WallyTiburon Product Review: Prothane Motor Mount inserts
(Every question about Prothane Motor Mounts will be answered here... so stop asking.)
Before I start any type of review on what kind of product the Prothane Motor Mount inserts are, I'd like to work the bugs out of the obvious lack of definition and need for clarification in the symantics of the word "Motor mount". I'd normally make some type of disclaimer about the information within my post but then again, everything I've learned... I've learned from these boards.
When refering to the "motor mounts" attaching the engine to the car, it seems that only two of the mounts people refer to are actually motor mounts that hold the engine to the (sub)frame of the car. These motor mounts are on the driver side (often refered to as the tranny mount) and the passenger side (often refered to as the engine mount). The other two mounts are also known as "Roll Stoppers"... quite an intuitive name actually. They prevent the engine from "rolling" back and forth in the engine bay. The roll stoppers are located at the front of the engine (near the radiator) and the rear of the engine (read: crawl under the car). The roll stoppers are the "motor mounts" that most people refer to on the NT boards. These are the "motor mounts" I will be reviewing.
In case you wonder why I opted for the prothane motor mount inserts over the NGM, RIPP, YAYA, Alpine, and Shark Racing mounts, I happen to be frugal. Or cheap if you prefer to be more blunt. Two pair of the prothanes cost me 37 dollars shipped from Prothane's Ebay store. Each pair mate to opposite sides of the OEM roll stoppers to reinforce the OEM mount. Hence the two pair purchased. I believe the other mentioned motor mounts are full replacements and start at a price of around $80 dollars.
Now that the prothanes are installed, I noticed an immediate difference in two huge areas of driving: Idle and Shifting.
At idle, with both mounts installed, I noticed an vibration in the steering wheel. This was not unexpected as the stiffer motor mounts are known to cause more energy from the engine to be transmitted through the car, especially the steering wheel. The vibration is no more bothersome than the chatter from my VHR clutch so I've accepted it as normal and understand that it only lasts until about 1500 RPM in first gear. The natural vibrations of the car absorb the vibrations of the prothanes after first gear.
The second biggest change I noticed was in my shifting. I often thought that unless I really concentrated on the art of shifting, I'd never be able to have uber-smooth shifts. I was dead wrong. If you ever find yourself rocking the car after a speed bump or getting into first gear, those days are over with these motor mounts. I noticed that in between any shift be it from neutral to first or from one gear to the next, all of my shifting had become much smoother. Impress the girl sitting next to you kind of smooth. This also helps drastically with wheel hop.
Overall I recommend the motor mounts over all of the others for the sheer price. Even if you don't like the feel of them, they are so cheap it doesn't matter. I have not tried any of the other mounts but I'm sure they produce the same effects for a higher price. I would also be weary about purchasing these if you own an 04 or 05 model. Apparently according to a number of NT members, there was a modification in the motor mount design on the rear motor mount and the prothane mounts do not fit. I'm not sure how true this is, as I own a 03 but I've heard of people making modifications to assure a good fitment.
Cost of Product: 37 dollars (shipped)
Cost of Installation: 65 dollars (1 hour of shop labor)
:3_winkthu
(Every question about Prothane Motor Mounts will be answered here... so stop asking.)
Before I start any type of review on what kind of product the Prothane Motor Mount inserts are, I'd like to work the bugs out of the obvious lack of definition and need for clarification in the symantics of the word "Motor mount". I'd normally make some type of disclaimer about the information within my post but then again, everything I've learned... I've learned from these boards.
When refering to the "motor mounts" attaching the engine to the car, it seems that only two of the mounts people refer to are actually motor mounts that hold the engine to the (sub)frame of the car. These motor mounts are on the driver side (often refered to as the tranny mount) and the passenger side (often refered to as the engine mount). The other two mounts are also known as "Roll Stoppers"... quite an intuitive name actually. They prevent the engine from "rolling" back and forth in the engine bay. The roll stoppers are located at the front of the engine (near the radiator) and the rear of the engine (read: crawl under the car). The roll stoppers are the "motor mounts" that most people refer to on the NT boards. These are the "motor mounts" I will be reviewing.
In case you wonder why I opted for the prothane motor mount inserts over the NGM, RIPP, YAYA, Alpine, and Shark Racing mounts, I happen to be frugal. Or cheap if you prefer to be more blunt. Two pair of the prothanes cost me 37 dollars shipped from Prothane's Ebay store. Each pair mate to opposite sides of the OEM roll stoppers to reinforce the OEM mount. Hence the two pair purchased. I believe the other mentioned motor mounts are full replacements and start at a price of around $80 dollars.
Now that the prothanes are installed, I noticed an immediate difference in two huge areas of driving: Idle and Shifting.
At idle, with both mounts installed, I noticed an vibration in the steering wheel. This was not unexpected as the stiffer motor mounts are known to cause more energy from the engine to be transmitted through the car, especially the steering wheel. The vibration is no more bothersome than the chatter from my VHR clutch so I've accepted it as normal and understand that it only lasts until about 1500 RPM in first gear. The natural vibrations of the car absorb the vibrations of the prothanes after first gear.
The second biggest change I noticed was in my shifting. I often thought that unless I really concentrated on the art of shifting, I'd never be able to have uber-smooth shifts. I was dead wrong. If you ever find yourself rocking the car after a speed bump or getting into first gear, those days are over with these motor mounts. I noticed that in between any shift be it from neutral to first or from one gear to the next, all of my shifting had become much smoother. Impress the girl sitting next to you kind of smooth. This also helps drastically with wheel hop.
Overall I recommend the motor mounts over all of the others for the sheer price. Even if you don't like the feel of them, they are so cheap it doesn't matter. I have not tried any of the other mounts but I'm sure they produce the same effects for a higher price. I would also be weary about purchasing these if you own an 04 or 05 model. Apparently according to a number of NT members, there was a modification in the motor mount design on the rear motor mount and the prothane mounts do not fit. I'm not sure how true this is, as I own a 03 but I've heard of people making modifications to assure a good fitment.
Cost of Product: 37 dollars (shipped)
Cost of Installation: 65 dollars (1 hour of shop labor)
:3_winkthu
