missing engine shock?
 

I'm about to replace the engine mounts. I see the shock on the driver's side but the passenger side has nothing. I can see the hole in the frame that should take the bottom end of the shock.

This is a 1984 300D turbo.

Should it have two shocks?

Yep.

The shocks themselves are usually good. Grab one off a yard car and it will as be you $50. Refurb the shock mount. New are over priced.

Edit: there is a flat spot on the bottom shaft that an open end wrench fits to keep the shaft from rotating when you remove the bottom nut.

Should. My 1984 300D had both when I got it. No emergency, and I doubt you will notice a difference with two. Bring a set of small ignition wrenches to the junkyard or you will never be able to remove the lower lock nut to remove it. I recall the 300SD use the same shock, but the upper mount is different (inverted for more space or such). Most upper mounts are degraded. I filled the gap w/ black polyurethane (PL1 gutter seal from Home Depot), which seems to last.

I think 8mm is the size of the nut on the shaft. Perhaps 10mm hold the mount. Probably 8mm open end on the shaft to keep it from turning.

I have two used ones if you are interested.

It does have the passenger side shock after all, I was just looking in the wrong place. It's in front of the engine mount, unlike the driver side which was aft of the mount.

Here's another dumb question. I've disconnected both 8mm allen bolts to the engine arms, and both shocks. I'm jacking with a thick board under the oil pan. I jack about 4 inches and the engine doesn't budge, instead the whole front end lifts. I didn't go further for fear of damaging the oil pan. How far do I need to go before the engine starts to lift above the mounts? And could there be something else holding it to the frame?

You did remove the through-bolt to the engine mount right (not the shock mount, the shocks are just there to dampen vibration)? If not, you're lifting the entire car with the engine mounts!

I had similar trouble that was driving me nuts for hours - was just the weight coming off the springs raised the car chassis to the point my jack lifting the engine ran out of lift...

The engine was heavier than I guessed. Another inch and it started to lift. Thanks for the response.

It is actually 7mm for the shaft, 10mm for the nut.