DONE! New Motor Mounts/Intake Manifold
 

*whew*.
I removed the intake manifold to install the Mattsstang-provided ported/VTCS-less intake manifold. I also replaced the motor mounts (which were quite worn) and the exhaust gasket. The new manifold was well ported and the VICS screws were red loctite'd. She def'ly pulls harder and i sleep better knowing the 'Screws of Death' won't haunt me! ;)

*Dang! The rear mount is that hard - even with the intake manifold removed. I shelled out a 1/2" drive ratchet when the electric impact could not budge the bolts. Cost of new 1/2 breaker bar and new ratchet =$23, sound of pipe extension finally breaking 'em free- priceless.

*Yes, you want to remove the intake manifold in two halves. If you can't break the EGR pipe at the EGR valve - it can be removed attached to the intake manifold.

*I was able to install the front and rear AWR mounts okay. The side mounts were tougher. I could get one peice in - but pulling apart the mount to get the other half in was too hard. Maybe another day...

*Dang! Even the 70 durometer mounts has the car 'shaking like a pit bull sh1tting a peach pit'. I sure hope it settles down soon... It has made it quite apparent that i have some clutch chatter/pressure plate problem also.. :( Good 'hook up' on acceleration tho'! :bt:

*I installed the 'thermoBlockers' (Phenolic spacers between the manifold and the head). I removed the throttle body spacer - it really jacked with the idle and doesn't really 'do' much anyhoo. I had already 'blocked/recirculated' the hot water flowing to it. The manifold is def'ly cooler than before.

*I replaced the exhaust gasket between the Wagner header and the first cat. It was really torn up. Now it is louder than before - must have disturbed the donut at the pipe... sigh. Another day...

Runs stronger now - so well worth it. :bt:

not bad...that's a lot of work....

you ain't kiddin'

Glad to see you like it. That rear mount is much easier with the intake off, huh? :)

NO shit It's easier with the intake mani off. Ive had to do replace those things twice in my car, once with the awr 95 dm and i got hella bored of my feet falling asleep from all the shaking that i pulled them out and put in the 70 dm inserts. It's like an slurpee on a 100 degree day now.

Good work getting all that work done. All i managed to have time for this weekend were my spark plugs.

Congrats on the install! I can only imagine how much easier the motor mount install was with the IM off! It was a pain in the A$$ to do normally! I had to use a four foot jack handle over the wratchet to break the nuts loose, and everytime I got one loose, it sounded like another universal joint breaking(I went through two or three). And dont worry, it settles a little bit...

So... 'how long until the mounts settle down?' 100 miles? Thousand?

It really sounds/feels like the exhaust/engine is hard-mounted to the frame. I really need to ride in some one's car with the same miounts to make sure i didn't mess up the install. I cannot imagine harder mounts - 95 durometer?! These 70s already feel like i welded the engine to the frame...

If i over-torqued the mounts would that do it? Can the new mounts cause the exhaust to touch the frame if improperly installed?

My sweetie daily drives this and the resonance and vibes are a bit much for her. (I offered to buy new stock mounts and put those in but THANK GOD she said 'no'. *whew*! :))

lol, good thing you dont have to do it all again!

I dont know how long exactly...I'm not even sure if they did to tell you the truth. It may just be since I was riding my motorcycle a lot, then went back to the car, maybe it just didnt feel as intense, but I think it did settle a little. And if they did indeed settle, it doesn't take too long, so dont worry! And the resonance is definatly the worst part...I could take the vibration, but the resonance at highway speeds is rediculous, you cant hear anything!

If you get bored and wanna feel what 95 dm inserts feel like ide be happy to ship them your way, those things will make you cry

^ Oh NO! :tear:

These are fine, thank you.

That was a lot of work, congrats on the improvements.

I have the AWR 70s myself front/rear along with the side inserts. Front one went in first with not much noticeable increase in vibes, that came once I put in the rear. They do seem to break-in somewhat (or else you get used to them!) after a couple of hundred miles. Personally I am going to send my stock mounts to NSN Motorsports when I get home to have them filled, then swap out the AWRs when I get the improved stockers back. The initial install was done when I did my suspension upgrade and dropped the front subframe to put on the sway bar, it was still a PITA. I'll do it now when I swap over to the MP3 IM I have. I don't mind some vibration, but I don't like the resonance I get in the cabin at highway speeds. Not sure if I will retain the side inserts or not. Was the side mount that gave you trouble the one on the passenger side? Mine was basically corroded together, by dint of much lubrication and swearing I got the inside insert coaxed into place (amazing how far you can stretch things), although it did tear a little bit. Advance Auto Parts supposedly has a solid rubber replacement available (on-line only) so I may get that.

^Ahhh - thanks - good info.

I don't have but one side insert (the 'easy' one on the passenger side) and i am not about to put any more in! Maybe they make good dog chew toys...

thats some work!! i will be getting my mounts and headers soon, so i will let you know how they feel also!!

Thanks for any other experiences.

*update*
After a few hundred miles - muh sweetie reports 'i tis much better now'. I had also just recently swapped in a new set of NGK (platinums) and that settled the idle/vibes quite a bit...