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Motor Mount Replacement

135K views 86 replies 55 participants last post by  steviemal22 
#1 ·
I have been tinkering with the idea of changing my own Motor Mounts. However, after reading several posts and checking out a few how-to's the process seems a little more involved than what I may like to get into.

However, while I was inspecting a few posts and inspecting the engine itself, I was wondering if anyone else has ever changed the mounts without taking off the Fan clutch and jacking the enigne up as far as it could go. My question is this. Since there is a top engine mount bracket that bolts to the engine, would it be possible to simply brace the engine, unbolt the top bracket from the engine. Remove the the old MM and replace it with the new one. Put the bracket back on the engine. Put the nut back on the top of the new MM.

Just asking.
 
#36 ·
Well, just pulled the Anchor brand mounts tonight and put in the DELCO's I bought at the dealer Friday.

WOW WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!!!

Do NOT NOT NOT go with the Anchor brand engine mounts. They vibrated so bad in my Envoy, that the paint chipped in all 4 corners of my hood :( :mad:

Put the DELCOs back in, got it done A LOT faster now that Ive done it once and know all of the shortcuts, lol, and when I started the truck up you couldnt even feel it start!!! Its smooooother than silk now. Smoother than when I bought it in 2004 :excited:

Bottom line: Dont cheap this job, period. Aftermarket mounts (especially Anchor) do not even stand close to the OEM's and with the new Anchor brand mounts in there - it vibrated 10x worse than my originals when they were bad! Go with DELCO OEM's period.

Now Im going to go back outside and sit in my truck and enjoy the smoothness....haha!! :D
 
#37 ·
I posted this in another thread but it is same topic. (think it was v8 thread)

Just finished.
Thanks to everyone in this forum and some other tread for all of the suggestions and tips.

Here is my story:

Got a quote from independant guy who came recommended for about $250 per mount.

I picked up the mounts for $135 for the pair at a Chevy dealer.

I was able to get passenger side out without having to undo fan shroud but when I did driver's side one of the pins on bottom of shroud snapped so I recommend taking the two bolts out of the shroud.

Mine had a heat shield on passenger side. It is supposed to fit a certain way so make sure you pay attention to that.

Really had to contort to get top driver's side nut off.
Ended up using U-joint, 18mm deepwell, and 18" of extentions. Also some Liquid Wrench.

To get the Driver's side installed I put upper bolt in and then put the nut on it. When I tightened the nut this brought the mount up and I was then able to drop lower bolt in place. I couldn't get the lower one clear of bracket by hand. Try this before you grind the bolts as some have suggested.

Other than that, I follwed the directions given by in this thread.

I test drove and thought I was in a Prius because it was so smooth and quiet.

Thanks again for the help.
 
#38 ·
02 T-blazer mount just replaced

As many others have mentioned my TB developed a significant at idle vibration that caused a resonating noise throughout the vehicle. Initially I thought I had an exhaust leak. Even my friends noticed "Your vehicle sounds different". I did the normal checks around the car even let it idle in gear (parking brake on) walk around trying to hear an exhaust issue.. nope.

This post and talking with others the mounts seemed the leading suspect. I did order 2 mounts from gmpartsdirect.com and they arrived much faster than their website indicated. This is my first time using gmpartsdirect and I did so only because I was not in a huge hurry to get the parts.

Positive: They delivered the parts at a much better price than the local dealer (pn# 15062381 - $56 ea at gmparts direct, Dealer wanted $115 ea). Even with the overpriced ad-on 'handling' charge it was a decent savings over the dealer (Total from gmparts was $141.69 no local sales tax applied). For those considering ordering from gmpartsdirect, my experience was fine, but I did not like their treatment that every part seems to be a 'special order' therefore is not returnable for any reason (even if they screw up). When I ordered their website info indicated an additional 7-14 days occur before shipping. ( again special order). My parts arrived reasonably quick without the added 'special order' time.

GmPartsGiant.com was a bit higher on the mount $66.10, but cheaper shipping for a total of $148.90 and they offer a return option.
I still tried gmpartsdirect though I was worried about the experience.. again not in a hurry so I figured I give it a try on this one.

Ok to the real deal:
I planned to install myself, but simply didn’t have the time in the near future, so opted for a local shop. I did a pre-chat with them and went over the gig and they spoke of having done this same job before for similar vibration issues that I witnessed. Ok I bit... well they did it and it ended up being $193 for labor including taxes and a BS shop fee that I think they added on because I purchased my own parts :yes:

I can say they did install the mounts. Unfortunately they did not install the passenger side heat shield correctly. They put it in upside down (gees). This is a mistake I do not believe I could make doing it myself, but I would probably have broken something more significant :bonk:
Anyway I proved my point by snapping a picture of the mount from a different TB (lady at work had one) plus a diagram off of AllData.com. I presented my evidence and they corrected the heat shield issue.

It took dude 15 min to raise the car, undo the passenger mount remove the heat shield and put it on the top of the mount in the correct location, button it all up and lower the car. Ok that is great and I am sure that doing it the 2nd time is always faster, but this is the same guy that said he 'struggled to do both mounts in 3 hours'. I suspect that having the driver side still attached enabled the motor rotation and needed clearance to aid the quick repair. ( This method is documented in earlier posts).

All I can say is that AMAaaaZZZZZZing difference in the vehicle. I do not even feel the engine start!.

In my case it seemed the mount decay was an overnight affair, but I can see that it may have occurred slowly and was not noticed until it really got bad.

I am glad it is done.. Truly an amazing difference. It was not the throttle body, spark plugs, PCM, Cam actuator, coil etc as none of those items were changed in this exercise.

So :thx to the thread for providing wonderful information.!
 
#39 ·
motor mounts

I was coming home from my daughter's dance school on this past saturday and after driving a felt my 2006 envoy denali thumb after hitting 20mph. when i stop at a red light againat reaching 20mph felt the thumb again like getting hit in the back of truck. This happen all the way home 30min drive let my family out and check the fluid's started truck up and went for a test run did not thumb after 20min of driving it this time. Did notice oil gauge on take off would go down to (0) then reaching back to normal this happen every time at a light when ready to drive off again. engine light on of cause took it to neighborhood machanic on monday he told me it maybe my motor mounts need changing at $1,900.00:nono: so had the oil changed and he run a test and told me i needed a oil presure sensor and that the throttle body need to be replaced. After oil change engine light was not on. will be taking truck to dealer for the the thing's that need to be replaced. Is there something i should look out for when i speak to the machanic for these repair's :coffee
 
#40 ·
t02owner:
the guy talked to wanted about $150-$175 each for labor, so you did good.

the one wth the shroud is by far the easiest of the 4 bolts. Not sure how they screwed the install up, it is keyed so it faces toward motor. Upside down is just silly.

It did take me all day, need to go but a socket and such, and I was doing it in my carport. 3 hours is not too bad. I think Mitchell's lists it as a 2 hour job. I think Mitchell's is name of book that tells mechanics what amount of time it should take.
 
#41 · (Edited)
First off I would like to thank all those that posted this info. It was a great help in getting my mounts changed, in about 2.5 hrs total. So I would like to contribute my experience in doing this that may add to what has already been posted, to hopefully make it a little easier on those that do this.

Tools I used:
18 MM deep socket
Swivel adapter for driver side top mount bolt.
A 1 inch or so "wobble" extension connected to swivel.
2 6 inch wobble extensions, though regular ones will work as well.
Swivel breaker ratchet.

The driver side top bolt was the only real challenge to get off, as it is directly underneath the computer, computer wiring connections and mounting bracket. I didn't want to screw up the wiring, so I removed the 3 wiring connectors, and the computer. Also removed upper bolts holding the fan shroud so as not to crack it when jacking up the motor.

Did like has been posted by others, removed both bolts from driver side and left the passenger side slightly threaded on.

Used 2 x 4 to the furthest right I could on oil pan and jacked up. Was able to get old one out. When trying to install new one, there wasn't enough room, as some have said. I noticed a sensor on the throttle body was hitting trying to jack up more.

I removed the crossbar going from fender to fender, which is what the sensor was hitting. This allowed me to jack up enough to easily slide the new one in, instead of having to grind it down.

Slightly threaded on bolts to the new one, then removed the bolts from passenger side. I then lowered the jack and moved it to the furthest left on the oil pan and raised it enough to remove old one, and had no issue with clearance putting in the new one.

Lowered engine back down and tightened all mount bolts. Re installed the crossbar, computer, and oil pan cover.

Started her up, smotth as new..finally! It was getting annoying.

So again, thanks to all those for posting the info prior to me. This site has saved me a lot of money, frustration, and time with my T-Blazer!
 
#44 ·
Congrats! To get them to last 185k miles, you are my hero! haha.

Ive done mine and it wasnt exactly how I wanted to spend my afternoon. I have 4 wheel drive and that definitely made the job more interesting....
 
#48 ·
Motor Mounts I-6

Just got completed with this job, 2 hours.Thanks to all for the posters :thx. Everything is spot on but the only issue I had was not loosening the opposite side enough. I would say the nut should be flush with the threads on the studs. A record for me only 1 busted knuckle and 1 cut finger :D
 
#49 ·
Anyone on here that says they did it in 2 hours or less doesn't have a 4x4.

How does anyone get to the driver side mount? It is required to loosen the top bolt to even get the right side one off. 18mm deep and swivel doesn't do enough to get under the computer to get it loosened.

Any ideas besides air impact rachet? No air here...old school.
 
#50 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lawnranger
"I had to replace one of my motor mount brackets ( drivers side) , along with both motor mounts not too long ago. I pulled of the broken bracket and I attached the drivers side mount to the new bracket before attaching it to the engine. This made it so much easier to replace the motor mount since I didn't have to raise the engine that much. I ended up pulling the motor mount bracket, still attached to the motor mount on the passengers side off ( even though it was fine ) and attached the new motor mount to it and put it all back together."
So..... what does everyone think? Remove the brackets with the motor mounts or leave the brackets alone? I am going to replace mine in a few days, so it would be nice if removing the brackets makes it easier. Any down side to removing the brackets & mounts as one piece? Seems like a good way to inspect the brackets at the same time.
Lawnranger, can you elaborate on your procedure? I like details.

Thanks,
kev
 
#52 ·
OK. For those with 4x4 this process is a little more involved. Just did mine yesterday on the 05 XL and you can not raise the engine high enough to get either side out without removing the engine side motor mount bracket. The inner CV joint hits the frame before enough clearance is achieved regardless of how tight you leave the opposite side mount. Here is what I did:

Remove splash shield
Remove left and right side lower mount nuts.
Remove air cleaner and intake pipe.
Remove right upper mount nut.
Remove ECM and bracket.
Remove left upper mount nut.
Jack engine up until fan hits shroud.
Remove 2 lower and one upper bolt from the engine side mounts. (you can access three of these from the wheel well with a LONG extension and a 15mm universal socket. The other one will have to be managed from the top).
Loosen the second upper bolt but do not remove (this makes it easier to reattach the bracket)
Manipulate the old mounts out.
Install the new mounts paying attention to the index pin and hole in the lower mount bracket.
Reinstall bolts into upper brackets and tighten.
Lower engine.
Install upper mount nuts.
Install ECM and bracket paying attention to the order of the connectors.
Install air cleaner and intake tube.
Install splash shield.

Allow for at least 3 hours or so. I took 4 hours but had to devise a method that didn't require removal of the axle shafts.

Worthwhile project- as others have said drives like new now.
 
#53 ·
Followed all the instructions in this thread. Four things I found mandatory are
1. drilling the hole in the plate above the driver's side mount after removing computer
2. grinding down the top stud on the driver's side replacement mount
3. remove fan from clutch to help engine movement
4. remove throttle body

I have a 2wd and it was still very trying to get enough room to remove and replace the driver's side mount because of the intake plenum hitting the firewall area. Passenger side was a piece of cake. Still worth a DIY, as it always is.
 
#56 ·
I think this mount is broken.

2006 Trailblazer LT. I couldn't believe how torn up this mount was. Motor nearly jumped out of the truck when I goosed it. Loosened up the fan shroud. That helped but taking the bar off in the top back, (close to the windshield wipers), was what gave me clearance for some of the electronics that were in a bind.

 
#57 ·
Thanks mmoniz and ibidu1 for your helpful advice and step by steps! Anyone who is going to do this job, just follow their posts above.

I found that it was absolutely necessary to drill the hole in the bracket and cut off the extra metal post on the top of the new mount to have enough clearance to get it in since the new mount was longer/uncompressed.

No more vibration!
 
#58 ·
I just did the install today. I don't know how you guys did it but I decided to take the bracket off to install the mounts in place. I tried jacking up the engine, but it kept on hitting the radiator pipe and I didn't want to crack it. I never managed to get enough clearance even while grinding down the top of the mount (it was almost there but never made it). Maybe I didn't jack it up far enough. It took me about 4.5 hours for everything.

Another note, I'm not sure how you guys do this without an impact gun. I fortunately had my snap on impact and it saved me a day of frustration trying to figure out how to turn a ratchet in that tight space.

The help on this thread made a lot of difference for me. The advice was great and you won't really know which approach is better until you get into the job and decide what is better.
 
#59 ·
Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread, all of the various experiences helped me get my mounts installed yesterday. I used genuine GM mounts, ordered on Amazon for $147 total. Took me 10 hours to get them installed on my 2004 TB 4x4, which is much more than most. In my defense, it included 2 trips to the store to buy more 1/2" socket attachments.

I have a tendency to over think issues, and the design of this vehicle had me baffled more often than not. I too had to drill through the ECU mounting plate, which is maddening to me. While I understand that plate is designed to deflect heat around the ECU, does it really need to be bolted to the block in a way that is not accessible? And now that the I've drilled through it (3/4" diameter) am I exposing the ECU to more heat? I cannot for the life of me figure out how a trained mechanic would have tackled this. I needed to lossen the motor mount bracket (upper - attached the block) on both the driver and passenger sides, accessing through the wheel wells with long extensions (because the CV axle hit the frame and the studs on the old mount were so long). Tried to loosen the lower bracket, no help because the coil springs prevented the bolts from backing out far enough. Of course I had to cut the top off of the new mounts as many others have mentioned, I used a hacksaw (they are not hardened steel) so that went well.

After all is said and done, I'm happy to have tackled this - the vibration is completely gone. It was rough, no doubt about it, but the benefit (beyond saving hundreds of dollars) is that I learn more about the vehicle that I trust to carry my family, and about myself and how I solve problems / manage stress!

:thx
 
#60 ·
I was able to get the top mount nut off without having to drill a hole in the ECU plate by using a deep socket, a universal joint, extension and impact gun. After I was able to loosen the top nut, I had to use a ratchet to take the rest of the nut off. I don't see why it was designed this way. I had to remove the entire mount bracket because I could not jack the engine high enough to get clearance. but the good news is that the mounts were replaced at 160k so with any luck, this will be the last time I mess with motor mounts on this Envoy.
 
#63 ·
That's what it seems like because there is no hesitation... whole front end goes up the second I hoist the oil pan even a millimeter. But I'm using a small wood block for the very reason you pointed out. Shroud is loose, but nothing is hitting up top at all anyways. It never gets a chance to because the motor never rises in the bay. Any chance these rubber mounts got 'fused' to their brackets? They ARE extremely shot. I keep retrying different ways but not comfy hoisting my whole front end by the oil pan!
 
#64 ·
OK,I gotta give up. There's nothing hitting up top, everything has at least 1.5 inch clearance, shroud loose, all mount bolts off, jack/wood block only on oil pan BUT motor won't rise up without immediately bringing the whole front end with it.

I've had the same vibration problems others have resolved with new mounts. Old mounts have compressed about an inch compared to new. But I'm thinking I got bigger problems and the vibration is coming from some other frame/driveline contact I'm not seeing.

I read through several motor removal threads here and found no similar issue. Guess I'll be buttoning it back up with the old mounts and taking it into a shop. Grrrrrrrr.
 
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