Broken Motor Mounts (not!)

[Larry C Leung]

Follow up question on this. Do you think I'm damaging anything if I have
to drive the car with these symptoms (assuming that the mounts are all
okay)?

TIA,

LL - NY

On Sat, 27 Oct 2001 15:17:32 -0400 Larry C Leung <l.leung at juno.com>
writes:
>Hello Listers
>
>Still trying to diagnose this. (patient is a type 44TQ, '89 200)
>
>Symptoms - Drove over a rough road (grass and stone) at parking lot
>speeds to park yesterday.
>	After the event I attended, clutch did not dis-engage 
>completely,
>	hence:			
>		1) Could not get into first without shutting off 
>engine
>		2) VERY difficult to shift, acted like a broken 
>clutch
>		3) car would creep when a gear was engaged.
>		4) clutch pedal felt fine
>
>			Thought clutch hydraulics were gone (though 
>could
>				not rationalize the good pedal)
>
>		Then, after about a 3 minute slow to moderate drive in 
>2nd and 3rd, no
>stops,
>		car would shift stiffly, clutch worked. 
>
>		1)shift lever very sloppy (though works, and all gates 
>are present
>			and accounted for). 
>
>			Now thought a motor or transmission mount 
>broke on 
>				the dirt, possibly temporarily jamming 
>clutch,
>				explaining slopply lever. On 
>hindsight, a 
>				broken mount will NOT affect an 
>hydraulic
>				clutch, unlike my GTi.	
>
>So far I have:
>
>1) Brake fluid reservior checks full. 
>2)Visually and palpitably checked the motor and transmission mounts. 
>Heat
>shield on the exhaust side mount is intact. 
>3) jacked up the engine and transmission about 2" to see which, if 
>any
>mounts
>	separated. Good sign, car lifted up under the engine jacking.
>4) All 4(?) mounts visually and palpitate okay, IOW, no separation at 
>the
>mounts. 
>5) Started car, ran front wheels against a curb (gently). Attempted 
>to
>climb curb (not gonna do it, just to observe the gearshift lever for
>excess side to side motion), no motion noted at the gearshift. 
>6) opened hood, reved engine. It rocks at most about 1 - 2 inches 
>(about
>visually 5 to 10 degrees). 
>
>I'd say the mounts are good, list opinion?
>
>Question - What is causing the stiff shifting and sloppy gear lever?
>
>Any help appreciated.
>
>TIA,
>
>LL - NY