I just went to my local Merchant’s Tire store to have my tires rotated and wheels aligned on my '03 Odyssey. After they finished the work, I was told that the front and passenger’s side motor mounts needed replacing. Since I replaced a motor mount on my now “deceased” (was totalled last Aug.) '91 accord, I feel I’m up for the task. The passenger side mount looks easy enough. But, I’m not as sure about the front mount. My Haynes manual implies that it’s a simple process: 1)Remove the Upper Stud Nut; 2) Remove the 4 mount-to-chassis bolts; 3) Disconnect the vacuum hose from the bottom of the mount; 4) Raise the engine enough for the stud to clear the upper bracket and remove the bracket. Voila! Despite the apparent ease of this process I have some questions:
1): From what location (under the car, front of the car, etc.) do you approach the front mount from? Looking down from the top, it’s clear it can’t do the work from that angle without removing some things.
2): From whatever location you attack the problem, does anything need to be removed to gain access to the front mount?
3): Other than removing the vacuum hose and re-attaching it to the new unit, does anything else need to be done during this step?
4): My understanding when working with engine mounts is that you should only replace one mount at a time. Assuming that is a true statement, Is it possible to raise the engine enough for the stud to clear the upper bracket (as noted in step 4 above)?
5): This probably should have been my first question. The Haynes book recommends supporting the engine with a floor jack (with a block of wood) at the engine oil pan. Has anyone done anything differently to disperse the weight?
6): I checked out prices locally and on-line. Interestingly enough, my on-line Honda parts dealer has prices that are just about the same for the mounts as the after-market quotes I’ve been receiving. Any reason I shouldn’t go with the Honda parts…other than the fact that I’m scratching my head over why these went only after 85K miles!
7) Lastly, if you have other advice to give on this job, feel free to offer it up.
Thanks in advance for your answers.
Rob