Today's Best Mounts

[SmoothCat565]

Ya dude that was the trick I’ll post again with my comments

I used a big flathead screwdriver and some rage

 

[SmoothCat565]

****EDIT, installing the BFI stage 1 dogbone insert did absolutely nothing, which became apparent after break in. Disregard my remarks about that below. That insert won’t do much tightening things up but definitely increases NVH in reverse. I left it in place for now*****

Alright, so reporting back. The goal for me was to just install the BFI stage 1 dogbone insert, nothing else, and hopefully tighten up all the slack for a smoother ride and less of that forward/backward rocking movement.

I’ll say, after installing the dogbone insert, the movement decreased by 50%, which is great but not exactly where I would like it to be. And I’ll have to see how it holds up over time and changes in temperature with the seasons, but it definitely made a significant difference when accelerating/decelerating at slow speeds where naturally there is more engine movement, shifting throughout the gears, etc.

Commenting on the NVH, yes, it definitely adds some as noted by others, especially in reverse and idle. And also, I can feel the vibrations in the clutch pedal. Basically, if you have a single mass flywheel and have clutch chatter, it will amplify the clutch chatter but I don’t feel the cabin vibrating or anything crazy like that. I was never bothered by clutch chatter, and with the amplified chatter, it still is completely tolerable.

Now for actually installing the insert:

Got the car on 4 stands (jack also used on the subframe as a 5th point of support which I highly recommend) and put car in neutral to loosen any tension as noted by others.

With the dogbone mount bolt still in place, I used silicone lubricant from autozone, sprayed heavily both inside the dogbone bushing where the dogbone insert gets installed and all over the working surface of the insert. Slid right into place. Barely even needed a mallet. Next, breaking loose the dogbone mount bolt - I used a breaker bar and the handle on my floor jack to get more leverage. Bolt out, noticing immediately that in came out kind of at an angle, which is important to note - nows when I was like dang the new bolt is gonna be tough to get in because something is probably out of alignment.

I was right. Soooo, new bolt wasn’t threading in because the opening hole in the black dogbone mount arm was not aligned with the hole coming from the bushing and with the hole that has the threads (see picture attached). I’ll say trying to rock the motor or trans or dogbone mount arm alone did not do it, but a pry bar between the dogbone mount arm and the subframe (where the arm meets the subframe) spreading it, used my free hand to grab the dogbone arm and push it towards the rear of the car. That was the way. I feel like this pry location is kinda different than what others have shown in tutorial videos like DAP, etc. Keeping tension on the pry bar at this spot with one hand, and threading in the bolt/spacer/large washer with the other, and torquing it down. Finally done.

Next what I’ll probably do are the motor and trans mounts, see if things tighten up a bit more. If not, guess I’m gonna consider replacing the dogbone mount bushing to one of those performance options.

 

[SmoothCat565]

Okay reporting back again. So that BFI stage 1 dogbone insert didn’t really do anything for tightening up the slack mentioned previously. After break in, I had that I’m driving a damn water bed feeling again.

Moving on to how things feel after installing the BFI stage 1 engine mount. It’s only been a few days but this has tightened up some of the slack felt at medium speeds like above 25 mph and seems to be holding up. The forward/backward slack is still significant from 0-25 mph range. I’ll report back again after some time.

By the way, what I did (but may be questionable) for this install is to loosen the bolt on the top of the BFI engine mount to allow enough flex for you to be able to bolt it into the frame with the engine in a low position and then the after lifting the engine so that it meets closer to mount, bolting the mount to the engine, tightening those to spec, and then finally tightening the engine mount top bolt last. DAP mentions this but just wanted to point out that can be done. Not sure if it’s best to loosen that though, but I did torque it back down to the spec DAP provided at least.

 

[SmoothCat565]

How the hell, do you, access those goddamn trans mount bolts that attach the mount to the frame? I spent until 130am trying to find a way and I have the easier ECU bracket. But then underneath that ECU is a plastic cage full of wiring that. Please don’t tell me to watch videos, everyone glosses over this critical portion. It almost seems like my plastic cage appears different than DAP’s honestly
-removed the intake
-removed the battery and battery tray
-removed ECU from ECU bracket, even unplugged the ECU which I don’t even know if that’s safe to do but I was feeling risky - is this safe (just bending the ECU out of the way doesn’t seem possible without putting significant amounts of tension on the connect wires)
-and there I was, staring at this plastic cage that I was somewhat able to pop out from the frame on the side closer to the front of the car, but the side towards the driver seat was not popping out. Even if it did, I don’t even know how I’d free up enough space to access those bolts.

I’m stuck bad, and I don’t want to go in there without a better plan. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Diggs24]

lots of tools

 

[GTI Jake]

Okay reporting back again. So that BFI stage 1 dogbone insert didn’t really do anything for tightening up the slack mentioned previously. After break in, I had that I’m driving a damn water bed feeling again.

Moving on to how things feel after installing the BFI stage 1 engine mount. It’s only been a few days but this has tightened up some of the slack felt at medium speeds like above 25 mph and seems to be holding up. The forward/backward slack is still significant from 0-25 mph range. I’ll report back again after some time.

By the way, what’s critical for this install is to loosen the bolt on the top of the BFI engine mount to allow enough flex for you to be able to bolt it into the frame with the engine in a low position and then the after lifting the engine so that it meets closer to mount, bolting the mount to the engine, tightening those to spec, and then finally tightening the engine mount top bolt last. DAP mentions this but just wanted to point out that it’s pretty much key, don’t be afraid to loosen that bolt at all, just remember to tighten it after. That is the way.

DAP gives the worst possible advice.

That’s literally the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard (aside from them telling people to impact strut nuts & unbolt inner CV rather than outer).

 

[SmoothCat565]

DAP gives the worst possible advice.

That’s literally the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard (aside from them telling people to impact strut nuts & unbolt inner CV rather than outer).

I found it difficult to have all 4 bolt holes line up unless the top bolt was loosened. Not saying it’s best though

 

[SmoothCat565]

DAP gives the worst possible advice.

That’s literally the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard (aside from them telling people to impact strut nuts & unbolt inner CV rather than outer).

Worse than ECS tunings advice to unplug the ECU or is that fine?

 

[SmoothCat565]

Just found this somehow. Look at CPO’s video, look how easily at 6:11 he pulls out the plastic cage for the wires I wish I could do that

 

[DSC808]

I think I used a wrench on the 2 toward the passenger side and the 2 on the driver side I went from the back behind plate using an extension and socket.

 

[SmoothCat565]

I think I used a wrench on the 2 toward the passenger side and the 2 on the driver side I went from the back behind plate using an extension and socket.

Did you use any wobble extensions, wobble sockets, flexible ratchets, crows feet OR just a traditional extension and socket wrench?

How did you unclip the plastic cage covering the wires to access those bolts at all?

 

[Diggs24]

I used all sortsa shit. Here's a 3/4 on a spark plug socket.

 

[GTI Jake]

Worse than ECS tunings advice to unplug the ECU or is that fine?

I unplug the ECU and remove its mount, absolutely nothing wrong with doing that.

 

[DSC808]

This broski for the passenger 2

This broski for the driver side extension

They barely fit, only turn 1/4, but it eventually worked.

 

[SmoothCat565]

I used all sortsa shit. Here's a 3/4 on a spark plug socket.

View attachment 293633

I see, didn’t think of that. Slightly raises it which could help make that easier to access