[General] Changing Engine mounts ECOTEC V6 (THE EASY WAY)

[Donnys vt.]

nice guide.

i love how you say to make a diagram before you do it.
i wonder how many forget that.

oh and regarding that i had a few mechanics suggest to me.
if its dusty enough draw it in the dust (on like the radiator, or bonnet roof etc)
thats if you dont have a pen and paper handy =P

Just google it...same for the spark plugs an leads an coil.

 

[VPRob]

Just did the engine mounts on my VP. Took about 10 hours. Not complicated but incredibly difficult to get at some of the bolts and nuts and even once they were cracked it is not possible to get a ratchet tool on some of them so just getting the threads undone a fraction of a turn at a time is soooo slow.
Also one significant difference between the VP (Buick) and the VS (eco tech) the air compressor bracket has one engine mount bolt on each side of the bracket and, even with the special tool, I do not think it is possible to access the bolt nearest the block without removing the bracket from the engine bay. So compressor has to be moved out of the way and the bracket removed.
Other things I did differently were that I also removed the driver’s side bracket because I could not get close to getting bottom bracket bolts to line up with the k frame holes. It was easier to change the mount with the bracket out of the bay, put it in position and adjust the engine height to line up the bracket to block bolts, get them started with finger pressure and then crank them across to the block.
Be aware that with one or both brackets out the engine is going to fall a long way if the jack fails or anything slips so I recommend a sizzor jack rather than a hydraulic jack. The sizzor jack also gives a really nice level of control in adjusting height at various stages of the operation.
Really glad I did the job. The car feels heaps better and I reckon it would have cost as much as the car is worth to pay a mechanic to do the job

 

[Immortality]

I do one mount at a time so the engine always has at least one mount + jack under the sump. On a stock V6 you should be able to jack it up high enough to get the mounts out one at a time. The last one I did some idiot (me) put a bigger elbow on the back of the supercharger so we could only jack it up a small amount so in the end it was easier to remove the oil filter and extension housing which allowed the mount/bracket to slide out forward but I still had to fit the bracket and mount separately and assemble insitu

 

[VPRob]

Hi All, I added my bit to this How To because I couldn’t find a specific post on doing the earlier Buick engine mounts and I did find a significant difference from the Ecotec procedure. Like you, immortality, I never had both front mounts out at the same time but I was comforted during the time that I had the driver’s side bracket and mount out and was struggling to get the bracket and new mount back in place that I actually had 2 scizzor jacks under the motor stopping the whole thing from falling on my arms or hands. I also didn’t like the idea of trying to lever the engine around while supported on jacks to get the bottom bolts to line up with the holes in case something slipped.
I wasted time getting the driver’s side mount free of the bracket, manouvering the new mount in and struggling to get it past the lip of the sump, bolting it to the bracket and then not being able to get it aligned for the bottom mounting holes and having to take to the bracket to block mounting bolts out anyway to get it lined up. With hindsight the 3 bracket mounting bolts are easier and quicker to get out than the 2 engine mount to bracket nuts are while on the car. Once the bracket and mount are out together the nuts would become much easier to access. My only reservation is that it might be awkward to manoeuvre the bracket and mount together from behind the wiring harness, power steering pump hoses and transmission lines on that side of the donk.

 

[Immortality]

It's definitely easier getting the old saggy mounts out. I have the one mount on and the bottom nuts on loosely, then when you jack the motor up it tilts the motor on the mount rather than the engine going up flat so you get just a little more room to slide the new one in.

 

[mirrabucca]

Old thread, but...
Yes, I did mine a few years ago. Just followed my nose. I didn't remove the A/C compressor, but I did remove the airbox and inlet hose. Makes seeing what you are doing easier.

 

[malmensa]

nice guide.

i love how you say to make a diagram before you do it.
i wonder how many forget that.

oh and regarding that i had a few mechanics suggest to me.
if its dusty enough draw it in the dust (on like the radiator, or bonnet roof etc)
thats if you dont have a pen and paper handy =P

FWIW, my VY has a belt diagram (supercharged and normal) in the users manual. More than once I have referred to it.

 

[bloke04]

i do these at work all the time, I use a hoist so it is a little easier but i do it without removing anything like aircon etc. i imagine it would be harder to do it on the ground this way but just letting everyone know it is possible to do and not hard once youve done them a few times, without removing the belt, aircon, engine cover, airbox and all that. i also use a stumpy spanner to undo the nuts from underneith using a pry bar to crack them undone, against the sump or k frame, what ever works best. its abit fiddly but like i said once youve done one or 2 sets youll be able to do it in half the time

Done mine, jacked motor up loosened up old. Replaced with new. About 20k old now!

 

[turbovich]

How good is this forum hey. Do all your research in a couple of mins. Too easy. Anywho.
Just swapped mine out. Easy peas. Attached a pic of spanner. This length and angle worked spot on with full swing and clearance. A tip that I have seen here is vital, I think. Grinding the nut guides off spanner face. It slipped once. And I knew it's going to get worse. So ground face to key in with nut

 

[krusing]

How good is this forum hey. Do all your research in a couple of mins. Too easy. Anywho.
Just swapped mine out. Easy peas. Attached a pic of spanner. This length and angle worked spot on with full swing and clearance. A tip that I have seen here is vital, I think. Grinding the nut guides off spanner face. It slipped once. And I knew it's going to get worse. So ground face to key in with nut

I did exactly the same thing with one of my 15mm ring spanners for the LH bottom nut, bugger of a position to get to.
I must say, it take a little while to line them up to lower them in the holes, otherwise it not to hard.

The next time I need to replace them,
I am going to weld a little bit of a extension on the ring spanner for a bit more leverage.