$29.90 Saab front mount installation

1310 Views 7 Replies 5 Participants Last post by Alfisto Steve, Oct 23, 2007

BlackAlfa

Discussion Starter · Oct 20, 2007

Here's another "al cheapo" solution, you can decide whether it is for you

! Q owners can hit the "next" button now

!

I started to try to get my '91 Nero fix up before the weather get colder. I had removed the front mount (another Saab mount, I think it is the corteco one, was <$60) from this car and put it in another car as an emergency need. I ordered two $29.90 mounts (free ship

) from eEuroparts last week. The stud on this mount is M12x1.5. The alfa mount is M10. So the hole at the mounting bracket needs to be enlarged for the stud to go through. The hardest part of this job is actually finding a nut to fit the stud from my nuts and bolts collection (Alfa uses M12x1.25 for most application. Hey, you can go out and buy a new nut but remember this is supposed to be cheap!). The drilling part is not bad since the alloy of the bracket is not really that hard (hint - use sharp bits). The final drill bit size I used is 1/2". The Saab mount went in pretty easy since it is a little smaller and I have jacked the engine high enough.

I don't know how well this mount will last but I guess I'll find out some time!

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MrT

· #2 · Oct 20, 2007

I stlll have the two (2, same as you) eEuroparts fluid-filled Saab mounts I ordered last spring. I still hope to cut them down by belt-sanding off the threads and getting a die to re-thread. But boring out the mount is certainly an option. I even have an A/C bracket free from another car for boring out. But I don't like doing irreversible things unless I know they're Good Irreversible Things.

I'd have tried out a 12mm drill to get a nearly zero clearance hole. I've read that the 10mm stud takes an 11mm clearance hole, so the 12mm would have added only a mm to the hole diameter. Upon need to go back to the AR mount (for any reason) I thought a sleeve would be workable.

JI'll be looking forward to hearing about your experience with this mount and its longevity. One of our south of the equator compadres was also in possession and pending on this issue.

(Great pics, by they way. And your heater core writeup was a big help for me earlier in the week.)

Michael

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AlexGS

· #3 · Oct 21, 2007

At first I thought this was the thread that I had started - since the $29.90 part was the same

Bob C - great pics! You make it look reassuringly simple. I didn't think it would be possible to drill from underneath, but of course with the old mount out of the way, there's a lot more space than I thought. Also your multigroove drivebelt seems to be missing - and judging from the rust on the a/c compressor pulley, has been for some time!

Is that an area that gets salt on the roads or just a lot of rain (like here)...

MrT said:
JI'll be looking forward to hearing about your experience with this mount and its longevity. One of our south of the equator compadres was also in possession and pending on this issue.
Michael

Yes - I never did actually buy one because my existing front mount looks like a recent-ish replacement. I think my gearchanging-problems lie elsewhere.

Thanks,
-Alex

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BlackAlfa

Discussion Starter · #4 · Oct 22, 2007

Michael, I don't think it will be a problem if I am going to put a AR mount back in (after the mod). Yes, the hole is slightly bigger but the mounting nut will clamp it down! Once it is tighten down, I think it is more likely the mount itself will fail first before the stud will move around within the hole

! A 1/2" hole is slightly less than 13mm (25.4mm/2= 12.7mm) and I think it was a good choice (too tight might make installation harder).

Alex, yes the car has been sitting for a while. It got a couple things that need some works and I just never manage to get back to it. The car is parked outside. The up and down temperature in New England (Northeast of USA) area and the damp outside air causing condensation (rain too) make things rusty in this case. I think I better start fixing this car up or else it'll end up as a parts car since I've already taken a few parts from it!

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daegrigg

· #5 · Oct 22, 2007

Great post. I love my Alfa but I really chafe at some of the rediculous prices for some parts. Years ago, I discovered that the rear Alfa mount (going for about $38) was a drop in fit for the front mount. Although not oil filled, it worked and lasted for at least the 3 years I owned the car. (I posted the fix on 164 Discussions and got a chilly reception. ) Now the rear and front mounts are going at silly prices so hats off to your resourcefulness. BTW, what is the Saab part numbers and source?

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BlackAlfa

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 23, 2007

daegrigg said:
BTW, what is the Saab part numbers and source?

Here's where I got the Saab mount. If you look up engine mounts for different years of SAAB 9000's, you can see the other (more expensive) mounts too.

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AlexGS

· #7 · Oct 23, 2007

daegrigg said:
Years ago, I discovered that the rear Alfa mount (going for about $38) was a drop in fit for the front mount. Although not oil filled, it worked and lasted for at least the 3 years I owned the car. (I posted the fix on 164 Discussions and got a chilly reception. )

This is maybe not the place for me to say, but I'll say anyway as I know what you meant and sympathise!

Forums are really quite unlike any other form of interaction in that sometimes, what you say gets completely overshadowed by something else or seemingly ignored (or dismissed) by the people that you thought would be interested. I know this as I have several thousand posts on the FIAT forum to my name! You have my sympathy, but all you can do is keep at it and rest assured that someone, somewhere, may have since found your post helpful...

This is of course not meant as a dig at 164 Discussions or at this forum - merely stating what I have seen often over the years at forums (all types); imagine if you were at a party and someone ignored you or someone else rapidly changed the subject - well, it happens on forums all the time, so I guess we get used to it. We've all been there...

Anyway thanks for the info, I think we've all learned quite a lot about what to do when that expensive front mount fails.

-Alex

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Alfisto Steve

· #8 · Oct 23, 2007 (Edited)

AlexGS said:
Anyway thanks for the info, I think we've all learned quite a lot about what to do when that expensive front mount fails.
-Alex

I think the issue about using rear mount in front position is depth of hole in subframe and height of rear mount and fact it gets wider and increases height with weight of engine so causes mount to bottom out in subframe. So it almost becomes a solid mount with engine weight on it.

Correct me if I am wrong with that assessment. I currently have a empty engine bay so I will program a fit check of rear mount in front mounting hole and report my findings in the near future. If I pinged on this idea when first posted that was my logic but I will verify fit.

As I remember both the Saab 9000 mounts front and rear are both encased inside a solid metal container wheras only the front one on the 164 is and rear one floats freely in open space.

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$29.90 Saab front mount installation

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