toughest nut/bolt in type 44

[Ken]

Hi Konstantin,

I just recently tried to align the motor/tranny in my '88 5kcstq.  Getting at the right side motor mount nut was a bit of work.  Nobody here really had any tips for me when I posted about it, so I just ended up doing it without any premeditated techniques.

I bit the bullet and removed the right side headlight, and the cover/filter for the airbox.  This allowed me to remove both the motor mount heat shields and see where the nut was that I could barely get to.

I wasn't able to use a crowsfoot like Huw suggested.  I could get it on there, but didn't have a combination of extensions or ratchets that could really make use of it.  I ended up using a standard wrench and an offset one to get the nut to turn.  I had the same problem with trying the socket method too.

I suggest using penetrating oil, and working the nut back and forth as you go.  If the threads are too sticky, you could rip out the middle part of the mount, as the only thing holding the stud is the rubber.

After I got mine loose, I jacked up a 2x4 piece of wood across the rear subframe bolts, and measured the distance from that centerline to the round hole cast in the tranny.  The Bentley says to make this something like just over an inch.  Mine was too far forward, so I loosened everything, and pulled the motor as far forward as I could.

I still don't feel like I necessarily got the motor/tranny where it is supposed to go.  It was like I got the assembly moved to the forward extreme of its travel, but was still barely in spec, if it is even in spec.  My measurement accuracy wasn't too good, what with parallax error and the huge piece of wood I was using as a straight line.

The michelin man hose is fairly compressed when the motor is sitting.  I haven't bolted everything down tight, namely the rear tranny mounts, so it may sit differently when I'm done.

I was trying to look at the tranny brackets to see if maybe I put them on backwards, swapping left and right sides.  The one with the hole that I thought was part of the Procon-TEN system is on the right side.  Although different from each other, they seem like they would position the tranny the same if they were swapped.

I'm a bit apprehensive about the location of my motor/tranny, but I'm not sure what more I can do.  The michelin man hose seem more compressed than I would like, yet the measurements at the back of the tranny seem to indicate it is correct, or if anything it's too far back still.

Maybe the Bentley has a typo here too?  I have the single volume, earlier type Bentley for the 5kcstq.

Hth and thanks,

Ken

Konstantin Bogach kbogach at comcast.net wrote:
>
> Will right engine mount nut win this nomination?  If not then I think it
> would be very close to get it.
> Bentley recommends to tighten mounts with engine idling.  I did not know
> that when I changed engine and tranny mounts.  It was easy then because
> the head was off. Left tranny mount was a little bit off . I managed to
> get the bolt through but this is a constant source of doubts. Now it
> seems to me that vibration is a little bit bigger. Today I decided to
> fix this but... How to get to that nut to slacken it without removing
> downpipe or intake manifold?  I was able to put on semi deep socket on
> the nut but I was not able to put on extention(and/or flex joint)?  If
> you know, please, could you describe the way you did it? The car has all
> heat shields replaced, by the way.  It is good but creates an obstalcle
> for that job.