2001 x5 3.0 replace engine mounts, experience?
 

I saw in pelican website the DIY for the engine mounts, it looks very straightforward and simple that I don't trust it. I did the engine mounts on my 325xi and it's not fun..

Looks like I have to remove the axle shaft on the passenger side to do this? any comments/tips on doing this before?


thanks.

Subscribed. I have the mounts on my to do list. Would love to know members thoughts on the best mounts to order. Any links to DIY videos are welcomed.

Did it last year. For the passenger side, I removed the bracket connected to the engine. Didn't remove the axle shaft. For the driver side, I remove the axle shaft. I supported the engine by a piece of 2x6. Took me awhile though.

Mine need doing and I agree it doesn't look like fun.

I am actually replacing them now. And the main reason for replacing is, because I have the subframe out.. I was originially not planning to do them, but after looking and realizing how painful they are to replace(because of the axles), I decided to shell the money and do them now.

Question for folks that replaced these - Did you replace the torx bolts and lock nuts? I realize lock nuts needs to be replaced, but how about torx bolts?

Use an engine cradle (brace across engine bay) hook the motor by the OFH and lower the subframe down and let it hang via the control arms.

Actually, I'd remove the stiffening plate first, may be able to snake your hands in there and remove the motor mount bolts (I forgot they face upwards), then hang the subframe and see if you can slide them out.

Does anyone have advice on the mounts to buy? Rein and Febi are around $50, Corteco is $75 and Lemforder are upward of $100 and Genuine BMW are $115.

Do you recommend the transmission mounts at the same time?

On my list too, and I know my trans mount needs replacing as well. I was almost sure though there was a thread somewhere that said drives shafts can stay in ??

I just replaced both of the mounts this weekend, it's not that bad compared to my e46 but I did run into some issues why I decided to take the axle shaft out.

My first approach was to remove the subframe since it's only 6 bolts (?) and bought a e-18 socket for it, unfortunately I decided to tackle the tension arm balljoint first while it's up in the air. Well too bad since I sheared off one of the e-12 bolts that holds the balljoint and the easiest way to drill out the remaining bolt is to remove the spindle and eventually the cv axle on the driver side. Fun...

Taking out the passenger side is easy, just lift it up until the fan hit the shroud and remove the engine bracket, there are 4 bolts that attaches to the engine. Once that bracket is removed the mount can be remove and replace easily without touching the mount or the axle.

Driver side is another story, the axle needs to be removed if the engine is raised to clear the engine mount bracket. The fan shroud needs to be removed/loosened such that it will not hit the fan (and break it) The intake duct needs to be removed on the air filter/maf area. I also re-orient the dipstick handle higher and out way such that it will not hit the plastic cover on the cowl. Once the axle is out it will go up as high to allow removal of the mount without prying/loosening the subframe. It will take some finangling to remove the engine mount on this side.

My passenger side mount is definitely bad, little cracks but it's compressed a lot and the bracket is just resting on it. My driver side is just compressed.. both of them seems to be original part.

passenger side engine mount, see the indentation of the bracket
https://scontent.fmkc1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...9c&oe=5B3F3565

passenger side engine bracket to engine mount
https://scontent.fmkc1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...0c&oe=5B470E52


side view comparison
https://scontent.fmkc1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...98&oe=5B37182B

reason why the axle shaft needs to be removed
https://scontent.fmkc1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...86&oe=5B323C8E


my driver side mount
https://scontent.fmkc1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...91&oe=5B001819


https://www.facebook.com/Bmw-e53-2508322126058762/

they definitely were trash. Guess mine will follow suit shortly.

Got all my parts installed and fired her up tonight and what a difference, vibrations are gone... idle is smoother than it was before. Usually when I start her and switch to R or D, vibrations around the cabin is very pronounced, not tonight.. I haven't driven her completely because I have issues with the lug bolts, I noticed that both my impact and regular 21mm sockets get stuck when tightening. Such a PITA to remove the stuck socket. Was wondering if the bolt is not actually 21mm or there's a special thin walled socket I need to use..




https://www.facebook.com/Bmw-e53-2508322126058762/

What mounts did you choose? Lemforder, Conteco, Rein, etc...

When I did my E39 5-series, I used Corteco, which is OEM.

Write-up for E39 5-series is below...

DIY: 1998 528I Engine/Trans Mounts Replacement
DIY: 1998 528I Engine/Trans Mounts Replacement - Bimmerfest - BMW Forums

Thanks cn90. On the E46, 2WD guys prefer the Lemforder while the Xi guys swear the Conteco is the best.

I tried the Rein this time, I used Corteco on my e46. I purchased it from fcpeuro so if it fails early it's going to be fairly easy to replace it and they offer lifetime replacement warranty..

The Rein mounts are softer compared to Corteco (maybe too subjective as I recall)




https://www.facebook.com/Bmw-e53-2508322126058762/

got great weather to finally install and inspect everything today. ABS sensor that I forgot to install back to the spindle installed, lug bolts torqued using the correct 19mm socket, splash shield installed and fired her up and test drove around.. the mount replacement was a success and worth it, the roughness I felt before and the vibrations at idle/stop are all gone..

One thing I need to mention is that I have a hard time putting back in the cv axle back to the hub, it's a tight fit and I have to pound it with a block of wood and hammer to seat the hub..it's going to be interesting pushing the axle back out next time..


https://www.facebook.com/Bmw-e53-2508322126058762/

Just replaced the engine mounts on 2003 325i E46 2.5L with 100K miles.

I misdiagnosed it, the OFH gasket leak allowed oil to track down the L engine bracket, trickling down onto the L engine mount. I thought the engine mount leaked oil! Anyway, once the mounts are out, they are just a bit (about 5 mm) shorter than new Corteco mounts.

At 100K, no issues yet...I think it helped that the previous owners were old people and did not floor the throttle LOL...

Anyway, I ended up with new engine mounts, it does not hurt!


Couple points on M54 engines:

- Having done many engine mounts, if you have no vibration or engine lifting (fan blades hitting fan shroud), then I guess you can keep watching it until you hit 150K or so. At 100K, most engine mounts are probably still OK.

- Brand: this is a tough job b/c you have to be slow and methodical. So use only Corteco, which is identical to factory, about $45/each.

TOOLS:

- An iron pipe used with ratchet is a life-saver. Get a 1.5-foot section of iron pipe (the 3/4" type) and slide it over the ratchet for extra leverage.

- Extensions 3", 6" for the bracket 13-mm bolts and a very looong extension for the 16-mm nuts.

- Universal joint (3/8" or 1/2") is a must!



- Tips: just read the link posted above for my 1998 528i.

1. In the link posted, since the 1998 528i is a manual trans, oil cooler lines were not there. In E46 cars, the Steering Rack hoses are in the front, the cooler lines are right underneath the front of engine. So get some rubber and thin pieces of wood (such as oak flooring etc.) and somehow support the front of the engine w/o pinching the cooler hoses. Of course you can buy the Harbor Freight engine support ($75 or so), but I don't do this for a living and don't want another piece of junk sitting in my garage for the next 10 yrs.

2. I used 2 jacks as above (under front of engine, directly behind crank pulley (NOT on crank pulley). The second jack is under the REAR part of the oil pan VERTICAL part, right in front of the oil level sensor.

3. Loosen the 16-mm nuts but do NOT remove them yet.

4. As above support the engine and snug it up a bit evenly so it raises about 1/2-1" and stop.

5. The R side is easy, once the 4 bolts (13-mm) are removed, the bracket slides right out and new mount goes in. Re-attach the four (4) 13-mm bolts on the bracket and loosely attach the 16-mm bolts on the R mount. Do NOT tighten them yet.

6. The L side is a bit of a struggle simply b/c the top aft bolt is hard to see.
So, remove the three (3) 13-mm bolts: front x2, and lower aft bolt. The top bolt (upper aft bolt): loosen it a few turns but do NOT remove it simply b/c re-installing it could be a nightmare! This allows the L bracket to swivel out of the way to allow the new mount in.

7. Pay attentions to the bottom notch and orientation. Tons of videos for that. Basically the bottom notch goes to the front.

8. The R side heat shield for the E46: you can install it in 2 separate ways (2 notches on top of the mount), get to the top and you will see there is only one correct way to install the heat shield to shield the engine mount from the heat.

9. Once both mounts are in, tighten the bracket bolts (4 on each side).
Do NOT tighten the engine mount 16-mm nuts yet! Doing so with engine still raised 1" will destroy new engine mounts!!!

Look up the torque values, but I found these on the internet:
- The four 13-mm bolts: 18 ft*lb.
- The two 16-mm nuts: 33 ft*lb.

Fitting torque wrench into the tight spots is difficult, so I did it "by feel".
Again, the "iron pipe over ratchet" trick helped...

10. Once the bracket bolts (13-mm) are tightened on both sides (8 bolts total), SLOWLY lower engine. Since I used 2 jacks, I lower it bit by bit and remove the floor jacks.

11. Now the engine sits on the mounts. Tighten the BOTTOM 16-mm nuts first to seat the mount to the subframe. Then tighten the TOP 16-mm nuts.

12. Double check to be sure all tools are removed and all bolts are tightened properly.

So, it is all about being slow and methodical...


---
PS: Anyway, want to see a really bad E46 engine mount, see the video below!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtHem8KpFOw

I just did mine.. Have you not researched? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4XysqHoH08&t=6s

Yes,

This was exactly the idea behind "Removing bracket approach".

Nice vid. Gave it a :thumbup:.

Not looking forward to doing this on the N62. Will probably pick up the HF top engine support bar when I have to do it.

Hi,

I did this the other weekend with the help of threads like this. I just thought I would throw my two cents in.

Firstly, it is definitely a DIY job, but I wouldn't say it's easy. It takes a few tools you should probably already have around the house anyways, such as extensions, breaker bars, torx sockets. Additionally, I went out and got the Harbor Freight engine bar support. It was very useful, and for $70 (after 20% coupon) it's well worth it versus the $1500 quotes I was getting from local independents. It's a super simple tool, not sure what else it could be used for, but for lifting the engine it's great.

I removed most of the air ducts and had my car on jack stands in the front (ramps and chocks in the back). Alot of broken plastic rivets, but those are generally one time use only in my experience.

My best advice is to loosen the bolts/nuts first without taking them off entirely. Depending on which side you start at, I am not sure which is best, but you don't want the other side to become detached. You want it to remain connected, albeit loose. The reason being, if you are a smart guy like me and undo both mounts at the same time, the engine will float one way or the other, in my case towards the passengers side, which means after you do finally replace the mounts, lowering the engine won't line up onto the mounts. In my case I was able to lift the engine with one of the HF bar screws, and then use the other one to sort of pull it back towards the drivers side, along with a bit of assistance from a wooden block and jack from underneath.

I did not undo or remove the engine brackets, I left those as is and instead dropped the subframe about an inch or so. It's so frustrating because as you lift the engine, you see the mounts loosen and become so free that you can lift and wiggle them as you like, you just simply can't remove them from the area in which they reside. I believe the max limit of lifting the engine is when the front axles are near touching the body. Especially the drivers side one. No amount of rotation or squirming and wriggling could get the mounts out until I just briefly lowered the subframe and then out they came.

By the way I took the wheels off for ease of access. As a sidetrack, out of habit, I always keep ramps or the wheels under the car somewhere that if something goes haywire, they will give me some minute chance of survival. I also found a good spot in the front subframe to put a spare jack stand just in case, kind of near the jacking point.

I am not sure if the subframe bolts are one time or reusable. I reused mine. Prior to loosening, I drew a line with a silver paint pen so I knew about where to torque them again when done. It was basically the extent of where I could tighten them anyways. Also before tightening them I like to spray some parts cleaner around just to get rid of any dirt or grit that may have gotten loose along the way.

So basically, if you don't make the mistake of replacing both mounts at once, always keep one connected loosely, you should be fine. I am a very novice garage mechanic and this was definitely the biggest undertaking yet. I did a whole bunch of other servicing stuff while I had the reinforcement plate and splash shield off too.

The bad news? My vibration at idle is still there in Drive and Reverse (not in Park). So I guess this leads to a transfer case / transmission mount in my future. But hey for 19 years and 116k miles it was probably time to change the mounts anyways, plus it got me a lot more familiar with my car.

Hope my experience helps someone out there.

I was working on suspension, so everything was off including axles.
I thought I'd replace the oil pan gasket while in there.
So I just dropped the subframe.
Not sure if I should replace the mounts or not?
They looks completely fine and I had no vibration.
Mileage is 250k miles but I think previous owner replaced the engine.
https://i.ibb.co/PwC3Hh0/20200614-184906.jpg https://i.ibb.co/G9Dgj6C/20200614-191210.jpg

When I did mine they looked perfect but I did have a vibration at idle. Night and day difference when I replaced them. Corteco mounts aren't but $50/pc so I would recommend doing them since you have it this far apart.

Cortego are $60 a piece at fcpeuro so not bad. Especially easy to replace as i left them mounted to the subframe.
I'm thinking what else to replace while in there, with the subframe removed.
Transmission mounts, transfer case mount?
Never removed subframe mount on E53, wondering what people are changing while in there

I just did this a couple of weeks ago myself changing my OPG. The is only one large transmission mount and I have not seen many replace it (it is stout).

I had replaced my engine mounts earlier this year so I just did the OPG and put it all back together.

I see you left your steering rack in the car so you must have pulled the right tie rod as it goes right through the subframe below the right side mount. I might suggest changing the 90W in your front diff since you have it out.

https://xoutpost.com/attachments/x5-...524_105445.jpg

Yes you're right, tie rod is out. I was replacing everything on the front suspension except struts, so doing the tie rods as well. With the inner tie rod attached, I was easily able to slide the subframe out.
I had already replaced all the fluids in the vehicle when I bought it originally, so I guess I'll just replace that oil pan gasket.
Definitely one of the biggest jobs on these cars.

When I replaced the OPG and engine mounts on my E39, I also upgraded the antiroll bar to eibach.
I was thinking of doing the same with X5 but didn't find anything beefier.
Is the oil pan bolted to the transfer case from the side?
Just looking what bolts to undo to drop the pan other than the bolts going around the pan itself.

Front diff is bolted to the oil pan by 4 M10 bolts. Check the 2 orings if you have any 90W leaks between the pan and diff or from the right side axle carrier bolted to the pan. There will be 21 M6 pan bolts and 3 M8 lateral torx bolts from the transmission bell housing to the pan as well.

https://xoutpost.com/attachments/x5-...522_180250.jpg

I'm like 95% noob at this, but I would replace the mounts for sure. And also the front diff fluid. The less often to have to take off the steel reinforcement plate, the better, and you already have so much of the necessary pre-requisite work done you might as well.

Don't quote me on this, but I believe the transmission/transfer case mount can be done separately, without involving any of the reinforcement plate stuff. Not 100% sure though. I did not do mine yet, but intend to.

My problem is - how do you guys keep your undercarriage so clean? It looks brand new! Actually better than brand new!

Well if the question is for me, I just spend time under it addressing leaks and service. Mine has 180,000 miles on it now.

Having the ability to get under it makes a big difference. I bought a QuickJack 7000EXT on Black Friday 2019 and has been an absolute game changer for me taking care of engine, transmission and chassis projects.

I did my mounts too like two months ago and I thought I posted pictures showing this..ergh

At any rate, I didn't remove any axles. The driver side was the most difficult. But only needed to loosen the three K-member reverse torx on the DS and use a prybar just to shimmy out new mount. Wasn't that bad at all.

Don't want to hijack this thread but I'm tackling the oil pan gasket and looks like drive shaft needs to be disconnected and the transfer case removed. Wow!
https://youtu.be/wMIr8hDmB1Y
Should i rebuild the transfer case while it's removed lol!?

Transfer case does not need to come out to do the OPG, the front differential does as it bolts to the oil pan. Just take off the 3 bolts on the guibo and slide the drive shaft back a few inches into the transfer case and remove the front differential. You might consider pulling the front drive shaft once the diff is out and grease the splines. The AC drain is directly above the splines on the transfer case and could be dry.

Thanks Overboost I confused transfer case with the front differential. Don't have either on my E39 lol
Crazy, drive shaft needs to be disconnected and front differential removed in addition to all the other stuff to change that gasket��

It's really not that hard if you have the X5 in the air a few feet. I just did the job and had the oil pan out in about a half a day. Probably a full day putting it all back together, (Things fall apart, they never fall together)

Make sure to allow a couple of days for the residual oil to drain from the engine before reassembly. One of the 4 seams (front right) of the block that get a silicone sealant is dripping oil directly down on that seam for days.

https://xoutpost.com/attachments/x5-...517_183945.jpg

https://xoutpost.com/attachments/x5-...524_105445.jpg

https://xoutpost.com/attachments/x5-...608_134618.jpg

I like how you got everything perfectly laid out :)
So easy it is to replace the engine mounts.
https://i.ibb.co/J711Bdt/20200628-174749.jpg https://i.ibb.co/KL2dz6T/20200628-174653.jpg
I've let the oil drip for many days and put the pan back together today.
Did you check the play on your oil pump chain?
I'm not sure if this much play is normal
https://streamable.com/pmfirk
I didn't find a way to tighten it
I replaced the o ring for the oil level sensor.
I wanna replace the orings for the supporting brackets as well. Part number 31511213527
Will swing by dealership tomorrow

My oil pump chain was identical to yours. That is normal play. :thumbup:

That undercarriage is so pristine you can eat off of it! Mine used to be like that until the freaking OPG seepage started. DIY is way over my head on this one and I don't want to pay my indy $2k for the job :(
This is one of the most complicated OPG replacement that I've seen :wow:

For those of you with M54 6-cylinder engines, when (at what miles) did your engine mounts go bad?

My 2006 X5 3.0i 6spMT with 139K is still fine, but I plan on replacing mine soon, just does not know at what miles...

I would say you are due at 140K. Mine is really driven lightly and had a slight vibration felt in the steering wheel at idle at about 150K. That job is about an hour or so but make sure to get an engine hanger from Harbor Freight.

I just past 150k and felt a slight vibration back at about 100k. It's actually getting changed out as we speak. My indie indicated that it looked squished, but hasn't failed yet, but I'm getting it replaced anyway while we're in there as I finally caved with the oil pan gasket leak and decided to bite the bullet and getting it taken care of along with other little knick knacks. This will be the most I've ever spent on the X at any one time :bawling:

I have done engine mounts on my 1998 528i M52 engine before.
I have learned some tricks and posted them in forums...

- Any rubber mounts will compress with time, recall that the engine is very heavy and with every jolt on the road, it will keep "hammering" down on the engine mounts.

- Below is a photo of my 1998 528i E39 with 115K. Nothing wrong with that car, I just replaced the engine mounts bc "people tell me I should replace engine mounts at 115K lol...". In retrospect, I should have left them alone and replace them at let's say 160K-200K range.

Old engine mounts on the left and is about 5mm compressed.
Again no big deal bc a brand-new engine mount will compress under weight anyway.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/att...hmentid=277662


- Any engine mounts perform 2 essential functions:

1. Absorbing the weight on the engine, whether stationary or under load (pot holes on the road).

2. Preventing engine lifting underload. When viewed from the front bumper...
- Crank pulley rotates CW.
- Engine has a tendency to rotate CCW (Newton's 3rd law).
- When the engine mount's upper bolt and its rubber becomes separated from the rest of the rubber, the engine will lift upward under load.

Below is an example of an E46 3-series with broken L engine mount, the engine lifts upward underload...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtHem8KpFOw

I did mine at around 115k, but it was in an effort to track down driveline vibration that turned out to be front CV axles instead. Inspecting the old mounts, they didn't look bad nor did they have any play.

The engine hangar was essential, one tip I have is don't do both at the same time. Loosen both maybe, but only unfasten and remove one at a time, otherwise you are going to have a hard time aligning everything again if you do both at once.