I want to thank the few here that recommended the T5 install. With the info found here and the Cool Cats forum, I rounded up enough parts and waited for a good friend to tackle the project. Fun is the word. I am glad I didn't go too deep with the AOD. I was starting to think it would take a bigger engine or a better supercharger/head combo to make it a keeper. My friend runs a G-Force in his Race Car, and still liked how well this car drove. Faith restored. Now to gets some miles racked up before winter gets here.
The T5 is much better than the stock AOD. I sunk some $$$$ into the AOD in my car to make it fun. Going from a stock AOD to the modified one my car picked up 7 tenths and 2 mph in the quarter. You should see similar results with the T5, as long as you don't miss a shift ;)
Just don't do what I did, and blow out all the motor mounts and strip out the motor mount bolt holes.
Haystack does have a point. Depending on how you drive, you may want to look into upgrading your engine and transmission mounts.
When I put the t5 in my SE v6 it became apparent very quick that I had junk motor mounts. I never noticed with the auto.
I will probably do a motor plate if I ever get around to getting my old 86 going. It needs new every thing.
If you drive like a sane person, it will ve okay. I mrssed up my power steering rack, oil pan ajd broke the ac line. To be fair, I gave up after six shiznitty motor mounts and it was stripped out. There was a pretty good sized dent in the floor from the shifter coming over.
I don't mean to be rude, but how the hell do you guys bust motor mounts so often? When my Cougar was on the road I absolutely thrashed the thing and the motor mounts never gave on me. I replaced them when I did a transmission and they were still good.
Then you really aren't trying. This Is my old 87 bird, stock everything. I owned it from 140k-180k.
https://youtu.be/xDDKoedmj80
Those little tabs were still in place. Stuff gets really cool when those bend/break.
I broke the motor mount in one of my TC's when I was beating the hell out of it. My current TC wasn't abused, but had a lot of miles and a broken mount. They are big, rubber bladders with fluid in them. They can only handle so much for so long.
I ended up buying a Stifflers trans crossmember and used an Energy Suspension Trans mount. Replacement motor mounts but looking at them I'm sure they will only take so much. I need to redo the upper radiator hose as it was close to the supercharger pulley and after a little "playing" it left some rub marks. This is a driver, but I started thinking of a torque limiter set up but with urethane bushings?
I've got solid rubber pads in the factory mount brackets. Been fine for 10 years.
Right now, we only have one vendor making mounts for our cars, assuming you're still using the factory k-member.
https://tbirdcougarparts.com
I have the prototype 2.3L mounts on my car and they work well so far.
Ah the ones I pulled out were solid rubber and the ones I put in were also solid rubber
All aftermarket mounts are solid rubber I think as a cheaper solution.
Those are the ones I kept tearing apart. I even tried to glue them back together
Well, I don't think motor mounts are something you can exactly glue
In my absence I'm finding out that Chuck no longer makes mounts but there is this guy. Did he come up with his own design or is this Chucks?
Civic guys used to make mounts solid using windshield adhesive, which just so happens to be the same thing most motor mounts are made out if. The "solid" rubber mounts are actually molded in two pieces and glued together without anything else actually holding them together except some sort of epoxy or glue, which is why they come apart and fail. I correctly assumed it wouldn't work, but I had new motor mounts on order, and I already had the glue.
I've also drilled straight through the motor mount and tried bolting them together, which just creates a weak point in the rubber, then it just tears straight through the rubber. I've also used "universal" body and motor mounts to try to make my own.
Pretty much given up on keeping the stock design together, and that is with stock high mile power levels.
Next I think I am litterly gonna do a motor plate and also build some real solid motor mounts with angle iron.
They are Heaths own designs. They do resemble Chucks, but I think that's mostly because that's the most simple and cost effective way to make them. I haven't had any issues with my 2.3L mounts, but I also don't drive the car that often nor do I make much more power than stock right now.
I've done that with one of my old Turbo Dodges. You're just filling in the open areas in the mounts with the windshield urethane rather than making or gluing a full mount together.
Grab a set of the mounts from the link I posted above. Their 5.0 mounts are likely overkill for most people here. I think he made them out of 1/2" plate or something similar.
Yup, the srock replacement mounts actually have a metal plate with holes in it that the rubber is molded to. I tried drilling out where the rubber failed and refilling it with all kinds of things to hold them together.
One day when I have some money I'll pick up some nice ones. I really do want to build my own mounts one day also
Im gonna have to pick me up a couple sets of those motor mounts. My cougar project keeps falling further behind schedule. Dont buy bmr control arms the fitment is awful. Im gonna grab a set of cobra control arms after I return the bmr ones.