An engine mount, sometimes referred to as a “motor mount”, is a device used to hold your engine securely in place no matter what the driving conditions might be. Although it is common for a vehicle to have two to three engine mounts, it can have as many as four or five in various positions. It all depends the engine size and position in the engine compartment.
Made of metal (typically steel or aluminum) and rubber, engine mounts not only hold your engine fast to the body and/or frame, they also absorb vibrations caused by your engine and by bumps in the road. This dampening effect helps to ensure that you and your passengers enjoy a smoother ride. It also keeps the engine from shaking parts loose from your vehicle. Some engine mounts are filled by the manufacturer with a liquid to assist in vibration dampening.
To replace an engine mount, a technician will typically need to place your vehicle on a lift to raise and support it off of the ground for access. A special brace or engine hoist will be needed in order to relieve the weight of the engine from the mount for removal and suspend the engine when the mount is removed.
From there, the technician will unbolt the mount from the engine and from the vehicle frame or subframe (engine cradle). The mount is dislodged and pulled from the vehicle and a new mount is inserted. Once the fasteners have been reinstalled and torqued, the engine is lowered. So is the vehicle.
