Swapped out my motor and tranny mounts. Got a nasty surprise

[BullRider]

My '01 RT/10 was getting some wheel hop when I got the tires spinning, so I decided that it might be time to consider swapping out the stock mounts for polyurethane. A quick order from Jon B later and I threw the car up on jackstands and got to work.

I started with the tranny, and this is what I found:

The mount was completely shredded and totally separated. I dropped the tranny (and installed a B&M Ripper short shifter at the same time), and threw the new mount in. Super easy install and it took about 20 minutes.

I then moved onto the engine mounts. They looked alright from a quick visual inspection. But when I got them freed, I found this:

BOTH engine mounts were completely split. This means that nothing was holding my powertrain down at all except maybe my manifolds.

I've got the old mounts out, and I hope to finish up tonight getting the new mounts in. I have no doubt that it will feel like a new car with the mounts and shifter in place now.

Anyhow. If your miles are creeping up and you haven't already checked them, inspect your mounts and if they look questionable, swap them out. Its a pretty easy process (probably two hours all in if you don't have a lift).


BullRider

 

[KenH]

Yikes! I have never heard of them all failing that way. You will definitely feel the difference with the poly mounts.

 

[ViperTony]

Wow...those mounts are ******!!! I see you had a battle with those engine mount heat shields. You will notice a remarkable, seat of the pants improvement when you get your new mounts installed. It'll feel like you picked up 50hp. Enjoy!

 

[Schulmann]

I would like to know why some of these parts break.
Maybe a bad batch set from a Chinese factory?!
Or maybe they were union made on a Friday ?!
I had a 600hp Viper and never had an issue with these parts.

 

[Viper Wizard]

Wheel hop? It must have felt like riding a bull, BullRider!

 

[triblk6spd]

How many miles were on those mounts?

 

[pdmracing]

all i can say is WOW! ill be checking mine today

 

[ViperJohn]

Is it possible the mounts were severely stressed when the vehicle was involved in an accident?

 

[Blue Pilot]

Is it possible the mounts were severely stressed when the vehicle was involved in an accident?

That is what I was thinking as his avatar states 'back from the dead'

 

[Disturbed]

WOW....


My Trans mount was ok. But both my motor mounts were torn...but NOT THAT BAD! WOW

 

[agentf1]

Wheel hop? It must have felt like riding a bull, BullRider!

 

[Iceman]

How much were the mounts?

Also, please let us know how the car feels afterwards. Been pondering this upgrade for a while.

Thanks.

 

[klamathpro]

Man, what was holding your engine in place? You must have REALLY good exhaust mounts.

 

[RTED]

Replaced my engine mounts and trans mount last year on my 95 with 28k miles on the old ones. Both mounts showed signs of the rubber beginning to split and both were distorted as compared to the OEM replacements. The trans mount looked OK, but I replaced it anyway. Your decision to change the mounts are matter of mileage as well as the age of your vehicle. When you consider the tourque that these mounts are withstanding, it is best to replace them sooner than later.

If you decide to use stock motor mounts, note that there is a left and right mount! Buy them from Chuck at Tator Dodge...best prices and fast service!!

 

[Vic]

Whats so great about the poly mounts vs stock, that "makes you feel like you got another 50 Hp?"

 

[BullRider]

Got the car on the road with the short shifter and poly mounts! Whoa! What a difference! Absolutely no slop anywhere in the driveline now!

Shifts are tight and crisp. Feels like 100% of the power makes it to the pavement with nothing between the engine and the wheels. The only downside is that the vibration dampening is less with the more solid mounts. I actually like it, as the car just feels more powerful all around. When you rev 8L of engine, you know you've got some serious ponies lurking there! I highly recommend this to anyone considering it. If you've got a lift, you can probably do the swap in a couple of hours. If not, tack on another hour for BS time.

Got my mounts from Jon B. Cost was about $100 each, but I bought a lot of stuff in one go, so I don't know if I got a "package deal" or not. Well worth the money!

 

[ViperTony]

Got the car on the road with the short shifter and poly mounts! Whoa! What a difference! Absolutely no slop anywhere in the driveline now!

Shifts are tight and crisp. Feels like 100% of the power makes it to the pavement with nothing between the engine and the wheels. The only downside is that the vibration dampening is less with the more solid mounts. I actually like it, as the car just feels more powerful all around. When you rev 8L of engine, you know you've got some serious ponies lurking there! I highly recommend this to anyone considering it. If you've got a lift, you can probably do the swap in a couple of hours. If not, tack on another hour for BS time.

Got my mounts from Jon B. Cost was about $100 each, but I bought a lot of stuff in one go, so I don't know if I got a "package deal" or not. Well worth the money!

It feels like the Viper has come to life hasn't it? The vibration does go away after a bit. I have the Woodhouse mounts (Black) and the vibration was noticeable at first (I liked it) but went away after a short while. I recently checked and retorqued my mounts and nothing has budged since the install. Enjoy.

 

[viperrt96]

I had the same surprise when I pulled my motor. Luckily the stock mounts have those interlocking metal tangs because that was the only thing holding the mounts together

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