Cusco Engine & Tranny mount install guide.
#1
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Join Date: Nov 2002
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Posts: 15,494
Car Info: 2005 LGT wagon
Cusco Engine & Tranny mount install guide.
Bought these on a whim, but I'm glad I did.
They stop my headers from rattling on the subframe, which was driving me nuts.
The mounts are stiff; you really notice just how stiff when you start the engine.
Put about 100 miles on 'em & have no complaints.
Below are some pictures that I took during the install.
Of course, if you choose to follow these pictures, do so at your own risk.
Basic auto mechanic safety is given; if you F something up, I don't wanna hear it.
Tools I used:
-14mm, 17mm, 19mm wrenches
-14mm, 17mm, 19mm 3/8" & 1/2" drive sockets with ratchets and various extentions.
-small pry bar
-hack saw or sawzall.
-floor jack, jack stands, and low boy car ramps.
-trusty assistant.
I started by driving the car up onto the ramps & then jacked up the rear end.
Removed the plastic pan from the car, and positioned the floor jack under the oil pan.
NOTE!! If your floor jack has a removable cradle, remove it & place a folded towel between the business end of the jack & the oil pan. If not, you will **** up the oil pan & possibly the oil pump suction pick up thingy.
If the cradle doesn’t come off, use a piece of wood thicker than the height of the rim of the cradle.
Remove the two 14mm nuts that hold the motor mounts to the subframe.
Carefully raise the engine off of the subframe & remove the two 14mm bolts that attach the mounts to the engine.
NOTE: the rear bolt on each plate is removed easier from the rear of the car.
Remove the mounts from the vehicle.
Remove the plate from each of the OEM mounts & using the picture as a guide, trim the side portion of the plate. This is done to provide clearance for the CUSCO mounts.
Notice in the picture how I have the spacing washers. You may have to position them in a different order for your car.
Assemble the trimmed plates onto the new CUSCO mounts & tighten the two 14mm nuts to spec.
Put the new CUSCO mount between the engine & the cross member, paying attention to which end of the mount points toward the radiator. Start the front Plate-to-Engine bolt first on both mounts, and inspect that the mount studs will align with the holes in the cross member. If everything looks good, install the rear bolt. Tighten both bolts to spec.
After both mounts have been attached to the engine, slowly lower the engine down. This is where a trusty assistant comes in handy. Have the assistant practice lowering the jack so they don’t crush your hands or other body parts.
The Mount studs that pass may not line up 100% with the holes in the cross member. If you have to use more then a little force with a pry bar / screw driver to get everything lined up, you have assembled the spacer washers incorrectly. If this is the case, remove the mounts and re-arrange the spacers/washers and try again.
Once you have the spacers aligned correctly, and the mount studs are through the cross member, start the 2 14mm nuts and tighten to spec. Double check that all is well & that you don’t have any left over parts.
Now for the tranny mount!
I supported the transmission on the aluminium pan. If you choose to do this, be careful as it can crack on you.
After the tranny is supported, remove the two hidden 14mm nuts that secure the center brace to the front tranny cross member and the two 4mm nuts that secure the trans mount to the cross member.
Loosen & remove the 4 14mm bolts that hold the OEM trans mount to the transmission.
Remove the bolts that secure the front & rear tranny cross member to the car body and move the X members to provide enough clearance to work. Or you can remove them all together.
Remove the OEM trans mount from the cross member & ship to me. Email me for info.
The CUSCO trans mount is asymeterical, so it will only fit on one way. The picture should help you out.
I placed the mount onto the cross member and test fitted everything. Found out that I had to swap the bottom ½ of the mount around.
After test fitting, raise the X member up & start the two 14mm mount retaining nuts as well as the four 14mm bolts that secure the mount to the transmission.
While holding the X member in place start the four 14mm bolts that hold the rear X member to the body and the two 17mm bolts that hold the front X member to the body.
You may have to wiggle the various X members around to get all the holes to line up.
Once I had all the various nuts & bolts started. I tightened every up in this sequence:
-Mount-to-Tranny bolts.
-Rear X member-to-body bolts.
-Front X member-to-body bolts.
-Mount-to- X member nuts.
- X member connector nuts/bolts.
Lowered the car to the ground & started it up.
WOW!
They stop my headers from rattling on the subframe, which was driving me nuts.
The mounts are stiff; you really notice just how stiff when you start the engine.
Put about 100 miles on 'em & have no complaints.
Below are some pictures that I took during the install.
Of course, if you choose to follow these pictures, do so at your own risk.
Basic auto mechanic safety is given; if you F something up, I don't wanna hear it.
Tools I used:
-14mm, 17mm, 19mm wrenches
-14mm, 17mm, 19mm 3/8" & 1/2" drive sockets with ratchets and various extentions.
-small pry bar
-hack saw or sawzall.
-floor jack, jack stands, and low boy car ramps.
-trusty assistant.
I started by driving the car up onto the ramps & then jacked up the rear end.
Removed the plastic pan from the car, and positioned the floor jack under the oil pan.
NOTE!! If your floor jack has a removable cradle, remove it & place a folded towel between the business end of the jack & the oil pan. If not, you will **** up the oil pan & possibly the oil pump suction pick up thingy.
If the cradle doesn’t come off, use a piece of wood thicker than the height of the rim of the cradle.
Remove the two 14mm nuts that hold the motor mounts to the subframe.
Carefully raise the engine off of the subframe & remove the two 14mm bolts that attach the mounts to the engine.
NOTE: the rear bolt on each plate is removed easier from the rear of the car.
Remove the mounts from the vehicle.
Remove the plate from each of the OEM mounts & using the picture as a guide, trim the side portion of the plate. This is done to provide clearance for the CUSCO mounts.
Notice in the picture how I have the spacing washers. You may have to position them in a different order for your car.
Assemble the trimmed plates onto the new CUSCO mounts & tighten the two 14mm nuts to spec.
Put the new CUSCO mount between the engine & the cross member, paying attention to which end of the mount points toward the radiator. Start the front Plate-to-Engine bolt first on both mounts, and inspect that the mount studs will align with the holes in the cross member. If everything looks good, install the rear bolt. Tighten both bolts to spec.
After both mounts have been attached to the engine, slowly lower the engine down. This is where a trusty assistant comes in handy. Have the assistant practice lowering the jack so they don’t crush your hands or other body parts.
The Mount studs that pass may not line up 100% with the holes in the cross member. If you have to use more then a little force with a pry bar / screw driver to get everything lined up, you have assembled the spacer washers incorrectly. If this is the case, remove the mounts and re-arrange the spacers/washers and try again.
Once you have the spacers aligned correctly, and the mount studs are through the cross member, start the 2 14mm nuts and tighten to spec. Double check that all is well & that you don’t have any left over parts.
Now for the tranny mount!
I supported the transmission on the aluminium pan. If you choose to do this, be careful as it can crack on you.
After the tranny is supported, remove the two hidden 14mm nuts that secure the center brace to the front tranny cross member and the two 4mm nuts that secure the trans mount to the cross member.
Loosen & remove the 4 14mm bolts that hold the OEM trans mount to the transmission.
Remove the bolts that secure the front & rear tranny cross member to the car body and move the X members to provide enough clearance to work. Or you can remove them all together.
Remove the OEM trans mount from the cross member & ship to me. Email me for info.
The CUSCO trans mount is asymeterical, so it will only fit on one way. The picture should help you out.
I placed the mount onto the cross member and test fitted everything. Found out that I had to swap the bottom ½ of the mount around.
After test fitting, raise the X member up & start the two 14mm mount retaining nuts as well as the four 14mm bolts that secure the mount to the transmission.
While holding the X member in place start the four 14mm bolts that hold the rear X member to the body and the two 17mm bolts that hold the front X member to the body.
You may have to wiggle the various X members around to get all the holes to line up.
Once I had all the various nuts & bolts started. I tightened every up in this sequence:
-Mount-to-Tranny bolts.
-Rear X member-to-body bolts.
-Front X member-to-body bolts.
-Mount-to- X member nuts.
- X member connector nuts/bolts.
Lowered the car to the ground & started it up.
WOW!
Last edited by FW Motorsports; 08-08-2005 at 11:54 AM.
#7
When raising the engine, I guess I have to disconnect the hanger in the middle of the downpipe...anything else? How high can I safely raise the engine?
And finally, how the hell do you guys remove those rear bolts? The install guide says to just remove them, but this is easier said than done. I got a 14mm wrench on the driver side one, but it's so tight it ain't budging... even with the double wrench lock technique... on the passenger side, it LOOKS like I can get the steering rack out of the way and then raise it enough to get a 14mm socket to it.
And finally, how the hell do you guys remove those rear bolts? The install guide says to just remove them, but this is easier said than done. I got a 14mm wrench on the driver side one, but it's so tight it ain't budging... even with the double wrench lock technique... on the passenger side, it LOOKS like I can get the steering rack out of the way and then raise it enough to get a 14mm socket to it.
#9
Registered User
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: San Mateo, CA
Posts: 78
Car Info: 99 RSTi
Cusco Mounts, 1 year later
Sorry to ressurect this thread, but it seems I just got a set without the spacers for the engine mounts. There is some play on the circular rubber pieces because of this. Am I missing these washers as shown in this picture or are they no longer necessary? These are going on an 05 STi.
#10
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Windward, Oahu
Posts: 3,615
Car Info: 3 Sleepers: 05 LGT, 05 FXT, 02 WRX
Bringing this back from the dead for the same reason...
I received my mounts without any washers as well...does anyone know if this is a newer design that doesn't require the washers?
#11
Same here. just purchased a set for my my99 sti and no washers on the engine mounts.
set number is 660 911.
i got two black washers but it says it just for GDB applied model E and F for the transmission mount
set number is 660 911.
i got two black washers but it says it just for GDB applied model E and F for the transmission mount
#12
Registered User
iTrader: (66)
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Windward, Oahu
Posts: 3,615
Car Info: 3 Sleepers: 05 LGT, 05 FXT, 02 WRX
Compared it to an older model...
When I compared my most recent Cusco engine mounts with an older set...the tolerance between the bracket and the actual mount has changed...where there was more space before(enough for two washers to fit), now, there is not enough room for even 1...when you tighten the bolt up, it flushes up to the bracket...very nice.
I also have the two black washers that goes on the transmission mount...
We will be installing this on my 06 WRX limited either Thursday or Friday...
On another note...
If you have an 06 or 07 WRX or STI...the Cusco engine mounts require the use of a metal bracket from an 02-05 WRX or STI engine mount...I lucked out, apparently, on some early model 06's...they still came with the metal bracket...other unlucky ones have the plastic/gel pack motor mounts...comfort and quiet...junk. My motor mounts, although it had the metal brackets were still very squishy and compliant...
I have a Cosworth block that likes to sway the motor like a Hula girl sways her hips...can't wait for the Cusco engine and tranmission mounts to go on...
I also have the two black washers that goes on the transmission mount...
We will be installing this on my 06 WRX limited either Thursday or Friday...
On another note...
If you have an 06 or 07 WRX or STI...the Cusco engine mounts require the use of a metal bracket from an 02-05 WRX or STI engine mount...I lucked out, apparently, on some early model 06's...they still came with the metal bracket...other unlucky ones have the plastic/gel pack motor mounts...comfort and quiet...junk. My motor mounts, although it had the metal brackets were still very squishy and compliant...
I have a Cosworth block that likes to sway the motor like a Hula girl sways her hips...can't wait for the Cusco engine and tranmission mounts to go on...
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