Motor Mount Replacement 1st Generation Explorer
I recently replaced my motor mounts on my '92 XLT standard Tx, 4.0 L engine, with 350K on the vehicle. I did the front two engine mounts, the Tx mount was replaced a few years ago. On a scale of 1 (easiest) to 10 (hardest) I would say the drivers side (left) is a 3-4, and the passenger (right) side a 8 - 9. I almost gave up on the right side because the lower nut is in a tight spot where it is difficult to get any tools on.
I'm not a mechanic by trade but have done some maintenance on my cars over the years. I have good quality tools but would not compare my tools to what a full time mechanic would own or have in his arsenal.
In any case, I bought the two mounts (about $50. each in Canada. Way cheaper in the USA). Check them closely before you try and install them. One of them had the threads on both upper and lower studs damaged.
Remove the air filter housing and mount. Also remove the passenger side fender liner. This will provide easy access to the top nut on the right mount.
Remove the nuts that secure the top of the fan shroud and free the shroud from its bottom push-in mounts. No need to completely remove the shroud.
Block the rear wheels. Jack up the vehicle and place jack stands under the frame. I put one on the frame just behind the fuel filter (left side) and one just behind the catalytic converter (right side). You want them this far back so you have room to work from under the car. Access to the bottom nut on the right side is from behind the tire. Also, you want you front suspension to hang down. This will allow you some room to get your hand and tools into the location where the lower mounting nuts are.
I used a hydraulic floor jack under the oil pan with a block of wood between the jack and the oil pan. Make sure not to pinch the electrical harness that runs in the vicinity of the oil pan. Raise the jack just enough to take the weight off the mounts.
NOTE: Your hands are going to be in some tight places and should the car slip or fall your hands could be injured, so do not even consider doing any work until you have the car secured on jack stands and the wheels chocked.
Spray the four nuts (that's all there is) with penetrating oil.
I did them both at the same time. The left one is fairly easy to get at. The bottom mounting nut is accessible from under the car and in front of the left wheel.
Get a good light so you can see what you are working on. The nuts are 18mm but I didn't have an 18mm box end or socket, so I used a 3/4". Because of the space you are operating your tools in is restricted, you will not have a lot of room to ratchet your sockets. This problem is worse on the right side. On the left side I was able to get my 1/2" drive with the 3/4" socket on the nut and work it off.
The top nut on the left side is accessible from the left side of the engine compartment. Remove the front spark plug on the left side of the engine. This will ensure you don't damage the plug and give you easy access to the top nut. I used a 12" extension and a 3/4" deep socket, working straight down the side of the motor, and worked the nut off.
Now comes the fun - the right side bottom nut. Because the nuts are 18mm but I was using a 3/4" tools, I lost some of the turning radius that is available to my tools. I ended up using a 3/4" box end to 'crack' the nut. Space is limited, due to the position of the nut vs the frame and wheel suspension. So I used my 3/8" drive with a 3/4" deep socket. I was only able to get maybe two click on the ratchet with each turn and the nut remained tighter than 'finger tight' throughout most of the un-threading. Took time and patients but I finally got it off.
The top right nut is now easily accessible from the right wheel well. Remove it.
Next I jacked the motor up, checking occasionally that nothing was hanging up, and ensuring that the fan was not hitting the radiator. I had to raise it about 4". You will know when have raised it high enough as you will be able to see the motor mount come free of their top mounting brackets.
I was able to remove the left mount from under the car - reaching up in the same way I removed the left mount's lower nut.
The right mount was easily removed via the right wheel well.
The rubber on my old mounts was severely compressed but not torn or split, but definitely needed replacing.
Replace the new mounts in the same way you took the old ones out. Start the bottom nuts of each mount to hold them in place. I used some 'blue' lock tight on all four studs.
I then slowly - emphasis on slowly - lowered the motor onto the new mounts. Keep your hand out of the way. I used a long pry bar to line the top studs up with their mounting holes. Took a bit of fidgeting as I didn't have anyone helping me but I finally got the studs lined up. I then slowly lowered the engine until the studs were completely through their mounting holes.
I then tightened all four nuts. I could find no torque specification in my Haynes manual so I just tightened them securely.
Next I replace the other parts I had removed, then lowered the car.
Total time from start to clean up would have been about 5 hours. (Actually took me longer as I had to wait until the next day to get a replacement mount for the damaged one.)
There was no room for using extensions or universals on the lower nuts. A flexible extension may have helped once the nuts were cracked but I doubt it.
Car runs much quieter now so it was worth the effort.
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Stormy - Penticton, B.C.
