Replacing engine mounts on my AU i6, a couple of question's.

Maka · 21-12-2014, 12:19 PM

Hi fellow AU Falcon i6 owners, i recently found a cracked header pipe on my extractors on my newly purchased vct xr6 & upon further investigation i believe the passenger side engine mount is gone - i did the load test & the passenger side of the motor is lifting two inches.

Got the pipe welded, obviously i don't want it to happen again, so i will replace both engine mounts & gearbox mount.

As i haven't got a hoist at home, i'm just wondering is it safe to use stands & a jack with a big flat piece of wood under the engine sump when jacking up the motor & changing the engine mounts ? Has anyone done this job at home & got some tips also? Thanks for for any replies in advance, much appreciated!

Merry Xmas & a big happy new year to all AFF AU owners!

cheers, Maka

mcfly94 · 21-12-2014, 12:34 PM

I did mine on a hoist and i can tell you that the motor has to be lifted a lot more than you think to get the new one in.
You want to really only jack one side of the motor, being the passenger side in your case.
And youll want the car jacked up on stands to get underneath easily, maybe chuck some old spares wheels under the car for safety if you havent got heavy duty stands.
Youll want to remove the coil pack to, it gets in the way!

Maka · 21-12-2014, 01:05 PM

Ok, cool! Thanks for the tips mcfly94, moving / removing the coil pack out of the way will make the job easier & quicker! I'll be using stands but what i would really like to know if its safe to jack up the motor from the side of the sump with a flat bit of wood? Are you saying its safe? Just want to be sure.

cheers, Maka

mcfly94 · 21-12-2014, 01:10 PM

I actually did mine on the a/c bracket on a place closest to the block.
Mine was lifted using a large steel pole on a plate, like a trans jack without the top, about and 2" pole with 3mm sidewall, fairly heavy duty pole.
No damage done!

Maka · 21-12-2014, 05:06 PM

Just found out series 1 engine mount's are different to series 2, looked on Ebay & they definitely look different. Oh well, i wonder if series 2 mounts will fit series 1, can anyone confirm?

cheers, Maka

mcfly94 · 21-12-2014, 05:30 PM

They won't completely different

Maka · 21-12-2014, 05:54 PM

Thanks for clearing that up mcfly94, much appreciated!

cheers, Maka

mcfly94 · 21-12-2014, 06:09 PM

I got sent s1 didn't realise, tried to put it in and not a chance of fitting

Evgeni · 22-12-2014, 12:52 AM

Hey Maka,
I did mine at home with a jack and a piece of wood. I have a crane, but try moving around once you lift the engine up!
I replaced mine with a set of transgold mounts now next to no movement. Nice tight feel.
The studs on these mounts were a little longer than the OEM mounts and you cant get them in by just lifting the engine. You have to loosen the bracket that holds the mount to the engine (13mmx4) to get enough clearance to fit the mount.
The top mount bolts can be pretty tight as well. A long extension and a universal through the intake runners gave the best leverage. Same for the exhaust side. I think it was an 18mm from memory.
The bracket on the passenger side will require some patience. Flex head ratchet spanner came in very handy here.

Maka · 22-12-2014, 02:04 PM

Hi Evgeni, how are you! Thanks for replying mate, your info is gold & exactly what i'm looking for! Yes, i've seen those Transgold mounts on ebay & they look the goods, i'll have to chase some up. After reading yours & mcfly94's posts i feel a lot more at ease with doing the job, i've got the tools, just got to get the mounts & install them now.

Thanks once again to you & Marty for helping out, very much appreciated!

cheers, Maka

Evgeni · 22-12-2014, 08:47 PM

For piece of mind, the AU sumps are cross bolted into the main caps. I used a piece of wood along the length of the rib to distribute the weight. The cross bolts would have helped even out the weight through the main bearings.

One thing I forgot to mention, once the mount is out, the bottom bolt is a pain as there is nothing to hold the mount still. I used a rattle gun, so it wasn't a problem.
Other alternatives would have to be a large vice or pipe wrench. Even a long screwdriver through the end that clamps onto the crossmember would be enough to hold the mount still so you can undo the bottom bolt with a ring spanner.

Merry Christmas - all the best with it!

Maka · 22-12-2014, 11:12 PM

Thanks for the additional info Evgeni, that'll definitely make the job a lot easier! I was worried about the the jack under the (alloy) sump method & i didn't want to take the chance until a fellow AFF AU owner (did it that way &) confirmed it would be fine doing it that way.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you & all your family too mate, have a good one!

cheers, Maka