Decided to tackle the engine mounts this weekend. I’ve been putting it off for a little while now, because I knew it would take longer than expected, and be more of a pain in the neck. I’m pretty sure I’ve watched all the how-to videos and read all the articles. My GLK is a 4matic, so some extra complications. It literally took me most of the weekend just to do the driver’s side. The old mount came off just fine, but the new did not go in so easily. I struggled off and on for around 5 hours to get it into place. Pry, compress, wiggle, compress, pry, and repeat. Would definitely have been easier if I had pulled the CV axle, but did not want to go through that. It is most of the way back together now…on to the passenger side and transmission mount.
Based on the difference in height between the old and new, I can be sure the mounts were the cause of the vibration at idle.

I’m excited to feel the difference!
I’m not excited about doing this again in 100k miles 🤪

 

Applauding you for doing it

I keep putting it off, every winter for the last few years I tell myself I got to change these mounts in the spring. Warmer weather comes around, I watch all the videos, which remind me how much of a PITA this job is, then I tell myself vibrations not too bad, pick easier projects to work on. Winter comes around vibrations get worse again, cycle continues.

 

Youch - what a pain !!

Years ago, I did the motor and tranny mounts on my wife's 2001 E320 (she now has GLK350 Base) that had about 300,000 at the time. And I thought it was painful spending about 4-5 hours for all three.

Hopefully, the other two will be less painful for you !!

 

I've also been procrastinating for a couple of years. My mechanic friend refuses to touch it.

 

Everyone has a price. 😉 Offer him more money.

 

When I bought my 2011 (150,000 mile) GLK, I really got annoyed by how harsh my drivetrain felt, knowing it was the mounts. I was absolutely blown away by what a huge difference new mounts made. And FWIW, I'd have to guess that pulling the axles is a lot easier than working around them. There's really not enough room in there for the axles, a moving mount and a hand or two. ;-)

I went into the process just KNOWING I could do it easier and quicker than the others who'd talked about the job, or made videos. Turns out, not the case. You really DO have to pull the exhaust and axles. Etc.

 

Can anyone chime in on how this job compares difficulty wise to front propeller shaft r/r? Home shop, no lift.
Going through my service records I don't think my 2010 has EVER had the mounts replaced? I hear the difference is night and day.

 

I'm dreading this job but surely it's easier than front prop shaft replacement?? That was a nightmare.

 

I recently did this job. 2011 GLK with 81k miles, 4MATIC. Definitely not an easy job at all. I am lucky to have QuickJacks so I was able to tinker with it after work for a couple days. There's really no skipping steps here. I ended up pulling the belt, alternator, exhaust, and front axels. Removal of the old mounts is pretty easy but getting the new ones in was the bane of my existence. Had to lift the engine multiple different times to get them in. 100% worth it though if you have failed engine mounts. The difference is literally night and day. The powertrain feels amazing after they're done. If you have questions let me know.

 

Just to motivate those facing the dreaded motor mount replacement, here's a video showing diagnostics (noise and engine movement) as well as the noise bad mounts allow (at idle)... the difference is more than can be accurately shown in "just" a video, but you'll get a good idea...

 

Finally done with all mounts and reassembly. I have done some pretty complicated car surgeries in my time, and this ranked up there from a frustration standpoint. While I was in there trying to wiggle in the passenger engine mount, I noticed a tiny tear in the inner CV boot. Out came the shaft for further inspection. The grease was pretty contaminated, thin, and a lovely beige color. Bearings all looked good, so decided to clean it up and re-boot it. For those wondering, the Autozone universal CV boot fits perfectly.
The transmission mount took all of about 15 minutes to replace.
I stopped counting the ups and downs on my lift…it was a lot. This job could definitely be done without a lift, but make sure you have a very comfortable creeper and a concrete floor.
With all that said, what a difference! It runs so smooth now, it’s like a new car. Satisfaction level 10+.

 

Thanks for the input here. My 2010 has pretty extensive maintence history (and is one of the reasons I bought it) but I can't find any record of it ever having motor mounts done. Needless to say I'm sure it's due. I think I'll tackle it when it's not 100 degrees out.