Vehicle is a 2007 Mazda 6 S 3.0l V6. I tried googling this topic before posting but couldn’t find anything about it. Since you have to wait till the engine is cold in order to replace spark plugs, I am wondering if this apply to every other work around the engine, including valve covers and motor mounts.
I am worried that I might damage something when re-tightening the bolts. Vehicle is parked in a slope and I need to drive it to my brother’s house to use his garage. Time is limited too, so if I can get to work right after I have arrived, that will be great.
Lastly… Is it okay to jack from the oil pan using a large piece of wood, or several pieces of wood? I read a lot of conflicting opinions about this. Please help.
No reason you can’t change motor mounts on a hot engine. You just have to be careful but don’t sue me if you make a mistake an grab an exhaust manifold. I have changed plugs on a hot engine and adjusted valves on a Plymouth and Chrysler sixes from the top with a running hot engine. I was young, there was no internet and didn’t know you were supposed to remove a wheel and inner fender panel but the burns didn’t stop me.
I remember an incident at the dealer several years ago . . .
I had to replace a bad crankshaft position sensor, and the car was under warranty
Warranty paid very badly, so there was no way I was waiting for the engine to cool down. Needless to say, I did burn my fingers, but I got the job done within the book time, and was quickly ready for my next job.
I presume you want to jack the engine up using the oil pan in order to change the mounts. The vehicle shouldn’t be jacked up using the oil pan. Jack the vehicle only at the manufacturer’s approved jacking points, and support it on jack stands similarly. On my Corolla I jack the front end on the engine cross member support, and then place jack stands at the pinch welds on the side (where the car’s tire jack would be used if changing a flat tire on the road.) At that point you can jack the engine enough to clear the mounts at the oil pan by carefully distributing the weight with a thick board. I use a piece of 2 x 12 lumber for that. Make sure you’ve loosened all the pertinent the mount bolts/nuts first.
What you’re proposing is common, and generally speaking okay, as long as you’re careful and use a piece of wood to distribute the load, as George already mentioned