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How to Replace the Motor Mounts on a 99 ZX2

Some questions are harder to answer than others; what is the meaning of life, why do things in movies and video games always happen in threes, and why is it so hard to find an engine mount removal procedure for a late-90s Escort or Escort ZX2? Maybe Ford thought Mazda or Kia -- who both used the "B" platform -- were supposed to cover the Escort. And probably vice-versa. Fortunately, aside from the torque specs, the actual procedure is much like the mount replacement procedures for every other four-cylinder ever produced.

Instructions

1

Place a set of chocks behind the rear wheels, set the parking brake, and lift the front end of your car just enough that you can fit under it. Youll be using your floor jack to support the engine from underneath, and youll be in a precarious position if you place the engine out of reach of the jack.

2

Identify the engine mount the you want to replace. There are four: the top motor mounts on the driver- and passenger-side of the car, and the lower front and rear motor mounts. The fact that this chassis has four motor mounts greatly simplifies the replacement procedure since either the top two or the bottom two could hypothetically support the weight of the drivetrain.

3

Slide the floor jack under the engine, and place a piece of lumber on top of the jack pad to protect the oilpan. Bias the jack toward the mount that youll be replacing. In this instance, youre not so much supporting the engine as you are keeping it from moving while you remove the mount and after you remove it. Avoid the exhaust pipe and the suspension components, and bias the jack as close to the mount as possible; just make sure that you leave enough room to access the mount itself.

4

Remove the mounts through-bolt first. Remove the nut from the bolt, and try to tap it out with the end of your wrench. If it doesnt move, then apply a little bit of upward pressure with the jack to take some of the weight off the bolt. If it proves extremely difficult, spray the bolt with some penetrating lubricant, and turn the bolt head.

5

Spray the engine mount nuts with penetrating oil if necessary, and remove them. Pull the mount off. You may find it easier, particularly on the lower mounts, to remove the corresponding bracket, and remove the two as a unit. Once you have the mount off, installation is the reverse of removal. The only major differences are that you may need to adjust the height of the engine with the jack to aid in aligning the through-bolt holes, and that you may want to clean the bolt and stud threads with solvent and use a drop of medium (blue) threadlocker for peace of mind. See the torque specs below for nut and bolt torques.

Posted by Unknown at 12:00 AM

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Labels: 99, a, how, motor, mounts, on, replace, the, to, zx2