- Joined
- March 16, 2013
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- City, State
- Woodstock, GA
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 04 Ford Explorer 4.6l
So with my engine out I was wanting to replace the motor mounts. Ex only has 137K or so on it, but I figured now was the time to do it.
I searched the forums and the only thing I could find was a 'how-to' on a V8 model. And reading that just about made me roll the carcass out into the back 40 and give it up to the blackberry bushes :roll:.
But I'm not one to give up easily. Now, this is an easy job, beginner work. But it's mentally tasking on the passenger mount. If your engine isn't out, you'll have to support it from above with a hoist or from below using a jack. I don't believe the jack will be in the way.
Tools you'll need:
I started with the passenger side. Laying with your head toward the transmission and your stomach at the passenger wheel, you can look up behind the coil spring and frame and see the motor mount nut. The lower nut, is for the frame. I took it off first and was all excited. Then got stumped when the mount wouldn't budge. The motor mount nut is further up.
Using the 1/2" drive flex head ratchet and just the 18mm socket you can reach the motor mounts nut. You can see my approach from the back. You get an awesome swing (yeah right.) You get ONE click with the ratchet. Really, even with just one click, this didn't take too long. Maybe I was just too excited that I wasn't going to have to remove the front axle. You need the flex head ratchet to maximize the swing. Up to the left, down to the right. ONE click. Now, some ratchets have finer mechanisms than others, I have no idea what the NAPA ratchet has, but it works. Cheaper ratchets may not allow for the one click that you desperately need.
That's it for the passenger side. Just time to remove and time to install. Go ahead and try all sorts of other combinations of tools, I did and they didn't work. Now, you can buy an 18mm socket/wobble combination and this may allow the use of the impact gun. Try coming up from below, between the drive axle and the frame.
The drivers side, oh boy. I wasn't looking forward to this side, thought it would be the hardest. Wrong. For this one, I laid lengthwise with the car, having my head at the drivers side wheel. From here, using the 15" (total length) extension(s), the wobble and 18mm socket, you can reach between the shock and the frame and get to the nut comfortably. Then just attach the impact gun and give it some smackage. It helps to go forward and reverse at first to help loosen it up. Once it was loose, the nut zipped off as fast as the gun would go.
To install, find a 72 lbs. kid to sit in the engine bay and hold it in place. Then using the hand ratchet, tighten the nut (start it) as much as possible. Then it's just a matter of zipping it back on with the impact gun. You'll be done with the drivers side before you know it.
That's it, fairly simple actually. The car was on the ground as well, that is, I didn't have it jacked up. Mainly because I had the trans supported with a trans jack and didn't want to mess with it. I was wondering if you'd get a greater swing on the passenger side if the hub was hanging down. Hope this helps someone else.
I searched the forums and the only thing I could find was a 'how-to' on a V8 model. And reading that just about made me roll the carcass out into the back 40 and give it up to the blackberry bushes :roll:.
But I'm not one to give up easily. Now, this is an easy job, beginner work. But it's mentally tasking on the passenger mount. If your engine isn't out, you'll have to support it from above with a hoist or from below using a jack. I don't believe the jack will be in the way.
Tools you'll need:
- 1/2 Drive impact extensions. I purchased a 67972 from Harbor Freight for $9.99. Of this set, I used the 9 1/4" and 4 1/4" extensions. A single 15" extension would have also worked. (Drivers side only)
- 18mm impact socket. Not a deep one, it must be short but still deep enough to go over the bolt. I purchased a metric set from NAPA (61-0302,) but you could just get the one socket. The individual NAPA socket is 61-4118. This fits, can't say about other brands.
- 1/2 Drive Flex Head Ratchet. I purchased a R12FQR from NAPA, it's 18" long. I also have a smaller 3/8" drive flex head, but it wasn't long enough (12" maybe) and didn't allow for enough "swing" <-- you'll find this funny later. You may try a stubby ratchet, it might work. I don't have one, so can't tell you. (Passenger side only)
- 1/2" Drive Wobble from Harbor Freight, item 67920. A universal joint would have worked as well. (Drivers side only)
- 3/8 hand ratchet. I used this with a regular 18mm socket to hand tighten the passenger side nut as much as possible. This too isn't really necessary, but if you don't have one, you should. I've had this for over a decade, also from NAPA, it's a NB15 but may not be that number now (The linked pic looks like the one I have, though mines 3/8".) (Passenger side only)
- 1/2 Drive Impact Gun. I suppose this isn't necessary, you could use a ratchet. But with the impact gun, I had the drivers side nut off in a matter of seconds. Same with putting it on. (Drivers side only)
I started with the passenger side. Laying with your head toward the transmission and your stomach at the passenger wheel, you can look up behind the coil spring and frame and see the motor mount nut. The lower nut, is for the frame. I took it off first and was all excited. Then got stumped when the mount wouldn't budge. The motor mount nut is further up.
Using the 1/2" drive flex head ratchet and just the 18mm socket you can reach the motor mounts nut. You can see my approach from the back. You get an awesome swing (yeah right.) You get ONE click with the ratchet. Really, even with just one click, this didn't take too long. Maybe I was just too excited that I wasn't going to have to remove the front axle. You need the flex head ratchet to maximize the swing. Up to the left, down to the right. ONE click. Now, some ratchets have finer mechanisms than others, I have no idea what the NAPA ratchet has, but it works. Cheaper ratchets may not allow for the one click that you desperately need.
That's it for the passenger side. Just time to remove and time to install. Go ahead and try all sorts of other combinations of tools, I did and they didn't work. Now, you can buy an 18mm socket/wobble combination and this may allow the use of the impact gun. Try coming up from below, between the drive axle and the frame.
The drivers side, oh boy. I wasn't looking forward to this side, thought it would be the hardest. Wrong. For this one, I laid lengthwise with the car, having my head at the drivers side wheel. From here, using the 15" (total length) extension(s), the wobble and 18mm socket, you can reach between the shock and the frame and get to the nut comfortably. Then just attach the impact gun and give it some smackage. It helps to go forward and reverse at first to help loosen it up. Once it was loose, the nut zipped off as fast as the gun would go.
To install, find a 72 lbs. kid to sit in the engine bay and hold it in place. Then using the hand ratchet, tighten the nut (start it) as much as possible. Then it's just a matter of zipping it back on with the impact gun. You'll be done with the drivers side before you know it.
That's it, fairly simple actually. The car was on the ground as well, that is, I didn't have it jacked up. Mainly because I had the trans supported with a trans jack and didn't want to mess with it. I was wondering if you'd get a greater swing on the passenger side if the hub was hanging down. Hope this helps someone else.