Cabby woes #1 - engine vibration

Hi all - a happy w/e to you all - looks like a goodish weather one too.

Cabby 1.8 GTI - E reg, 100k miles - pretty bad engine vibration throughout the car at c. 3000 rpm. You can feel it in the seats, the pedals, steering wheel. Suspect engine mounts are shot, or maybe exhaust hangers - any thoughts? How do I tell if the engine mounts have ‘gone’

Thx in advance - Hereford Steve

If you haven't replaced the Motor mounts, Front and rear of the car on the transmission… ya probably need to.  If you haven't replaced the left and right mounts that are a PITA to do you may want to do that as well.

but I did mention that in your #3 post.

Sit in car with bonnet open and handbrake up and engine running.

Put in first gear and try to pull away with the handbrake on, give it enough revs not to stall but no so many that the handbrake cables snap and you end up in someones front room the other side of the road

From the drivers seat you should be able to see the engine moving through the gap under the bonnet

About 1/2-1 inch of engine movement is normal but if the engine looks like its trying to lift out the car then you know the mounts are gone

Try the same in reverse as well

WATERNAIR said

Sit in car with bonnet open and handbrake up and engine running.

Put in first gear and try to pull away with the handbrake on, give it enough revs not to stall but no so many that the handbrake cables snap and you end up in someones front room the other side of the road

From the drivers seat you should be able to see the engine moving through the gap under the bonnet

About 1/2-1 inch of engine movement is normal but if the engine looks like its trying to lift out the car then you know the mounts are gone

Try the same in reverse as well

This is good advice. To really test it you can sharply lift the clutch up and down which will make it knock if it is caused by engine movement.

However if only at 3000rpm when moving may be something different. I would expect engine mounts to knock every upward gear change.

If feeling through seats and floor etc then worth getting it to a ramp and get a pet bar on all the lower end bushes, mounts and check out the top mounts.  

Also check wheel bearings and wheel balance as could be something that simple

Some one who is experienced may narrow it down for you with a short test drive also. The 3000 rpm bit is throwing it a little for me as mounts and bushes are more force and speed related normally then engine rpm. Unless you are saying 3000 in 5th gear only the maybe that makes a little more sense.

Also before ripping the dash apart fix the vibration cause it may be making the dash rattle at all revs and be bearable when fixed. Happy hunting


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Has someone fitted Polly engine mounts instead of the original rubber ones?


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mark1gls said

Has someone fitted Polly engine mounts instead of the original rubber ones?


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A lot of folks over here have but the vibration and bone jarring vibrations only increase.

Usually they change them out within a few weeks.

Autocrossers and the like use polymounts.

There is a way to increase the longevity of the passenger side and driver side mounts by using a piece of the Rubber of the dead mount cut and stuffed in the top of the new one.



The mount will snap and break, but the additional rubber bits keep it from dropping the engine and screwing up the shifter linkages…. I have also gone a tad longer in between the mount changes.

Briano1234 any experience of the bugpack insert mounts?

Basically does the same thing but it too is poly and will vibrate a tad more.  Is is more expensive than using a hunk of your old mount at the top.

To cut the old mount use a Serrated knife and wd-40 works really well.

I am the original Cost effective illegitimate person (read Cheap Bastiche).

Originally I used a spare 4.5-5.0 socket wedged in the same spot back in the 80's before I got the idea to re-cycle the old mount bits.

I also acquired a spare mounting bracket, and I usually press the new one in it, then swap it out, and replace a mew mount in the Spare for the next time, reduces the repair time a wee bit.

An OBTW hint (BIG HINT)

After you remove the 2 rear Allens (fire-wall side) replace those with grade 8 or 19 Hex headed bolts that are the Same pitch and Length.  They are easier to start easier to tighten, and you can't get your socketed Allen bound on the frame.

Also you want to jack the engine slightly to remove the possibility of Iron Bind to the metal and the bolt, makes it easier.

I have a over head engine stand or support that I created out of a 1/5 inch square pipe, 2 2X10's that are slotted for the pipe, and the pipe is held in place by 2 u-bolts. I can raise or lower the engine or Tranny with either ratcheting cargo straps or Toggle bolts suspended by Muffler clamps.

These are my 1X12's but they didn't last but about 10 years….The 1X12's were replaced with 2X12's but my original 2X10's are still going strong.