Advice on engine mounts please
 

I have a 1998 C70 2.3 T5, 4 speed auto.

I was changing some of the vacuum pipes when I noticed that I could rock the engine a little more than usual and I was getting a grinding / metal on metal sound.

I have already replaced both the bulkhead / upper mount and the one next to the crank pulley. The transmission mount looks ok, it sounds like the noise is coming from elsewhere.

I'd like to know whether this age / spec of car is likely to have the round fluid filled pillow mounts, as I know they are not on all cars.

I'm also looking for a guide to replacing them. As it stands I can't even see where they might be so I assume this is going to be a bit of a pig to do?

Recently replaced all engine mounts on both my 1994 T5-R auto and stepsons 1998 2WD V70R. Both use the same mounts all round. Yes they have the round mounts. They are a bit of a pig to do and obviously you can only really get to them from underneath. Before you change them, give the nuts a repeated good soaking over a couple of days with penetrating oil - that will definitely help as access to a couple of the nuts is such that it's a case of patience and undoing them one flat at a time.
Note, although they look similar, the front and rear mounts are slightly different so make sure you install them correctly.

You say you've changed the bulkhead and upper mount. Check that the replacement bush that is a press fit into the mounting plate on the engine is very tightly fitting. Some numpty that had fitted the useless powerflex bushes in my T5-R (they are a waste of space and noisy) had torqued them so tight it stretched the metal of the bush housing and the replacement was ratting around. The only cure was a replacement plate from Skandix.

Your transmission torque mount may look ok but I'll guarantee it isn't so change that too. All parts are available from PFV and won't break the bank. Don't be tempted to buy the genuine Volvo transmission torque mount as its twice the price and PFS inform me that their cheaper version comes from the same source.

Regards
John

As above. The front one is easy. The rear one is a pain as the turbo sits over the top and hinders access and the anti roll bar gets in the way of the lower end.
Obviously make sure you only tackle one at a time and support the engine under the sump with a thick bit of wood (to spread the load) and a trolley jack as you will probably find you will have to lift the engine slightly to fit the new mounts.
When I did mine I got lemforder mounts which looked like "volvo" and a "part number" had been rubbed off....

All good info, thanks.

Interesting about the top bulkhead mount. I have a standard bush in there but it feels a bit sloppy to say the least. I may have the same problem with a distorted mounting. I do have a powerflex bush that was given to me so I might press that in just to keep things tight.

I'm hoping it's just the lower front cushion that's gone, it sounds like that area at least.

Frankly it wouldn't be good practice to replace just the front mount. Both will have compressed substantially over time and if you just do one, you'll throw the engine out of fore/aft alignment as one mount will be considerably higher than the other and you'll jack the engine up on the new one, throwing the engine onto the old one. They compress by quite a considerable amount over time - bad ones can be compressed as much as an inch or more.

As for using the powerflex bush, if you're like me you'll hate it. The noise transmission into the cabin is dreadful and it doesn't fix the problem of a stretched housing. The plate from Skandix came with the bush already pressed in. The plate and bush isn't dear (about 40 Euro) - its the shipping, post Brexit, that kills unless they have now come to a better arrangement with their shippers.

Regards
John

The later top bush with the squarer insert is a direct replacement and a worthwhile option IMO. Bush isn't changeable by itself though. VERY worthwhile to replace the torque fitting underneath as that works in conjunction with the upper mount. When the engine mount under the pulley fails completely you can get metal to metal contact which can give noise. That side of the engine can also drop a bit sideways and may also touch adjacent parts.
I replaced the top one as above on my 2000 V70, it was split, along with the lower one which was completely shot. Just had the engine side mount done and the rubber had come unbonded from the mount but not collapsed too much.

It turned out to be a drama over nothing. The noise was actually coming from something catching on a plastic liner. Once I managed to borrow a jack and look underneath it was obvious that the mounts were in fact fine.

I also fitted the polyurethane top bush. It put up a fair fight in situ but I overwhelmed it using a woodworking vice.

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The bracket doesn't fit over the bush even when fully pressed in. I had to lift the scuttle tray and undo the bulkhead mount to remove the bracket, then file a small amount off of it.]

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I can understand why it may be an acquired taste but I love it. The T5 snarl sounds phenomenal after this upgrade, and yet it is quiet at idle and on the motorway.

It has also solved a lot of handling issues. My engine was evidently shifting its weight about a lot more than designed.