Engine Mounts
contributed by Ian Simpson
Save money and upgrade at the same time.
I just bought and fitted the three main engine mounts. I used ones from a company called Pearl High Tech Parts. They are the same size and shape as the standard Renault items for the 5GTT. They seem harder than the Renault items. I have a front left that was bought only two years ago in Jan 2001 and only used for one year. The Pearl one has a different texture to the rubber and squashes less when squeezed by hand. Certainly a LOT harder than my old original Renault ones which, when removed, were found to be maybe 7mm shorter as they had deformed and squashed that much!
I would also say they fit well and work well. The engine is held steadily in place under application of sudden torque while still maintaining some vibration damping.
Pearl don't supply direct but the service from Partco is excellent (see RTOC Contacts list for their details). Prices from Partco:
Pearl £15.67inc Renault £42.54inc - Rear
Pearl £10.56inc Renault £24.32inc - Front Left
Pearl £12.78inc Renault £42.54inc - Front Right
As of March 2009:
Motor Parts Direct
PEM5226 £26.57 inc
PEM5450 £32.10 inc
PEM5224 £14.02 inc
Allparts Price (Aylesbury Branch)
PEM5226 £15.90 inc
PEM5450 £19.24 inc
PEM5224 £13.43 inc
Pearl didn't list 5GTT and said initially they didn't sell any for that car. I knew they did and it was a question of which ones. I have now confirmed the details with the Tech help desk there and they tell me they are going to amend their catalogue.
Pearl Engine mount part numbers for the 5GTT:
PEM5226 - rear - Renault part no 7700 760 488
PEM5450 - front left (gearbox) - Renault part no 7700 755 531
PEM5224 - front right (engine) - Renault part no 7700 762 721
Note - PEM5301 - rear - was superseded by PEM5226
I've been told that GSF offer two sets of mounts for the R5; standard R5/R9/R11 mounts and then a set of R21/R5 mounts, which I assume are tougher being suitable for the 21, and that these are the ones sold by some 5GTT specialists as 'uprated' harder mounts. The following part numbers are listed for R21/R5; R31116, R31108 & R10106. GSF price around £40.
Procedure for changing engine mounts.
I did this with the air box, intercooler, turbo, heatshield and pipes already removed but turbo cross pipe in place.
The front left mount can be changed by supporting the gearbox with a trolley jack and simply undoing the mount three bolts and lifting with the jack a few mm and removing the mount.
The front right involves removing the alternator and front bumper and again supporting the sump with the trolley jack with a suitable piece of wood on top to avoid damage to the sump. Remove the three bolts that hold the support bracket to the engine block and then one mount bolt that protrudes forward through the subframe. Possibly lift a few mm with the jack and remove the mount. Undo the remaining two bolts securing the mount to the bracket using two spanners.
The rear mount can be super easy peasy if the turbo is out and the bolts don't cross thread on refitting, as the hard to get to one did on mine. I already had the car supported on stands and supported the rear of the gearbox with the trolley jack. I then undid the two bolts that hold the mount down onto the subframe. They are each side of the mount and go from from the top down into a captive nut fixed to the underside of the subframe. I could get a socket wrench onto both and they undid easily. Also with the mount bolt that protrudes upwards through the bracket on the rear of the gearbox. With the trolley jack lift the gearbox a few mm and the mount comes away easily. Refitting was beeatch however due to the cross threading of the drivers side bolt. It cannot be seen from above but goes in at any angle as well as straight due to the design of the bolt perhaps. In the end I had to look up from underneath with a bright torch and could see the bolt end and just tried an alternate angle to the one it favoured but jammed with. It went in! But it was 1/12's of a turn all the long way in using a ring spanner by feel from under the car inserting the spanner over the subframe from the rear.
The Stabiliser (front centre mount). It's a stabiliser bush that bolts to the front of the gearbox in about the centre between the two front engine mounts and it's rubber bush goes into a metal ring that is bolted onto the subframe crossmember. It's purpose is to reduce engine travel / lift when applying power. Renault part number 6001006934, gearbox stabiliser bush, at £11.99inc.
Torque all the nuts/bolts up to 30 ft lbs, as per Haynes.
See: https://www.rtoc.org/boards/thread.asp?TopicID=13542 for some Stabiliser (front centre mount) details,
and https://www.rtoc.org/boards/thread.asp?TopicID=20307 also for some Stabiliser (front centre mount) details.
See: https://www.rtoc.org/boards/thread.asp?TopicID=13535
Feb 2003
Ian S RTOC Profile
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5GTT Engine Mounts
Stabiliser (front centre mount)
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