When my 2005 Neon SE started making some rattling noise last year, I took it in and got a quote to replace all 4 engine mounts. The mechanic said that this usually happens if a car has been in an accident and the engine is ignored during the estimates of the body work. He refrenced the small dent on the driver's side when explaining this to me.

A six months prior to this my wife at the time was involved in a slight bumper with another car that caused a small dent to the front , near the hood on the driver's side. The other driver took off, but it she felt it was her fault anyway. We decided to not call our insuarance as the damage probably wouldnt exceed our deductible.

Now, seperated, when I had brought this up to her and how maybe we should had called it in, she later claimed a friend at work told her that her Neon had engine mount problems too and that Neons were known for engine mounts wearing out too quickly. I wasnt quite sold on that.

I also heard that any engine mounts made of rubber can wear out quick in the dessert of Arizona where we live.

Just curious if any of you have had problems with engine mounts going bad with neons and if they are notrious for them

 

Yes, they go bad quite often "just because." It is a very poor design for the whole set-up. Here's what happens. The two torque struts (the upper and lower mounts on the engine side) will wear as they keep the engine and transmission from rocking (or torquing, hence "torque" struts) back and forth. They have some play in them as there are "gaps" in the rubber, so they wear even quicker because of that. Once those wear out, the engine and transmission can now rock back and forth which will cause those mounts to wear and tear too, literally.

 

Yeah, I just got my stupid 03' Neon SXT in August and it had some problems that were not quite apparent to me when I inspected and test drove it; the torque mounts being some of them. I'm gonna use some window epoxy or whatever it is that people use to make home made engine shock mount inserts. The main (front/rear-whatever they call it) engine mount in my car just ruptured today when I was working on getting it off. It spilled a little bit of red hydraulic-looking fluid on the garage floor. I cant get the engine mount out, I cant get the tensioner cover, or the belt cover off. I'm a Neon newb (DSMs were nowhere NEAR this bad) so help me out if possible.. :-D

I looked at the pics of the engine jacking procedure and saw the jack placed on that plate between the oil pan and the trans bell housing. I have my ATV jack (with a block of wood of course) placed on the bottom of the oil pan (as per the Haynes manual). I dont believe it will damage anything but would it make a difference in being able to 'tilt' the engine more easily using that plate vs. the oil pan? I will change it when I get back to the garage just because. I want to know from more experienced people.

 

The engine mount ruptured and spilled red fluid on the ground? The mount is made of rubber, like most. Why would a motor mount be filled with transmission fluid? Being on that side of the engine, it sounds like got a hole in something in the power steering system since that is filled with ATF+4 as well.

The link to shop manuals are in my signature. Download them and follow the removal/installation procedure. Done.

 

Believe me...I had the SAME thought when I saw it leak. I hope that I am wrong and just seeing things. The P.S. system is not leaking; that was the first thing I also thought of and checked so we're at least on the same page there. I spun the pump by hand for about two minutes, inspected the hoses for defects, and checked the metal tubing for breaks and kinks. The reservoir cap was securely installed and pump+resi were both on top of valve cover; far out of the way of the motor mount and potential 'harm'. I'm working on getting those procedures you have linked.

But hypothetically speaking...if the mount were full of some sort of oil then it would serve as a damping medium-correct? Will also triple-check for P.S. leaks. Whatever is leaking smells nothing like the ATF+4 in the P.S. resi. Not really slippery either...not sure what it is as its seemingly odorless.

http://www.detroitneonowners.org/vie...p?f=20&t=13931

This is a verbatim description of what I see with my car.

 

I've never known the mount to be filled? That surely does not mean it is not possible. It's just me, personally, have seen torn mounts and not seen any fluid. Don't recall my new mount seeming, in any way, like it was filled with fluid. Maybe if there were fluid, it ran out before I have seen the mount.

Lemme ask someone else to check...

 

No never had any fliud in any of my mounts and husband has changed 3 of them and took the tranny mount off and it did not have any fluid either. Husband said one of them had moisture in it but he doesnt think it was fluid. Putting new ones on is like having a new car again at least to me it was wow.

 

Deleted for mis-information.

 

Some mounts have fluid in them, that's just why I was curious. I did find out for certain the Neon mount is not a hydraulic mount. Anyways...
An aside before I get further into this, just to make sure you know, you need to outline the current position of the "old" engine mount. The new one must be mounted in that same position to ensure proper engine/transaxle alignment when it all goes back together.

Once you get as far as you have, if you got the main bolt out of the engine mount (that goes through the frame rail; it's covered by a plug unless that is missing), as long as there is clearance the mount should come right out. Does the mount move around at all, and you just don't have the clearance?

That is for the alignment procedure though, not engine mount/timing belt removal and so on. For the clearance you are looking for, I'd think you'd want to jack it more on the engine side instead of in the middle.

 

with those torque struyts removed you can rock the enfine quite a bit, you wont hurt the others (a ratchet strap comes in handy to pull the engine how you want it.

theres a measurrement you have to be aware of

and for gawd sakes dont jack on the oil pan alone (its cast aluminum and you will put a hole in it), wood is a good idea
if you jack on the bracket it will rock the same as the pan(nothing to gain imho)