engine and drivetrain motor/tranny mount recommendations please.

[rocket_rob]

Now that I've been using my '02 as a daily driver for more than 2 months, I'm ready to start taking care of a few things on the to-do list. First up, new motor and transmission mounts.

But to make this worthwhile, I also need to fix the oil leak on the timing chain cover. There is oil all over the engine block, causing the mounts to deteriorate and become squishy. A cold start really gets things shaking!

What motor mounts should I use as replacements?

[RandyMolson]

I just ordered OEM 02 rubber motor mounts. Rubber dampens vibration better. Urethane mounts provide a more direct power transfer but will xfer motor vibration, an issue if engine falls out of tune.

I also ordered the OEM e21 tranny mount. FAQer advice is that the e21 mount fits an 02 and is beefier than the 02 mount.

[gabestr]

Rob-

I believe a common cause of a leaking timing chain cover is not having the cover shaved when resurfacing a head. I don't know how this could help you, I just thought I'd point it out.

I would just get the OEM engine mounts. I think for the tranny the consensus is to use a larger one (from a 320i?) but you need to drill out the support bracket a little so that it fits.

Gabe in NJ

[bimmerboy]

im in need of performing this replacement too so im curious. how often do the rubber engine mounts need to be replaced? and is it any better for the overall longetivity of the car to have the stiffer urethane or the oem rubber?

[bimmerboy]

im in need of performing this replacement too so im curious. how often do the rubber engine mounts need to be replaced? and is it any better for the overall longetivity of the car to have the stiffer urethane or the oem rubber?

[bimmerboy]

im in need of performing this replacement too so im curious. how often do the rubber engine mounts need to be replaced? and is it any better for the overall longetivity of the car to have the stiffer urethane or the oem rubber?

[bimmerboy]

im in need of performing this replacement too so im curious. how often do the rubber engine mounts need to be replaced? and is it any better for the overall longetivity of the car to have the stiffer urethane or the oem rubber?

[bimmerboy]

im in need of performing this replacement too so im curious. how often do the rubber engine mounts need to be replaced? and is it any better for the overall longetivity of the car to have the stiffer urethane or the oem rubber?

[bimmerboy]

im in need of performing this replacement too so im curious. how often do the rubber engine mounts need to be replaced? and is it any better for the overall longetivity of the car to have the stiffer urethane or the oem rubber?

[winstontj]

Now that I've been using my '02 as a daily driver for more than 2 months, I'm ready to start taking care of a few things on the to-do list. First up, new motor and transmission mounts.

But to make this worthwhile, I also need to fix the oil leak on the timing chain cover. There is oil all over the engine block, causing the mounts to deteriorate and become squishy. A cold start really gets things shaking!

What motor mounts should I use as replacements?

As others mention Urethane = better performance but for a DD I'd stick with Stock. Stock is fine up to ~175hp and should last you ~10 years as long as they aren't doused in motor oil constantly. Some use a 5-series E12? (if I remember correctly) Left driver's side mount and stock passenger side. The transmission mount is best to go with the E21 BMW# 23 71 1 175 424. You'll only have to drill out the transmission bar the slightest bit and this can be done with a cordless drill. If you are shaking with a cold start don't go urethane unless you like to rattle your teeth for fun.

As for the motor oil. Just use a degreaser and stay on top of it. Don't just let it leak and go all over the place. To solve the problem you'll need to replace the gaskets - which is a PITA because you need to take out the water pump and take off the crank pulley. As others mentioned, the top cover leaks when the head is machined flat without the cover so they end up different levels. You can either aggressivly stay on top of it or replace the gaskets. Only challenge is the head gasket will be oil saturated so it may be a losing battle unless you rebuild everything.

Motor mounts are cheap. For under $100 you can replace the motor & trans mounts. Just clean up the engine bay & motor, replace the mounts and going forward keep things pretty under your hood. Unless you're pouring oil don't worry about it. change your mounts, run correct oil, keep your car in tune & you'll be good to go!

While your in the transmission area I highly reccomend a shifter rebuild. It's amazing how much of a difference it makes and it's pretty inexpenxive. No more hard shifting, rattling, noises & you get a nice solid feel like our cars were designed.

[hpsenicka]

I have a set of the Ireland Engineering urethane motor mounts and front bushings on the way... guess I will find out the "hard" way how stiff they really are, and how much vibration is transferred...

At this point, the original rubber mounts are so bad that I think I would gladly trade off some vibration to get rid of the clunking and shaking!

The urethane parts are also considerably more resilient to oil/grease... so I expect a much longer life.

[winstontj]

The urethane parts are also considerably more resilient to oil/grease... so I expect a much longer life.

I think in past discussions the consensus was that the lifespan of the parts is equal. As the rubber will soften and break down, the urethane can dry out, crack and fail due to a number of different reasons. It is more resilient to oil/grease however I think they should last the same amount of time. I too am interested in learning how vibration is transferred into the chasis with the urethane. I would have gone to that by now but my #1 cylinder has been giving me trouble for a year or so now and shakes when cold or idling. If the motor ran smooth I'd have done it by now.