Replacing the Engine and Transmission mounts will reduce the amount of movement your engine and transmission will be allowed. This makes for a more direct feel when launching and shifting.
Time Required: 45 Minutes
Tools Needed:
Socket set
floor jack
19mm box-end wrench
19mm Deep-socket
breaker bar
blue thread lock compound
Procedure:
Note: Replacing engine mounts more directly connects the powertrain to the car's frame. This can lead to a "shaking" sensation at idle, which might take some getting used to.
1) Remove the coolant tank. There's one 10mm bolt holding it to the car, then you must use a flat-head screwdriver to pry the plastic tab back while pulling it off the mounting bracket.
2) Once the coolant tank is removed, you must carefully support the engine with a floor jack. It's best to use one with a wide contact patch and a rubber insert, but a normal floor jack with a piece of wood between the cup and the oil pan will suffice.
3) After you're sure the engine is supported, remove the 2 large nuts on the passenger side engine mount, closest to the valve cover. These nuts are 19mm and require a deep socket.
4) Remove the three 15mm nuts from the engine mount bracket. After this, the mounting bracket and the rubber engine mount should come out easily. If not, carefully lift or lower the engine a little while having a friend wiggle the engine mount. Watch the fingers!
5) With a deep-socket 19mm on a breaker bar, remove the engine mount from the bracket. When I did this, it was a pain. It wouldn't hurt to have a bench vise to help you do this, or a friend to stand on the bracket while you remove the nut from the engine mount.
6) Place the new VF engine mount onto the bracket with the supplied 19mm nut and bolt. You should use a drop of thread lock on the new bolt before final assembly. Use a 19mm socket and a 19mm wrench to tighten it, making sure that the engine mount is oriented the same way as the original one.
7) Place the engine mount over the studs
8) Replace the three 15mm nuts and tighten them down to hold the bracket in.
9) Replace the 2 19mm nuts and tighten them down with a deep socket
10) Lower the floor jack from the engine slowly, checking to make sure the mount holds securely.
13)Replace the coolant tank