First of all... who thought that VF Engineering's engine mounts used a "hot pink" polyurethane bushing? I did, look at this pic of their lower tranny "dogbone" mount and tell me it doesn't look pink.
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And also, who else besides me thought that the other side mounts were about the size of a raquet ball? I had no idea these things were as big as they are. The pic below makes them seem small... I was trying to figure out why they are $180 each.
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Here is a pic of the mounts in relation to my key. They're HUGE... and considering they're from billet aluminum, I kinda get the $180/each pricetag. I also thought that the replacement mounts were just new bushings inside a CNC machine "copied" OEM look alike housing. I was wrong, VF completely redesigned the mounts all together... so there's some engineering involved. Take a look...
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I drove down to VF Engineering and Nik and his crew were just as nice and hospitable today as they were when they hosted SoCal R32's group of 70 back in August. However, their floors weren't as clean but I'll excuse that because they just finished installing their brand new Mustang (edit: Dynojet) Dyno!
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Nik and his crew brought my car into their shop and put my car up on one of their lifts. According to them, if you have the right tools, this can be a DIY install, but I obviously don't have the tools, skills or patience. In case you're wondering, VF charges $150 labor to install the three mounts. They began by removing the passenger side mount that holds the engine to the chassis. It's hard to see in the pic but it's just under the black power steering fluid reservoir. You move it out of the way then replace the mount. Remember, you need to use a floor jack or similar to hold the engine up while you remove and replace.
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Then they replaced the driver side mount that mounts the tranny to the chassis. This is easier if you have a Cold Air Intake, but we still needed to uncouple the CAI to move the MAF out of the way to get to the mount. If you have the stock airbox, it needs to come out as well.
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The lower dogbone tranny mount is the easiest of them all to replace, assuming you can get under your car easily enough. This is the most commonly replaced mount.
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The installation took about 1.5 to 2 hours, but we were a bit delayed due to the fact that my driver side OEM mount's screws were put in crooked, causing us to basically strip it of all its threads as we removed it. This was not VF's fault and also not normally something R32 owners need to worry about. My engine was replaced at 4,000 miles due to the engine being defective and the dealership that replaced the engine did a poor job of lining up the bolt, causing it to go in cross-threaded. Besides heliacoiling (sp?) the tranny mounting bracket, I would have required a replacement bracket. Lucky for me, QBNR32's car was at VF so we did an organ transplant of his tranny mount bracket to my car. THANKS QBN!!! Our cars are like blood brothers now.
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Here's a spy pic of QBNR32's Stage ??? car.
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Anyhow, back to the engine mounts. I only have about 1.5 hours driving time in the car but I want to post my first thoughts now, and I'll post up again after 500 miles, the supposed break-in period time.
The car feels different, that is for sure. It is not a subtle mod. I never just ran with the VF lower tranny mount only, but I did run the EIP tranny mount for 3 weeks prior to this. The EIP is a very nice piece, especially for those that want to clean up the tranny slop, but also want zero vibration. Personally, while I felt the slop got cleaned up with the EIP, I wanted a much more pronounced difference from this mod/upgrade... and that I why I decided to go all out and get VF's 3 mount kit. Sorry, but I cannot comment on the VF vs EIP lower mount question that is inevitable since I never ran the VF lower mount alone.
I always thought that VF made the 3 mount kit for Stage II supercharged cars only... that only these huge power monsters would benefit from the 3 mount kit. But Nik's response to a question I asked in the "R32 Defined" VF Engineering Sponsor Forum told me otherwise.
Then the question was asked if the 3 mounts were overkill for a daily driver that is still normally aspirated and his response convinced me it was worth a try.
He's right. The car does vibrate a bit, not too much, not enough for you to hear things rattle. It's definitely not stock... but it's not bad. I kind of equate it to suspension feel... while a stock suspension is like a cadillac and smooth, there is enhanced performance and feel from a tighter/stiffer suspension. You feel the road more, you have more confidence. It's kind of similar with the 3 mounts (especially the driver side tranny/chassis mount, I think) because you feel more of the car, like you're more a part of the car, less detached. You hear new sounds while driving you never heard before, I'd assume it's the tranny/chassis mount that since it's more directly connected, the sounds resonate into the cabin more. You can, if you listen, hear the gearbox, little clicks, etc... kinda cool.
Supposedly things will settle down a bit as it "settles" over the next 500 miles, but to be honest, if nothing changed, I'd be fine with it. I'd be disappointed in the money I spent if it went back to feeling like stock.
As for driving, it's great. There is a noticeable difference having all 3 mounts as opposed to the one tranny mount (I'd assume VF or EIP). There is no noticeable engine slop, or rocking as you take your foot off the accelerator or when you mash on it. Shifts between gears are crisp, solid and defined. You really feel like you're getting all there is to get from the engine/tranny. I will post up more information again after I drive around a bit more, but wanted to get the pics and info up.
For those coming to the SoCal R32 GTG, I'll gladly make my car available for test drives... just promise to be nice to my baby.
Modified by nebuchadnezzar at 9:12 AM 2-12-2006
And also, who else besides me thought that the other side mounts were about the size of a raquet ball? I had no idea these things were as big as they are. The pic below makes them seem small... I was trying to figure out why they are $180 each.
Here is a pic of the mounts in relation to my key. They're HUGE... and considering they're from billet aluminum, I kinda get the $180/each pricetag. I also thought that the replacement mounts were just new bushings inside a CNC machine "copied" OEM look alike housing. I was wrong, VF completely redesigned the mounts all together... so there's some engineering involved. Take a look...
I drove down to VF Engineering and Nik and his crew were just as nice and hospitable today as they were when they hosted SoCal R32's group of 70 back in August. However, their floors weren't as clean but I'll excuse that because they just finished installing their brand new Mustang (edit: Dynojet) Dyno!
Nik and his crew brought my car into their shop and put my car up on one of their lifts. According to them, if you have the right tools, this can be a DIY install, but I obviously don't have the tools, skills or patience. In case you're wondering, VF charges $150 labor to install the three mounts. They began by removing the passenger side mount that holds the engine to the chassis. It's hard to see in the pic but it's just under the black power steering fluid reservoir. You move it out of the way then replace the mount. Remember, you need to use a floor jack or similar to hold the engine up while you remove and replace.
Then they replaced the driver side mount that mounts the tranny to the chassis. This is easier if you have a Cold Air Intake, but we still needed to uncouple the CAI to move the MAF out of the way to get to the mount. If you have the stock airbox, it needs to come out as well.
The lower dogbone tranny mount is the easiest of them all to replace, assuming you can get under your car easily enough. This is the most commonly replaced mount.
The installation took about 1.5 to 2 hours, but we were a bit delayed due to the fact that my driver side OEM mount's screws were put in crooked, causing us to basically strip it of all its threads as we removed it. This was not VF's fault and also not normally something R32 owners need to worry about. My engine was replaced at 4,000 miles due to the engine being defective and the dealership that replaced the engine did a poor job of lining up the bolt, causing it to go in cross-threaded. Besides heliacoiling (sp?) the tranny mounting bracket, I would have required a replacement bracket. Lucky for me, QBNR32's car was at VF so we did an organ transplant of his tranny mount bracket to my car. THANKS QBN!!! Our cars are like blood brothers now.
Anyhow, back to the engine mounts. I only have about 1.5 hours driving time in the car but I want to post my first thoughts now, and I'll post up again after 500 miles, the supposed break-in period time.
The car feels different, that is for sure. It is not a subtle mod. I never just ran with the VF lower tranny mount only, but I did run the EIP tranny mount for 3 weeks prior to this. The EIP is a very nice piece, especially for those that want to clean up the tranny slop, but also want zero vibration. Personally, while I felt the slop got cleaned up with the EIP, I wanted a much more pronounced difference from this mod/upgrade... and that I why I decided to go all out and get VF's 3 mount kit. Sorry, but I cannot comment on the VF vs EIP lower mount question that is inevitable since I never ran the VF lower mount alone.
I always thought that VF made the 3 mount kit for Stage II supercharged cars only... that only these huge power monsters would benefit from the 3 mount kit. But Nik's response to a question I asked in the "R32 Defined" VF Engineering Sponsor Forum told me otherwise.
| Quote, originally posted by "VF-Engineering" » |
| You do not need to have a power upgraded engine to feel the benefits of these mounts. We have already sold 500 sets and about half to R32 owners. The mounts give you a well connected feel with the engine and are very confortable with the stock engine. They provide better supprt and stability for the car when cornering very hard and changing gears very aggressively. |
Then the question was asked if the 3 mounts were overkill for a daily driver that is still normally aspirated and his response convinced me it was worth a try.
| Quote, originally posted by "VF-Engineering" » |
| The lighter 4cyl engine will vibrate a little, but the sturdy VR6 feels awesome with our mounts. It is definitely not over the top. I can assure you it is very friendly for a daily driver. |
He's right. The car does vibrate a bit, not too much, not enough for you to hear things rattle. It's definitely not stock... but it's not bad. I kind of equate it to suspension feel... while a stock suspension is like a cadillac and smooth, there is enhanced performance and feel from a tighter/stiffer suspension. You feel the road more, you have more confidence. It's kind of similar with the 3 mounts (especially the driver side tranny/chassis mount, I think) because you feel more of the car, like you're more a part of the car, less detached. You hear new sounds while driving you never heard before, I'd assume it's the tranny/chassis mount that since it's more directly connected, the sounds resonate into the cabin more. You can, if you listen, hear the gearbox, little clicks, etc... kinda cool.
Supposedly things will settle down a bit as it "settles" over the next 500 miles, but to be honest, if nothing changed, I'd be fine with it. I'd be disappointed in the money I spent if it went back to feeling like stock.
As for driving, it's great. There is a noticeable difference having all 3 mounts as opposed to the one tranny mount (I'd assume VF or EIP). There is no noticeable engine slop, or rocking as you take your foot off the accelerator or when you mash on it. Shifts between gears are crisp, solid and defined. You really feel like you're getting all there is to get from the engine/tranny. I will post up more information again after I drive around a bit more, but wanted to get the pics and info up.
For those coming to the SoCal R32 GTG, I'll gladly make my car available for test drives... just promise to be nice to my baby.
Modified by nebuchadnezzar at 9:12 AM 2-12-2006
