[clusco]

Okay, guys. I just got my alignment done last week and the car was still pulling severely right when I'd let up on the accelerator. Went to get it re-alligned and they figured out that the motor mounts were shot and this was causing the engine to jump and pull the car left upon accelleration and right upon decelleration.

So, Is this a do it yourself type of job or is a hoist rack a necessity?

Also, how many motor mounts do I have the the STS. I think he pointed out 3 of them (1 in front 1 to the right and 1 to the left). When I called Autozone for a price, he said that there is a left, a right and a right front. I just want to make sure with you guys that there are only 3 that I need.

My local mechanic said that he'd charge me $150 for the labor if I'd buy the parts.

 

[clusco]

Today I found out that there are only 2 motor mounts on the bottom of the car...the right and the front right. The others are called, "transmission mounts". So is this a job I could do myself with a floor jack or two?

 

[gdgrosse]

The car jerks forward or backward actually, not left or right. The engine is transverse mounted to attach to the frontwheel drive transmission. If an engine mount goes bad, you will notice the top of the highest points on the engine actually rubbing and causing chafing of the fiberglass insulation on the underside of the hood. The elements on the 98-current models usually include the plastic guide the throttle linkage passes through on it's way to the throttle body, or the power steering fluid reservoir cap. I can't remember what the highest points were on the 95-97 era. Also there are A/C related refrigerant tubes mounted to the firewall. The B shaped mounts (each tube passes through a hole in the "B" mount) usually ends up getting "polished" by the rear of the engine as it torques over towards the firewall during heavy acceleration with a broken front engine mount. Broken transmission mounts will proliferate after continued operation with broken engine mount(s). Once this occurs, the chafing of the hood insulation and the polishing of the refrigerant tube brackets becomes more noticeable. After continued operation, the power steering unit fluid line connections which are conveniently above all of the drive/accesory belts will begin to stress fracture, ultimately dripping onto the belts, causing premature timing belt failure, a/c ineffectiveness due to belt slip on compressor clutch engagements and eventual loss of friction on accesory belt(s).

Enjoy. I know I have more than six times. Let's just say that I will be purchasing the solid motor mount "spacers" from the RSM racing folks soon after I determine how much trouble they'll be to install and if they offer transmission mount "spacers" to boot. Am I right in calling these spacers and not really "mounts" since the mounts are really the welded-on segments of the chasis and the engine and the spacers are the items in question [prone to failure] here?

For more information on actually replacing your mounts, see the highly acclaimed post:

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54377