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Rev Shift Motor Mounts Install Writeup Tutorial

40K views 88 replies 35 participants last post by  f2000keith 
#1 · (Edited)
So your stock motor mounts look like this?

If they don't yet, they will.




Time to change them out for some nice new Rev Shift Motor Mounts!
(the Nylon Nuts on the RevShifts are 3/4"):



Tools you'll need:

15mm socket
18mm socket
3/4" socket
Jack with piece of wood to distribute weight
External Torx E-10 (or a 8mm socket)
Extensions



Now you have a decision to make.....

Some people take the stock manifolds/or headers off to do this which makes life a lot easier but takes more time
(lots of extensions and an impact, when removing the motor mount brackets from the block)

Or leave the manifold/headers on and get up close and personal with a wrench.

Remove the wheel and dive on in.

This is showing Passenger Side (3 bolts):
Old Motor Mount bolts on block: 15mm



This is showing Driver Side (4 bolts):
Make sure the bolts with studded head go on bottom so the wire loom can be reattached



Here are the new Revshift Mounts inside both brackets. It's upside down in the pic (sorry I was in a hurry and was trying to take pics on the side)
RevShift also told me the factory heat shields are not necessary and were not installed



The Nut on the hex stud is 18mm



This is the same stud removed (you can use a 8mm socket on it if you don't have an E-10 inverted torx socket):



Here's how I lifted the engine block (and how I've done it every MM change)
My buddy Lance's head is now famous



Gratuitous Dipstick shot (some people say they've done it without removing, but I've taken mine out every time since it's like playing Jenga getting the MM bracket out...that bolt is 15mm)
Wrapped headers FTW



This is trying to maneuver the passenger side motor mount block from the engine bay (That nut on top is 18mm):



RevShift mount installed,,,very nice!:


Initial thoughts after I've put 400+ miles on these so far.......


The idle vibration is raised slightly compared to the UUC's. Now I realize this is all subjective....so a little insight:

The UUC's only vibrated slightly more than the stockers, so being the Rev Shift's being a harder urethane than the UUC's you feel the idle just a tad more like as if you had a tiny cam maybe?

The engine feels like it's more planted though like the power is getting transplanted to the ground a lot better. Placebo effect? I don't know.....but I like it.

I got the 80A blue ones (softer street ones) which are only $149.99....can't beat that price!

RevShift makes red ones (track ones) and even harder. So pick your poison.

All in all I'm happy with them because I like my power getting to the pavement. My UUC's weren't bad (I thought they were) but these are much firmer which hopefully translates to HP being used intsead of lost. (Like my butt dyno suggests) I'm digging em!

Here's a link to buy em:
https://www.revshift.com/shop/bushin...s/cadillac.php


If you have any questions, PM me......And I'm out.
 
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G
#46 · (Edited)
Debunk the trans mount insert raising the height of the transmission.

Maybe you should relax a little and see that I wasn't saying your product was bad or that people shouldn't buy it. Saying the issue is simply due to my modified shifter is ridiculous. My shifters are in 175 CTS-V's with only issues with the first generation when combined with a UUC trans mount that is known to be 3/8" taller than stock.
 
#48 ·
Don't take it the wrong way. I didn't realize that you are a vendor and that you sell shifters. I thought you were saying that you modified your own shifter linkage and nothing else. I am not trying to start an argument or anything like that. We simply want to keep the facts straight. There are a lot of people who read these forums and, as we all know, people tend to believe what they read on the internet. My goal is to present correct information that has real life data to support it. You said "Maybe the additional height from the trans mount insert in combination with the motor mounts just raises them both a tad too much". This statement is speculation. We have already proven that our motor mounts don't raise the motor. Now, we will have to test and measure the trans mount insert. It's not a problem because we want the correct information to be out there. When you speculate things and post them on the forums it not only hurts us but it also hurts the community who wants to know the truth.
 
G
#49 ·
Ok. I know the trans mount raises the height of the transmission. I was trying to be nice and not call out your product directly. My thought was you might take a look at it before lashing out at someone who says your stuff makes my shift linkage hit or I installed the Revshift trans mount insert and now I have all this driveline vibration. We have seen this with the UUC trans mount. I can get exact measurements but I'm sure that you'll have measurements before I get to my shop and do it.

Personally, I don't mind that the trans is raised because it gives me a chance to do more research and learn more about our cars. I have made an insert and modified the hold down plate inside the center console to allow the entire shifter assembly to raise up into the cabin. This will keep the linkage from hitting while I test out different modifications to your insert for different heights while checking for shift effort and driveline angle vibration.

I'll PM you the results when I get around to finishing up the testing. It's been raining and cold up here in the northeast so I haven't been to motivated to take the car out. Some of us actually aren't Internet toolbags that just troll misinformation.
 
#50 ·
It has been a long day here at the Revshift shop but I did manage to compare a brand new CTS-V trans mount with no insert to the same brand new trans mount with a Revshift insert.

The old worn out trans mount was removed from the vehicle (it was really bad). I then installed a brand new OEM trans mount with no insert. All the bolts were tight and nothing is supporting the drivetrain other than the mounts at the time the picture was taken. I then removed the new trans mount and installed a Revshift insert into it and reinstalled the trans mount with insert onto the vehicle. The pictures show that the new trans mount sits at the same height as it does with the trans insert installed.



We designed our trans insert to keep the trans mount at the same height that a brand new stock mount sits. This is where the GM engineers intended the trans to sit and our insert keeps it there.

Pisnuoff, it is possible that you are comparing the position of a sagging trans mount to the position of a trans mount with our insert. This is like comparing an old worn mount to a brand new mount. There will definitely be a difference. I know nothing about your shifter/linkage but, with all due respect, I think it may be possible that your product was designed around a transmission sitting on a worn trans mount.
 
G
#53 ·
Ok. I had a chance to look at it today. The pivot ball on my shifter was wiped out and allowing it to sit low. I replaced it with a spare and all is fine again. Plenty of clearance with the revshift motor mounts and trans insert.
 
#56 ·
Hey everybody, hows it goin'? I am the owner of Creative Steel, we make several parts for the CTS-V's...perhaps you have heard of us. It has been a few months since I have been on the forum on a daily basis, since then there have been a lot of new screen names added to the community. This is why I almost feel like I need to re-introduce myself...kind of a weird sensation since I've been a member and vendor here for 3 years.
The "Truth" is a funny thing, it seems to be a full time job to make sure it doesn't get distorted. One would think that once the truth is spoken that would be the end of it.....not so. Once you stop spreading the good word about yourself or your products the door is left open for others to ooze in with their deceptions and misleading statements. We just finished a presidential debate that is a prime example of this situation. There are so many lies and half truths being said by both parties for such an extended period of time that the public is confused and irritated and not sure what to believe.
Case in point: The idea that Creative Steel has ever used a urethane in our products that was intended as a windshield adhesive/sealant is so absurd that it is sad. I realize that many DIY folks out there have tried this method in an act of desperation to repair a failed/worn urethane part and I commend these people for thinking outside the box, that's how progress is made. But, saying out loud in public that Creative Steel has built a business making motor mounts out of windshield adhesive...that is going too far. There is something fundamentally wrong with people that will say anything to make themselves look better or more successful in the eyes of strangers at the expense of someone else. Why would someone need to fabricate a false statement to instill doubt in another companies product if their own product was as good as they say it is.
It's true that we had some major problems with our gray motor mounts and a few with our first generation black mounts. All problems were heat related which is why we still supply heat shields with our current generation of mounts. No matter what you read read on a website, heat is the enemy of urethane. The higher the temperature the faster any given urethane will deteriorate. We were mislead by our previous supplier of urethane as to what temperatures their products would perform at while exposed to a "near exhaust" environment which is the reason we don't use their product for motor mounts any longer. The bad thing is that we didn't realize the problem until approximately 30 sets were already sold, the good thing is that we warrantied all sets that were brought to our attention even if the claim was made by the next owner of the car and will still to this day replace a gray set of our mounts for no charge.
Another interesting fact: If you see any pictures of our mounts that have failed....check the date of when the picture was taken...it will be over two years old and will have been posted before. It won't be "New News". We haven't had a failed mount in years, which is why if someone wants to throw rocks at us they need to go back to the archives for their information.

One more big chuck of "TRUTH", you will not find better products or support than you will find at Creative Steel. Call me right now if you like, ask me questions about our cars. If it's a topic that I know about, we can talk for an hour if you like. If it's a topic that I don't know about, I won't blow smoke up your skirt to make myself sound smart.

Hope all you guys have a mondo great day.....out
 
#57 ·
First off, this is a thread about Revshift products. I feel the need to explain everything that I possibly can so that everyone has a clear understanding of what our products are and are not. Max has stated that he feels our polyurethane products are not the best. I will now explain why he is mistaken.

Revshift said:
Our competitor, the one in question, uses a type of polyurethane adhesive sealant which is similar to urethane windshield caulk. It is not acceptable material to use as mounts or bushings
Max, We never claimed you use windoweld. I said you use and/or used something similar to it (chemically). I will go into more detail. We have held your mounts, inspected your mounts, and performed a chemical test on the urethane. Considering our history as competitors, you shouldn't be surprised by this. We found that you are/were using a product called Devcon Flexane or a product of the same type. Devcon offers two hardnesses, 97A (Flexane 94) which is black and 87A (Flexane 80) which used to be grey. Both products are now black. In case you are wondering, the PU that you were/are using is a polypropylene glycol prepolymer cured with a dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate. This chemical composition tends to have poor compression set (mounts compress/sag over time), mediocre tear strength (mounts rip/break), and poor hydrolytic stability (water damage). All three of these characteristics are extremely important when engineering a PU part intended to be used as an automotive isolator. Now, if you don't mold the parts yourself then I strongly suggest you have a serious talk with whoever is being contracted.

http://www.devcon.com/products/products.cfm?family=Flexane® 94 Liquid
http://www.devcon.com/products/products.cfm?family=Flexane® 80 Liquid

The numbers don't lie. When comparing our professional polyurethane to flexane, we find that in any of the important specifications our polyurethane is 250%-400% better. We have not had a single failure of Cadillac motor mounts or bushings to date. Now, if we were ever to have a customer end up with broken parts, we simply send new ones free of charge.

I would say "feel free to call me and discuss the science behind engineering polyurethane elastomers" but there are a lot of trade secrets involved and we are very busy designing and making parts. I apologize if I come off a little harsh but we are engineers, not politicians. :bouncy:
 
#63 ·
I had both motor mounts in my car. I bought the Revshift motor mounts and tranny mount. I didn't know the CS motor mounts were in there - bought the car that way and never inspected. I don't notice any difference between the two different motor mounts and the CS mounts are in perfect condition - perhaps 10k miles at most on them. I have headers now so of course the vibrations have increased but other than that...I'm not taking out the Revshift motor mounts cause they are doing their job. I only replaced the motor mounts cause I saw dried fluid all over where the motor mounts were - I thought the stockers were damaged. Turns out it was just poor house keeping by the previous owner - oh well.

Btw, the tranny mount is awesome - very slick design!
 
#65 ·
Your inbox is full.

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I can't comment on the choice between the two mounts. Here is a link to the ordering thread for my shifters
I have a Katech short throw shifter with UUC shifter bushings. I don't know what happened but lately 3rd gear is tricky and quite sloppy (difficult). I don't like it. Is this something you can work with? It's not stock. This gear box is quite a POS, glad you are enhancing it!
 
G
#67 ·
You can take the bottom bolt out of the shifter and check the nylon bushings. If they are broken or worn out, I have replacement Delrin ones. I would take the shifter boot and knob off and make sure all the other bolts are tight. Especially the two at the front that connect to the outer linkage bars.
 
#68 ·
You have Delrin replacements? Sign me up! I've got a rollerbearing assembly from azn2dmax (pictured below), but installing it would require me to drill out my Katech shifter to 11/16". Speaking of which, have you installed the brass T56 shifter cup bushing, and if so, what's your opinion on it? Worth the trouble?

 
#69 ·
Installed the Revshift mounts today with a friend of mine and a 12-pack of Bud Light. I had no idea that my stock mounts with the juicy filling were in such rough shape -- the passenger side mount decided to spew its contents when my friend was removing it, and the driver's side mount was well on its way to completely falling apart.

Install took about 4 1/2 hours with two people working on it. We just jacked the front of the car up, no lift, but a lift would definitely helped get some of the more stubborn bolts.

Some of my findings about the install:
- Make sure you have good lighting. The bolts are all visible, but hard to see if it's dark.
- Be sure to have long enough ratchet extensions. A few bolts are easiest to get to if you have a lonnng (1 or 1.5 foot) extensions.
- A universal joint ratchet coupler. A couple bolts I found to be awkward to get directly at, having a u-joint helps.
- Patience. Getting the bolts out isn't *too* hard, but getting the assembly out once the bolts are out is a pain in the butt.
- Getting the mounts OUT: Once all bolts were out, I wiggled it until I could remove the bottom bracket while it was still lodged in its area on the car. Then I removed the other bracket with the liquid mounts.
- Getting the mounts IN: I installed the mounts the opposite way -- I bolted the new mounts onto the upper brackets first, then got them into position on the car. Then I wiggled the lower bracket in and assembled it to the mount. This is more of a pain than bolting everything together outside the car, but it's easier to re-install. Then I finger-tightened down the upper bracket first, then the lower bracket, then lowered the engine back down before re-tightening everything.

Results?

The hard starts are gone, and the car is overall much more smooth. My mounts were so shot, that any kind of solid mount would be a big improvement, but so far, the Revshifts are fantastic.
 
#71 ·
I just installed revshift reds and they are awesome. Only my driver side mount was busted but it is a world of a difference in feel. There is slight vibration over stock but bearable IMO. It could just be that I drove around with the busted mount for a bit and got used to it but I love my car even more with these things installed
 
#72 ·
I just tried to install my new mounts and couldn't--some of the bolts and studs appear seized. Anyone know a good shop in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale to do this for me? I left my compressor and 'real' tools 600 miles away.

The driver's side mount is just a bitch. The top left on the engine especially. It's stuck hard.
 
#76 ·
I did this swap almost a year ago. Took me 2.5 hours by myself. I didn't remove any exhaust or the dipstick. What I did that (I think) is different than what others have done is that I disassembled the mount on each side, from the two aluminum brackets, before pulling them all from the car. This made it easy to snake the parts out w/out removing anything extra.

My "Blues" have been fantastic and we are so much happier with the car since installing them. It turns out that our mounts were blown since we bought the car with only 28k on it. The original mounts were totally torn in half and filled with dirt.
 
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