Hello! My wife's LR2 had the motor mounts go bad and the LR Stealership wanted $1400.00 to replace them. There are 3 and are all very easy to replace with a small amount of mechanical ability and some basic tools. Total cost for all genuine LR parts was $285 from Amazon/eBay. The mounts began grumbling * rattling * vibrating when turning right and accelerating. It was the big, hidden, oil filled one holding up the front engine that was making all the racket but you could not see it as it resides underneath a plate that bolts to the top side of the engine. The others were worn but not noisy and all should probably be replaced simultaneously as they seem to wear at approximately the same rate.

Caveat emptor: I am a pharmacist by trade and NOT a professional mechanic. This post merely documents the way I chose to repair my own personal truck. Use this post at your own risk and liability.




These are the parts to be replaced.

I started by disconnecting the negative battery terminal and set the parking brake.



I removed this cover by pulling up firmly. It simply clips on.




Then I used a 13mm socket to remove the six skid plate bolts and the skid plate. If you've ever changed the oil then this is not foreign to you!



Then I used a block of wood to jack up on the oil pan just enough to barely begin to raise the engine so it wouldn't drop when I removed the plate holding the engine on top of the mount.




I used a 10mm socket to remove the screw retaining the coolant overflow tank and simply left it connected but mobile so I could move it as needed to access all the mount bolts without removing the tank.





Then I used a 15mm to remove the two bolts that secured the mount that limits horizontal front to back movement at the top of the engine.










This would be engine mount number 1!


This plate I removed by taking out the three 15mm bolts, one 15mm bolt, and the bolt attaching it to the mount was an 18mm bolt.




And here the mount is exposed and removed by taking out the three 15mm bolts.


Here's a side by side shot of new and old mount. No wonder it was rubbing and making a racket!!



Here you can see the paint & metal rub that was making all the noise:



Here's where the mount attaches to the body of the car:



Here is the new one installed. (Torque spec needed here)



Here, I went to bolt the upper engine mount plate back on, but it quickly became quite apparent just how worn the old mount was. I had to jack the engine up about 2 inches to get the plate to bolt back flat to the motor because at the old height it was contacting the mount before it would mate to the engine. After making sure the plate was contacting the motor at all points and was 100% flat I bolted the plate back onto the motor taking ABSOLUTE care not to cross thread the bolts that attach deep inside the head. There were three 15mm bolts and one 15mm nut. (Torque specs needed) Then I lowered the Jack and let the engine rest back on the mount. (Yes I reused a photo from earlier. Forgot to take a pic lol)




Also the motor had shifted towards the firewall about an inch so the hole for the mount didn't line up.



You can see here with a little persuasion with a wrench easily lines up the holes.



Just to make my life easier I decided to use a ratchet strap from a hole on the upper core support just behind the headlight attaching bolts to the factory engine installation loop attached where the only 15mm nut on the stud at the rear of the engine mount plate. This allowed me to ratchet the engine forward an inch to line things up hands free.



Once everything lined up I bolted the mount to the plate using the 18mm bolt. (Torque spec needed)

Next bolt the new upper mount back it with two 15mm bolts(torque spec needed). (I'm temporarily reusing the old one as I'm waiting on new one to arrive!)








Finally I reattached the overflow tank making sure that it mounted it to this bracket on the headlight end:



And attached at the firewall side with a 10mm bolt:



Finished up by popping the cover back on and bolting the skid plate back on using the six 13mm bolts.





A test drive revealed that the noise is completely eliminated though I've yet to do the lower and upper horizontal mounts. When they come in I'll install them and post up but they are very straightforward.

Also of note, this mount is oil filled and leaked oil all over the place when turned upside down.

Very nice post, this noise is heard from engine side or from interior (inside the car) only?

Great write up Turbolove, well done
Dave DAVE.

adywicaksono wrote:

Very nice post, this noise is heard from engine side or from interior (inside the car) only?

Dave47 wrote:

Great write up Turbolove, well done
Dave

Thank you

Tubolove wrote:

adywicaksono wrote:

Very nice post, this noise is heard from engine side or from interior (inside the car) only?

The noise first became obvious from the inside of the car as noticed by my wife. When you would turn right and accelerate it would make a rubbing noise like metal on metal vibrating. I initially thought it was a wheel bearing but generally you hear the noise on the opposite side of the car from the turn that you're making. This was on the right side of the car while making a right turn.

As the mount continued to deteriorate (over a 2 week period) it became audible from the outside of the car (I stood on the street corner and had my son make an aggressive right turn near me) and then it would make noise on initial start up first thing in the morning for a few seconds after start up while idling. Always audible from the inside. Sometimes audible from the outside. I was never able to duplicate the noise inside the engine compartment (likely because I could only be under the hood while it was idling). I even put the truck up on jackstands and had my son rev the engine while turning right to left when I was underneath listening. Could not duplicate the noise that way.

Thanks for great post! I think I have similar issue, look at picture below

From front side:


From back side:



based on your story I could see, there is no gap anymore, correct me if I am wrong

What happened previously is I ignore below when this was broken for months/years

Click image to enlarge

Then I start heard the noise so I thought only that needs to be replaced, but I was wrong .

Sure does look like it. The rubber in the new mount will stick up about an inch out of the metal whereas the old worn one was flush with the weight of the motor on it.

yes great post and pictures.

Iain

Absolutely fantastic post. Great write up and well thought out.

How many miles on your LR2? 2008 3.2L I6 Auto

We have 170,000 miles. Still runs like a brand-new truck! Only downside is we are having completely reasonable but regular component failures on a regular basis now. To me it's still cheaper than having to payment but the problem is this is my wife's truck and I don't like her to ever feel stranded. I may just keep it and trade my car and buy her a brand new car for her piece of mind.

Just want to point out that the pictures don't always get orientated correctly by default and some of these look like they are on their side, if you go into your gallery, you can rotate them correctly. 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

Tubolove, nice job! thank you for sharing

Just to add into the library of this discussion

Before




After

Thanks Turbolove, just replaced my RH engine mount using your great write up. God those mounting bolts are tight.

Mine was nothing like as bad as yours but replacing it has all but stopped my tickover vibration and greatly reduced the typical (for 2.2 Diesel) vibration at 1500 - 1800 rpm.

Cheers, JGH99. Freelander 2 GS Stornoway Grey
Jan 2007 Bought 71,000 miles. Currently 149,300 miles.

Hi JGH99,
Can you share the PN's? what i found is registered by seller as "for 3.2L only" and i am not sure if it is the same for both motors.