400e Engine mount ... help
 

Hi all ... Had intended to use this weekend to replace the engine mounts in my '92 400e. It is not going as smoothly as anticipated.
I have a copy of a DIY article which would be wonderful IF it were a six. The V8 is a little tighter in the engine compartment and I'm having trouble making enough room to get the old mounts out and new ones in. There does not appear to be any way to get them past the crossmember without raising the motor way more than possible by jacking the motor from underneath. Anyone done this repair on a 124 V8 car that can give me some tips on getting the old mounts out ? TIA

Tom 400E,

I have not done this on a V-8, or a W124 chassis car, but found if I did one at a time on my W123 Diesel, I could get the engine to roll over while I was lifting it and that gave me the extra room to get the little shields off, and then the mount out. Leaving the other mount attached and the fasteners engaged ensures that as you lift the engine (off-center to favor the side I was taking the mount out from, but by using a hydraulic jack with 2x4 stubs stacked between the end of the jack and the bottom of the oil pan) ensures the engine twists as you jack it up. I hope this helps you, and good luck. Also, be aware that as you jack up the engine, the whole car is raised by the springs that now no longer have to support the engine weight that the jack is supporting. As a result, you have to jack up on the engine until the front springs are nearly fully extended before you get much relative motion between the engine support strut and the chassis structure that holds the mount. Good luck, and I hope someone with more specifically applicable experience pipes up soon. Jim

Thanks Jim ... employing your technique looks as though it will get at least the passenger side done. The real problem is the driver side where there is a mess o' stuff to contend with. I second your hope that someone with V8 specific experience catches this thread and provides some insight ... pa lees.

Tom 400E

Well, how did it go? Did you get the driver's side out? That side is particularly difficult on the W123 240D also, and comes out best if you can get the metal shield off or loosen it so you can push it aside. By unscrewing the bottom screw you can get the motor support strut that sits on top of the mount to lift with the engine. When it is in the "up" position the shield, if you have one, comes loose. If the shield is out of the way, the access to the top of the Allen head screws that hold the mount to the subframe gets 100% better. But like you have noticed, 100% improvement of a situation like the one on the 240D is still pretty poor. Good luck, Jim