How to Check for Bad Engine Mounts

Lately my car has been making squeaks and rattles coming from up front on the passenger side. The squeaks are mainly over certain bumps and the rattle at idle and when I engine brake. Is there a simple way to see if my engine (or even tranny) mounts are bad? I'd prefer not to take them out to check them since that's a PITA. Car is an 03 Mustang GT w/ Hooker Headers.

cant ya just get under the car or look from up top? I dont own a v8 stang so not sure here, but I would check suspension as it sounds like that and not motor mounts, start with a sway bar as it really sounds like a bad bushing

I agree with bdu8554, probably suspension. With an '03, you shouldn't have bad mounts unless you have 150,000 miles or so on it already. BUT, if it was bad engine and tranny mounts, you would hear clunking on acceleration and decceleration, not over bumbs, and you definitely wouldn't hear a rattle.

Since you have aftermarket headers, I'd suspect something loose in the exhaust system as well. Those half-dozen or so catalytic convertors that Mustangs have are also known to cause rattling and clunking when the exhaust system gets a little loose.

But here's the deal. I put in all new springs, shocks, struts, and sway bars in back over the winter (which included new bushings for the sway bars) and new cats (I just have 2 cats) back in March (in which I haven't bottomed out since). Also, I can also hear a combo of the two noises if I'm driving 35-40 mph in 5th w/ moderate load on the engine. I figure that considering my passenger side header is almost touching the k-member, I figure if the mount is bad, the header hitting the k-member is causing the sound. Plus there is the probability that the heat from the headers killed the rubber in the mount. I will check out other reasons to the sounds but I still want to know how to check the mounts so I can rule it out.

All you need to do to check your motor mounts is Lift the hood, start the car, engage the parking brake FULLY, block the wheels, and hold the brakes, put that phancy phucker in gear and hit the throttle in Foreward, and watch the motor, then do it in reverse.

If your engine moves more than 1/2 inch (not counting frame deflection or Twist) then you need new motor mounts.

Pretty simple procedure...


FE

I suspect the squeak isn't associated with the rattle. There is probably a seperate cause for each noise. In my experience, rattles are most common from the exhaust system. Check everything. Put in up in the air, wiggle the exhaust and listen for anything rattling around or hitting. Especially around the heat shields.

As for the squeek, I suspect the new suspension compenents you installed included poly bushings? If that's the case, there's not much you can do. Poly bushings are great for performance and helping to stiffen up the car and suspension, but they are known to squeak. Even if you take them out and put a little grease in them, chances are the squeak will return eventually. Or you can replace the poly bushings with rubber ones.

Check all your new suspension pieces for loose fasteners.

No Poly bushings, everything up front is stock (FRPP Handling Pack which is the stuff from the Bullitt and Mach 1). The only poly bushings I have are out back and those I recently greased and the sound is coming from up front anyway. Tomorrow I'm going to get under and take the cats off to check them as well using FE's method to see if the engine rocks excessively.

Originally Posted by FEandGoingBroke

All you need to do to check your motor mounts is Lift the hood, start the car, engage the parking brake FULLY, block the wheels, and hold the brakes, put that phancy phucker in gear and hit the throttle in Foreward, and watch the motor, then do it in reverse.

If your engine moves more than 1/2 inch (not counting frame deflection or Twist) then you need new motor mounts.

Pretty simple procedure...


FE

That's how my old shop teacher did it, and it became real clear if a mount was broken. The best part is it's stupid easy and you don't need to get dirty to check.

Its easy to tell on the old Fords. The throttle usually hangs wide open when the engine mount breaks. LOL