Okay, had to do a "near emergency" passenger side engine mount swap. In short, I couldn't get the oil filter off since it was against the engine mount. In the past I have done the engine mount swap using a hoist. This time I took a more "sane?" approach. Note, engine mount was 5 years old, oil soaked and had 80K miles on it, originally came from scamtech (not bad).

Time: 45 minutes including 2 cool-down breaks
Tools: 18mm deep well socket
1/2 inch drive ratchet
17mm wrench
10mm socket
floor jack
two jack stands

Steps:

1: Use the floor jack to raise the front of the car by the engine cross member, high enough to get the jack stands under the front factory jack points.

2: Lower floor jack to let the car rest on the jack stands, tread of front tires roughly 2 inches off the ground.

3: Remove belly splash pan with 10mm socket and ratchet.

4: Remove the three 18mm nuts that hold the base of the engine mount to the cross member... 18mm deep well socket and ratchet.

5: From over the top of the passenger side fender, remove the 17mm nut using the wrench at the top of the engine mount, pick the washer off the stud as well if there is one.

6: Place the lift point of the floor jack under the front lip of the bell housing and jack the engine up.

7: Reach over the fender and remove the engine mount along with its base.

8: On the bench, unbolt the mount from the base with the 17mm wrench.

9: Bolt the new mount to the old base with the 17mm wrench.

10: Reinstall the new mount and old base back into the car, line up the three studs with the holes in the cross member. Push the top stud of the mount through the hole on the engine bracket and engage a few threads of the nut to hold it in place. All three studs on the mount base should still be in the holes of the cross member.

11: Let the floor jack down so the mount seats. Tighten up the 17mm nut at the top of the mount from above.

12: Climb underneath and install/tighten the three 18mm nuts on the bottom of the engine cross member.

13: Do your oil and filter change "finally".

14: Reinstall the belly pan using 10mm headed bolts.

15: Get the car down off the jack stands and take it for a test ride... hopefully you will no longer hear the oil pan hitting the steering rack!

For the rear shocks, well, I got sick of the lack of rebound dampening that the Bil HD shocks provided. NOTE: I'm running the 5 year old IPD lowering springs. I replaced them with KYB Gas Adjust shocks. At first, they bolted right up fine but then I realized that their maximum travel was an inch longer than the HD units. That means that the springs come up a bit short and try to leave the top spring perch but stay in place anyway due to the perch design. Beyond that, if you have an under axle exhaust, the axle may now hit it. I call that a small price to pay for proper rear suspension dampening... I just hate looking in the rear view mirror and seeing our Boxers going "weightless" for a moment!

I know the above topic of engine mount replacement has been covered, but this was a far easier way I found to do the job compared to the way I used to do it. On the rear shocks and lowering springs, this is news to me.

Hope the above helps someone out!

jorrell


14:
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92 245 313K miles, IPD'd to the hilt, 06 XC70, 00 Eclipse custom Turbo setup...currently taking names and kicking reputations!