Way Motor Works has seen a ton of motor mounts fail. If you have an 02-06 MINI then you've heard about the passenger side motor mount failures. The early style 02-03 mount is a large rubber mount and as they age they get shorter, causing the motor to sage and damage the other motor mounts. The 04-06 passenger motor mount is a metal can looking mount that is filled with rubber and hydraulic oil, these commonly fail and leak out the oil. These also cause extra stress on the other mounts and clutch when they fail.
So years ago TSW, now part of WMW, came up with a polyurethane mount to eliminate these failures. These mounts are a direct replacement but will last years longer than the stock mount, and due to their design will cut down on engine rocking to help you get the power to the ground.


02-03 Mount or newer 04-06 Mount


If any NAM members have one please feel free to post your feedback here.

 

Is there any way to judge the condition of the older 02-03 mounts and determine if they need replacement? -Jonathan

 

Visually you can look at the height of it, as they get old they get shorter. Then also look at the rubber mount on the pass strut mount, when the frame rail mount gets short it puts stress on the strut tower mount and the X shaped rubber will tear. Then you need to replace them in a pair. If you don't the lower mount will break next.

 

Way, is this something you can do at AMVIV or MOTD?

 

Just had mine replaced on my 2006 MC this morning. Had been an intermittent problem for a year before I really started to notice the flapping-around of the engine when accelerating hard from a standing start. Set me back $223 to replace at European Autosport in Merriam, KS. The feel of the clutch etc from a standing start after replacement was like night and day. It's amazing how slow degradation of performance is almost invisible until it gets fixed, and then in stark contrast the car drives like it did off the show-room floor.

 

I installed the TSW Motor Mount yesterday (1/23/2011) after having my second OEM unit fail at 85,000 miles.

The installation was fairly straight forward until it came to setting the length of the "dogbone" connection between the motor mount and shock tower. After the initial installation, I experienced a lot of engine vibration inside the car when I went for a test drive. At certain RPM ranges, things started buzzing inside the car and images in the rear view mirror blurred a bit.

The instructions indicate that setting the dogbone length too long or short will result in excessive engine vibration so I drove the car up on ramps, jacked up the engine and shorted the dogbone 1/2 turn. Went for a test drive and found that vibration was reduced a bit but not much. I repeated the process 3 more times. The vibration is now less but still not ideal. Not knowing how much vibration is to be expected from a perfect installation, I'm relectant to continue with this time consuming trial and error adjustment technique.

Questions:
Trial and error is not a quick and easy way to adjust the dogbone. Is there another way to do this? How can I tell when I've hit the sweet spot?

Is there a break-in period for a new mount installation that eventually results in reduced vibration?

Addenda: With everything else firmly in place, I disconnected the shock tower end of the dogbone to see if it was under stress - one way or the other. There appeared to be no strain at all. While it was disconnected, I started the engine and put it through the rev range for a bit. I noticed the same level of vibration with the dogbone disconnected as I did before. When I reconnected it, the alignment was perfect. Running the engine didn't cause an alignment shift.

I may be missing something but this little test, imperfect as it may be, tells me that 1. I've discovered what the base vibration level is. 2. My connector was already correctly adjusted.

Dang! I was hoping for an improvement in vibration through adjustment and it looks like there isn't one to be had.

 

There has to be more vibration from using this type of mount, it's practically a solid. Vibration goes right from the engine to the body. Might last longer but I wouldn't want to drive with that daily. The purpose of the mount is to absorb engine vibration.
Changing the mounts is super easy, can be done in under 10 minutes with a lift and floor jack.
The passenger strut mounts break almost as often as the motor mounts don't over look those too.

 

Yes we can do them there.

Johnna
Did you use our instructions when installing? It has some good tips to keep NVH down. Also if you have a worn lower engine mount this can cause extra vibration. They do get a little better after it settles in a week or so, but it's not a huge change. This is a solid poly mount so it is harder, but stronger and will last longer, the trade off we have to pay.

 

Yes, I used the instuctions I found online. Besides the caution that an incorrect dogbone length would result in excessive vibration, I didn't find additional hints. Maybe I found an old set of instructions???

I'll check the lower mount and see how it looks. Thanks!

 

I am experiencing some knocking/clunking when I accelerate hard. I saw a dark substance under the top engine mount but it isn't fresh and it is covered it a light coat of dust/dirt. The engine doesn't move much back and forth but up and down the black square gasket comes off the metal cylinder about a1/4". How many up mounts are there? Should I replace upper and lower?

 

Sounds like you have the normal Pass motor mount failure. You def. need to replace it, and check the rubber on the lower mount for any tares or cracks if it is replace it too.

 

Thanks Way. I am going to order the TSW upper engine mount, BSH lower engine mount, and the complete power-flex bushing kit. I figure I will just replace them all at once.

 

Way do I need the powerflex bushings if I replace the upper and lower engine mounts with non-OEM parts, i.e. TSW and BSH?

 

Way,

I just replaced the lower engine mount. As it turns out, when I removed the old mount, it was in good shape but I went ahead and installed the new one anyway since I was already halfway there.

Unfortunately, when I started the car up, the vibration levels were unabated. I still get a range of rattles and buzzes that move from one place to another as the engine goes through the rev range. Looking through the rear view mirror, the headlights on the cars behind me look like the halo lights on the Rocketman. Needless to say, I am not pleased with the TSW Upper Engine Mount.

The ad at Detroit Tuned (where I bought the mount) reads as follows:

"Texas Speed Works Urethane Upper Motor Mount (04-06) MINI. Tired of the MINI OEM upper motor mount metal can leaking oil? The TSW motor mount is made of high grade urethane specifically made to replace it. They chose the correct durometer that will not cause vibration and added a stabilizer that bolts into the shock tower. The stabilizer (or dog bone as we call it) is also surrounded by urethane at the mounting point."

From everything I've heard, you go out of your way to ensure that you're producing superior products. Is it possible that there was a bad batch of urethane that accidentally resulted in a harder durometer in the engine mount I ended up with? Any advice or help that you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, John

 

Installing a solid bushing on a road driven car is just goofy. The SOLE purpose of the motor mount bushings is to absorb the vibration of the motor. Otherwise a solid metal mount would have been used. So what if it breaks every 50000 miles it's not very expensive and it's easy to replace.

 

Yes John I really do try to ensure our products are the best they possibly can be.
It's not really possible for it to be a bad batch or poly. If that happened we would have a bunch of them way too hard. We make these in large batches so they are poored at one time.

If you just installed a new lower mount I would suggest loosening up the TSW mount and readjusting it. With the new lower mount it will change the position a little. Also do you have an Automatic? They tend to be harsher at idle too. Feel free to post some pics and lets make sure it is installed correctly.

As for what DT has on their site, I can't control that. If you notice on my site we actually say it is harder and may cause vibration.

 

Way,

I tried disconnecting the dogbone completely and going out for a drive. Same vibration levels in my manual transmission car.

I suppose I could take my own signature advice and think of the vibration transmitted through the TSW mount as a "feature". I could think of it as a free magic fingers seat massager or a free diagnostic tool to help me locate those pesky loose bits around the car. I think not. In reality, I'll be looking forward to removing the TSW engine mount and spending even more time and money to replace it with an OEM part.

My suggestion: Give Chad at Detroit Tuned a call and send him the revised TSW ad copy to save others from experiencing the same frustration and dissapointment that I did. Accurate product descriptions will help everyone involved.

Thanks,
John

ps I posted a couple of pictures of my engine mount installation on my facebook page and linked up to your WMW page.

 

Is the TSW upper mount also fit for right hand drive cars?

 

I also have the TSW mount after replacing two OEMs and having the third one go. In my experience, the vibration was influenced by the engine oil level. If it was a little bit low, topping it off would smooth things out. I had a similar situation with the tire pressures.

That said, I have recently eliminated my vibration issues by applying vibration dampening materials to the forward wheel wells. My rear-view mirror and interior panels no longer rattle. See this thread, https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-2006-mcs.html .

It an easy DIY job that is not expensive and does not take much time.

 

Yes we've shipped them to several people in the UK.

astrochex, that is some interesting ideas, but hey if they work can't complain.

 

I finally went back to the OEM mount after using the TSW Mount. I am really glad to have reduced vibrations (it was driving me nuts) but I've got to say the TSW Mount certainly gives a much firmer, more direct connection to the engine.

If the TSW Mount is the Papa bear and the OEM mount is the baby bear, I'm looking forward to the day when TSW comes out with the Momma bear that doesn't die in a gush of fluids after 40K and doesn't create noise and vibration within the cab. Way, I sure hope you're working one up and I'd be happy to beta test it if you'd like!

 

I do find that WMW don't ship items overseas. How can overseas customers make purchases?

 

I recently put the upper TSW mount on as well as the BSH lower. What can I say? I love it! I dont mind the vibration, cause when I hit the gas the car takes off! Totally worth it, both mounts were shot. I now need the upper mount with the isolators in it. The one that mounts on the strut tower. Does this come in an aftermarket version?

 

replaced mine today with WMW's OEM's this is what the one that came out of my car looked like

 

I put in the TSW Motor Mount earlier this year. I also have a urethane lower mount. On track days, I have had an issue of the exhaust hitting the M7 front cross brace and my GT Tuning Mid Brace during high engine torque periods. Recently the exhaust has begun hitting the braces during normal driving (such as going up a hill at fairly low engine revs).

I have been under the car and all looks good. The engine seems mounted solidly (it doesn't rock as I try moving the exhaust), and the TSW Mounts looks good. Dog bone jam nut is still good and tight, etc.

Has anyone else had a similar issue and if so, has there been a remedy?