NEED HELP Motor Mount Replacement Issues

[deagle12]

Tried to replace the mounts from the top. Removed TB, MAP sensor, PCM (to access top bolt of driver side mount), loosed two 10mm bolts on the fan plastic cover.

Jacking up the driver's side, the intake manifold gets way too close to the top of the metal to get the old mount out.

Jacking up the passenger's side, the old mount comes out, but the fan touches the plastic too much to get the new one in. (Even after grinding down the bolt of the new one).

I've decided to go the other route now - through the mount brackets. Started with driver's side, but the suspension coils are in the way of getting the bolts all the way off.

Now, my Haynes says to move the shock tower, I need a special "two jaw puller"? Is there any easy way to move the shock tower a bit without any specialty tools?

I'm getting stuck... thinking about taking it to a shop at this point. But I feel I am so close.

 

[Capote]

Tried to replace the mounts from the top. Removed TB, MAP sensor, PCM (to access top bolt of driver side mount), loosed two 10mm bolts on the fan plastic cover.

Jacking up the driver's side, the intake manifold gets way too close to the top of the metal to get the old mount out.

Jacking up the passenger's side, the old mount comes out, but the fan touches the plastic too much to get the new one in. (Even after grinding down the bolt of the new one).

I've decided to go the other route now - through the mount brackets. Started with driver's side, but the suspension coils are in the way of getting the bolts all the way off.

Now, my Haynes says to move the shock tower, I need a special "two jaw puller"? Is there any easy way to move the shock tower a bit without any specialty tools?

I'm getting stuck... thinking about taking it to a shop at this point. But I feel I am so close.

I just have one quick question for you brother, did you buy OEM motor mounts? There's been issues with aftermarket ones going bad and not being on par with engine resonance from the get go.

Attacking the motor mounts from the brackets themselves instead of dealing with raising the motor up crazily is a better choice. You don't need to remove the the shock at all. Just loosen the bolts on top of the shock tower and loosen the nut on the end link. That should give you enough play to be able to remove the 3 bolts holding the engine mount bracket in place. Have the jack lifting the engine just-so, to lift up enough on the motor mount to be able to move the bracket out once all bolts are removed. I found a video of someone doing this exact method:

 

[deagle12]

Thanks so much. I have seen that video, and I wasn't clear about whether the shock tower actually gets removed, or if just loosening the bolts/nut was enough - so you answered my question!

I will plan to attack it tomorrow, and hopefully things will go better than they did tonight.

Edit: by the way, yeah I got the OEM GM mounts so should be good!

 

[Capote]

Thanks so much. I have seen that video, and I wasn't clear about whether the shock tower actually gets removed, or if just loosening the bolts/nut was enough - so you answered my question!

I will plan to attack it tomorrow, and hopefully things will go better than they did tonight.

No problem man that's what we're all here for.
I hope all goes well for ya.

EDIT: @deagle12 Awesome, so you're all set with the right ones!

 

[deagle12]

Well I got the two bolts loose, and the nut, but the shock tower has barely any play at all.

http://i.imgur.com/QZ9Tm0F.jpg

Should I hammer the end link to get it a little loose? It looks like the in the video guy ends up removing the whole shock tower. I'm not sure if getting it loose will still give me enough play to get the 3 mount bracket bolts out anyways.

 

[deagle12]

Never mind, got the new driver's side mount in.

I rented (for free) a jaw pulley and got the strut tower out. Wasn't too bad and made the access to the bracket bolts very easy. After that putting in the new mount only took a couple minutes.

 

[Capote]

Never mind, got the new driver's side mount in.

I rented (for free) a jaw pulley and got the strut tower out. Wasn't too bad and made the access to the bracket bolts very easy. After that putting in the new mount only took a couple minutes.

Sorry just loosening the bolts up didn't work for you man. Glad you got around that bump though.

 

[deagle12]

Got both sides done. The trailblazer is runny very well! No vibrations at idle or weird vibrating from the passenger side when accelerating.

To anyone planning to do this I would suggest just going from the wheel well/mount bracket first. And maybe rent a jaw pulley to easily get the shock tower off. Once that is done everything goes pretty smoothly.