Hello all,
I have a 2005 MCS with about 112K miles on it and it has ben making a terrible knocking noise over the past few days. I have done some researching on several mini forums and believe the case to be that the upper engine mount has gone bad as it has a lot of play when tested. Has anyone experienced any noises when these have gone bad? When I replace the upper engine mount is there any other engine mounts that should be replaced at the same time?
Thank you in advance for any help!

 

Look up VIP engine stabilizer. Works really well with my OEM mounts. Never leaked again. Also did powerflex on the Tranny side and bottom mounts

 

I have not. However, look under the engine mount and see if there is any oil leakage. That's the best indication of a bad mount on a first gen. Have you checked the lower mount? I could see that one making a clunking sound.

 

Upper mount in a 2005 - if you see black goo ( like tar ), the mount is cooked. Replace the lower mount at the same time. I get 2 years out of an upper. You can get a ‘upgraded’ mount that won’t leak, but there is a cost tradeoff. An OE from FCPEuro, or other good parts place is about $90.

 

I don't recall ever noticing any noises when my upper mount has failed, but the extra movement makes the clutch takeup a bit funny. As stated, you'll see the oil leak out of the mount when it fails. I'm on my fourth (I think?) upper mount.

You should probably check the lower mount for play.

 

Forgot i got a brand new aftermarket one selling it for 40 bucks. I’ll send some picks. Forgot the brand.

 

The upper mount is hydraulic so when it loses fluid it will definitely clunk as it bounces. Careful with the poly on the mounts as that will increase noise and vibration.

 

Too be honest, its not that bad with the Mini. I did polybushing in other cars too, where the end result gave a lot more vibrations.

The polybush insert + smaller bush for the lower mount is highly recommended as the engine cannot tilt that much, bringing the power faster on the road (where it should be).





I also polybushed the new hydraulic mount. I think this can actually prolong the life as the flex is way less

 

After several iterations - Vibra Technics + VIP Engine Stabilizer was the best set up to balance NVH for a daily driver. Removed all Polys.

 

You can al fill ALL the gaps in the stock bushings through out the vehicle with a pollyfill and stiffen them up. Was one of the cheapest most worthwhile mods I've done. It really helped stiffen things up all around and by the time I did all other suspension mods , the car compared to my stock mini , wow. It's so much more nimble and responsive, no body sway or body roll. And the polly fill didn't make it jarring stiff either but you could definitely knowtice the increased rigidity.

 

That doesn’t work on the facelift upper mount.

 

I did poly bush upgrades when I had my R53 years ago. Did not care for them do too the vibration I would get at idle.

 

I'm interested in opinions of the NVH with the Vibra Technic unit on 2002-2003 cars. Because the upper mount for early cars does not make the same non-dampened connection to the strut tower, it seems like NVH might be reduced.

 

It's been over 15 years since I drove a pre-facelift car, but I highly doubt it would be an improvement. The Vibra-Technics upper mount feels roughly comparable to the solid 50 durometer rubber 034 street density mounts in my Audi. Of all the mounts I changed on my R50, it made the single most increase in NVH.

 

There are two types of vibra-technic mounts- street or competition,