### of a job - after all the write ups i’d found said it was easy... two days of swearing and lost skin were testament to my lack of mechanical skill

Agree with the above. Unbolt both mounts first so the engine is free and jack it up as far as possible with a block of wood under the sump.

For the cold side I wound up removing the alternator and manifold support, and I had a second hydraulic jack between the strut tower and the head to tilt the engine over to get enough space to work with. Getting the new cold mount in was twice as hard as getting the old one out... so like hks_kansei says i’d really think twice about destroying the one that’s there.

Btw - cold side you’re very close to the main battery power lead to the alternator and starter, so remember to disconnect the battery!!

[StanTheMan]

LOL..... @ Phil

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[Lokiel]

I wouldnt really bother destroying the old mount.

If you need to saw the old mount in half to fit through X gap to remove it, then you'll not be able to get the new one in through the same gap.

And you'll just be stuck still wrestling the engine around trying to fit the new one, without the backup of the old one being there.

hks_kansei is very wise, but after 8 hours at this task my patience had well and truly run out after trying everything I'd read about and, well, a man's gotta do what he's gotta do!

I started with an angle grinder but there were way too many sparks in a confined environment and I couldn't really see what was going on.
The Dremel was way too slow (especially when you keep breaking the disks when bumping anything during the cut).
I ended up drilling 2 rows of progressively larger holes to tear the engine mount bracket back and allow me to drill and hack into the bushing.
The MazdaSpeed bushings are incredibly tough - I had to drill into them, hack the crap out of them with tin snips, then use pliers to rip out the chunks.
I removed about 2/3 of the bushing and it came out quite easily with the help of the wood used to lever the engine.




I'm not worried about getting Dann's engine mount in place, it doesn't have that lip on the bottom left or that long S/W brace so manipulating it in place will be MUCH easier.

Lots of cleaning up to do now - hopefully magnets will allow me to get all the iron filings in the engine bay - don't want to leave any of them around because they'll rust quickly.

[Lokiel]

In a perverse sort of way this thread is good to see. I did the mounts on my 8b and it was an absolute s### of a job - after all the write ups i’d found said it was easy... two days of swearing and lost skin were testament to my lack of mechanical skill
:

Most write-ups have been for NB8As and it's much easier to remove the bracket since it's similar to the NAs.

Anyone who's actually done an NB8B/C hot-side engine mount would never claim it was easy.

I've read some posts where even mechanics have bitched about the job so I don't feel too bad about going medieval on it.

[ManiacLachy]

Dann did mine about 2 years ago when he first tuned my car, even he had a bastard of a time doing it.

Glad you got it done in the end! Hopefully you'll never have to worry about it again now.