1st Gen R53 Cooper S 2006 motor mount

Yes you have seen a dead or dying motor mount. Time for a replacement. My 2006 is on its second one.

 

Very common issue on the 05 and 06. If you don't mind a little more NVH then there is an aftermarket solution that many of the M/A Sponsors carry.

 

Check out the TSW motor mount we make. It has shown to be a great alternative to the leaky oem one.

 

Lots of folks like the aftermarket one & lots like the oem one. NVH is a huge issue for me & that is why I have stuck with the oem one. Your friend needs to decide if extra noise vibration & harshness is something they can live with. If not maybe one of those aftermarket mounts would work for them.

 

That little black smudge that you can't quite reach is a daily reminder of the rite of passage ordeal one must experience in order to become an elder in the tribe.

 

As one MINI driver told me, if you haven't blown an engine mount you're not driving hard enough. =)

 

I blew mine out at about 15,000 miles on track, talk about a mess...

There are people that have been through multiple hydraulic mounts. I have one on now only because the TSW was backordered when mine went. My next one will be the TSW one; I'll probably replace it next spring, hopefully before this one explodes.

 

I went through two OEM mounts in 45k miles. I now have a TSW mount installed. The TSW mount does add noticable vibration especially at idle but it works and cannot leak.

 

I wonder if one could put a zerk fitting on a leaked out OEM mount & fill it with some sort of oil? Heck if my replacement goes I may mod mine. Heck filling it with donut icing may be just the ticket. :lol: :donut1:

 

But when that oil leaks out, what a friggin' mess, it's impossible to get it completely clean...

When it happened to mine, at first I thought it was an oil leak. Talk about sphincter puckerage.

 

My upper mount was dead when I bought my '06 R53 last year. I replaced it with the Way unit last fall. There's a bit more vibration when the engine is cold. After everything warms up it it a non-issue. I also did the lower inserts. Everything is nice and tight now.

Cheers!
Chris

 

Problem is that the rubber bladder actually fails.... so if you put more in, it will pour right back out.

Now.... filing it with liquid latex rubber and letting it set... something like that *might* work....

 

Is this a difficult replacement. Our 2006 is out of warranty and the dealer wants $360 to replace the right mount.

They want $600 to replace the power steering return line.

Thinking about doing some of my own repairs to save $$$

 

Difficult? Everything's relative.
For me, it's easy - now.

For the engine mount:

You'll need a floor jack to support the engine from underneath, 3/8" socket set with quality ratchet, extensions, and perhaps a breaker bar, and a star socket (I forget the size - E12?) to fit the bolt that attaches the mount from the bottom.

It requires removing the upper engine mount bracket (one large nut, on small nut holding the grounding strap, and four large bolts connecting the mount to the engine) while supporting the engine from below the car to remove weight from this mount.

Also requires removing the passenger side wheel, and the wheel well liner to access the lower bolt for the mount, that comes up through the frame.

Depending on your mechanical skill level, this could range from "that's nothing" to "ZOMG!" on the difficulty scale.

Depending on how long you plan to keep your car, you can replace with an OEM mount (which WILL fail again, eventually), or the vastly superior Vibra-Technics mount which will not fail (more money).

Edit: Here's a step-by-step:
http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/r50-r53-hatch-talk-2002-2006/250946-1st-gen-2005-and-later-passenger-engine-mount-replacement.html

Power steering return line probably requires you to drop the subframe to access it. More work (especially if you don't have a lift) but doable, lots of folks here have done it in their garage.

 

I was told the same and did it myself. If it has been a while you might as well change the belt while you are in there. I found these to be extremely helpful during this project.

 

It is an E12 torx socket. At least that one is the one in my set with all the wear marks from the 5 or 6 that I have done/helped with. You don't need to remove the wheel and liner if replacing just the mount. You will need an extension to get the torx socket up to the bottom of the mount, and safety glasses if the mount is going to drip more of the oil out when the bolt is removed (everyone that I've done or helped with has a bit more oil to give up...). Once all the top stuff is undone (engine on jack), crawl under and find the torx bolt near the finder liner. You can do it.

 

Thanks everyone. I've watched a couple of videos and have a high level of confidence on replacing the motor mount.

I'm not even sure the PS line needs to be replaced. It was on the invoice as "recommended service" after having the car in for something else. No sign of a leak that I can see and no issues with the power steering.

Other "recommended" services included a coolant flush, brake fluid flush, 'reseal' the oil pan (which doesn't show any signs of leaking and has never been off) and replace the drive belt.

The belt looks good but I can accept that an 8 year old car might be ready for a new one. Coolant maybe, but I really question the oil pan and brake fluid suggestions.

The car only has 38,000 miles on it and is always garaged.

 

If the brake fluid hasn't been done before, a strong yes. Coolant and belts too.
PS line, if it looks good, probably ok to watch it for now. Same with brake pan.