Engine mount bolt

[RatboneRanch]

I just wrapped up a water pump replacement and even though I supported the engine throughout, the small bolt (10 mm head) in the center of the engine mount bracket won't go back in its hole because the hole won't quite line up with the threads on the engine. I spent about 15 minutes fiddling with a jack and tightening the larger 15 mm head nuts in various sequences, which would make the engine shift around a little bit, but the small hole never did line up right. I was wary of jacking on the bottom of the engine too much so I quit. The hole is now covered with tape to keep dirt out. Is this something I can let go for awhile or should I sort this out before I drive again?

[JFP in PA]

You need to loosen up the other bolts and jiggle the engine around a bit while supporting it until the last bolt can be started.

[DBJoe996]

You can do this, support the engine with a jack, loosen the main motor mount nuts (you probably don't have to remove them all the way), loosen the other engine support bracket bolts and move the bracket around.  I remember having a tough time getting it to align as well, but you can do it.  You just have to have the support bracket loose enough to move around.

[RatboneRanch]

Well, I've been trying as suggested but no matter what I try, there's significant off-centeredness between the eye in the bracket and the threads on the engine. Maybe 3 mm? And my best efforts can only reduce that to maybe 2 mm, not close enough to insert the bolt without it threatening to cross-thread the casting. The pic is blurry due to the close range but it shows the situation accurately.

[DBJoe996]

The engine support bracket has to be loose or it will not align.  See this diagram and make sure you support the engine and loosen all of the nuts, including the engine mount nuts (4, 5, 11). It is a bit difficult, but it can be done. http://www.autoatlanta.com/porsche-parts/hardparts.php?dir=996-99-05&section=109-00

[RatboneRanch]

Thanks for posting that diagram. There are nuts on there I didn't know about so I'll give it another try tonight.

[phins1372]

I realize this is a long dormant thread, but I am hoping someone here can assist me. 

 

I am an in nearly identical situation as RatboneRanch was in., replacing a water pump and thermostat on their 996.

 

I have a 1999 996 C2 Coupe, that I needed to loosen the rear engine bracket support to fit the old/new water pumps out and in.

 

Before loosening anything, I took a jack with a piece of 2x6 wood and snugged it up at the end of the oil sump nearest the bracket, carefully making sure the weight of the engine was well supported..

 

When the job was completed, everything went back together, except that the alignment bolt was off just enough that there was no way to thread it.

 

I attempted to jack the engine up and down a bit, but the bracket just moved with the engine, despite loosening both the lower and the upper nuts attaching it to the face of the engine.

 

I did not attempt to loosen the motor mounts. I believe that they are original to the car, and they appear so rusted/frozen that I think there is a very likely chance that if I try to free them, they will break.

 

Ill attach a few pictures of the alignment bolt, and what you can see from the motor mounts from the bottom of the car.

 

The stretch on the mount seems to indicate that I should be replacing those as well.

 

The rear bumper and most of the exhaust is out of the car, so you will see missing/broken O2 sensors in the images. This may be the best time to replace those mounts, but I am a bit nervous about doing it myself.

 

I have a couple of questions.

 

1) How serious a problem is the missing alignment bolt/slightly off mounting bracket. If the car were driven like this, would it be damaging?

 

2) If I were to order new mounts and remove the existing hardware, would that allow me to move the support bracket back into place to get the alignment bolt threaded?

 

Thank you all so much in advance.

 

 

Any guidance here would be GREATLY appreciated.