On my all original 1990 LE, I got some grinding noise from a dead stop.
In checking things out under the hood, I applied the parking brake and put the trans into forward gear while I goosed the throttle looking under the hood. Lots of movement in there under a load. I'll need to change the mounts.

My question is, besides the mounts themselves, what all do I need to unhook or loosen to get the engine/trans high enough to replace the mounts?

Also, is either pan strong enough that I can use a floor jack there, or do I absolutely have to pick it up from the top?

This just became a problem tonight, so I haven't had a chance to get under there and see what I am facing. I am expecting to change all the mounts while I am at it. I would appreciate any input from anyone with experience changing the mounts.

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When my mech replaced the rack and pinion and when the tranny shop rebuilt and replaced my spare tranny, they both said the only way to do it was to lift the engine. I'm just going from my limited experience with it though.

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1988 SSE-Gone but not forgotten.
2001 SSEI-304,572 miles, 3.5 Pulley, Intense PCM, Intense FWI Spectre filter, 160 tstat, ngk iridiums, belden wires, Silverstars-high and low beam, rebuilt tranny, shift kit, cooler, Dex VI fluid, replace the rear compressor and lines and level sensor, Monroe air shocks in back, FE5 struts and Moog strut mounts, Moog stabilizer bars, AC\Delco control arms.

2004 SLE-Stock, 195,000 miles,oldest son's baby now

2000 Ford Ranger-Stock, 352,000 hard, pizza delivery miles, new control arms (upper and lower), new(used) tranny

I managed to replace all my mounts except for the DS rear trans mount by disconnecting the mounts and then jacking up the motor from the oil pan with a board under it to distribute the weight. No problems.

RockAuto is probably your best source for mounts.

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-Eric
"Energy and Persistence Conquer all Things" --Benjamin Franklin
-1989 Buick LeSabre T Type: 220k miles
-1987 Fiero GT: 224k miles
-2012 Honda Civic (boring, but its a good DD)

It wasn't as bad as I expected to change the mounts, I have a friend with a cherry picker and a shop full of tools. I just did the front 2, they were both separated. We took the bottom bolts out of all of them, lifted the engine/trans, took loose the AC compressor to access the upper mount bolts, then lowered it enough to align the mount studs with their bolts and set it down and tightened everything.

But...

I wish I wouldn't have bothered because now the transmission is slipping badly.
I can't pull down into my regular parking space because I don't think it will drive back out.
It looks like I'm out of the Bonneville business because I can't afford a trans swap, even a used trans.
me -> <-budget

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a good trans should only cost about $150-200 used from a salvage yard

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~~~Freddy~~~ Wyotech Graduate, Future RCSAMS student
Pandora 1988 Lesabre T-Type 259000 miles
Darlington 1987 Lesabre T-Type 115000 miles
Cream Puff 1988 Lesabre T-Type 194500 miles

$200 installed is doable.
Me installing it is not doable.
Life's tough on a fixed income.

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