sequelman

Has anyone on the forum personally replaced the motor mounts on an SL550, not by taking to a service center? I have a quote from a dealer for $1400 and an independent for $1100. That seems like a lot to me. Is this job that difficult that they are charging $800-$1000 labor? Since the Lemfoerder parts can be purchased for under $200, is this something that I could do myself? I was a Honda Tech 20 + years ago and know how to turn wrenches

I'm not opposed to spending the $$$ if it's that big a deal.

Thanks,

Ghostty

Are the quotes without the parts? I can't say for sure if for the 550 series is the same way as for SL500. For the 500 you just drop the exhaust and jack up the engine just enough to loosen up the mounts.

Now for the 600 V12TT it's a completely different story But for the 550 - no clue...

P.S.

How many mounts? Which ones?

Rudeney

Looking at WIS, you have to remove the exhaust pipes and lift the engine (of course). The AC compressor has to be moved aside (just detached from its mount, no need to open the system) and the bracket for the PS/ABS tandem pump must be removed. Note that you do NOT support the engine on the oil pan as it will be damaged. It's best to lift from above, but if not, support the block and not the oil pan.

sequelman

The $1400 and $1100 quotes are with parts, left and right engine mounts. I already had the Transmission mount done at the Dealer when it was in for service but after they did that, they discovered that Engine Mounts were also bad. The fact that they misdiagnosed the vibration problem kind of turned me off.

Ghostty

$1100 with parts doesn't sound that much to me, considering it's not one hour job + tools and everything else.But it is durable to DIY, per the instructions posted by Rudeney - a decent weekend project?

Rudeney

Dropping the transmission for a torque converter or rear seal replacement is a "weekend project". Motor mounts are a "Thursday afternoon" project. It would be a "Friday afternoon" project, but that might get into "happy hour".

Ghostty

Well, your weekends are definitely different than mine - i spent half day driving around city, trying to apply for US passport - still failed after all (lines were everywhere too big, they wouldn't accept more people in). Considering i finished my last car project a year ago, i might got enough rusty to consider the mounts as a weekend project

sequelman

Rudeney, thanks for your guidance, it's much appreciated.

Thanks to everyone else for your replies. I intend to keep this car for a long time so I would like to get a good repair manual, can somebody recommend one? I went to https://www.startekinfo.com/StarTek/...tedDocId=11498 but it says "Please see WIS-net for MY2007 or later". I looked on eBay and found several so walled WIS software for cheap but not sure if they are worth anything.

Rudeney

@Ghostty: That just reminds me - I think it's time to renew my passport! I do know that around here, the best strategy for getting a new passport is to go to our downtown post office during the week, in the morning. No one ever goes in there for anything except PO box access. The suburban PO's are packed. In fact, the one closest to me only does passports from 10am-3pm, with a break for lunch, and you have to make an appointment.

@Sequelman: Don't bother with Startekinfo - get WIS. Those on eBay are usually OK, just check feedback and ask questions. I noticed many of them say that an Internet connection is required - I'd like to know if that's just a one-time need for their licensing, or if they are doing something else (it should not be needed full time). BUT...if you intend to DIY work on your SL, you really need SDS. The best version to get is with a hardwired multiplexer with the built-in RS232-to-RS485 interface and the software on a "virtual" machine. This is the most flexible way to use it and the hardwired (vs. wifi connected) multiplexers seem to be less prone to failure. If you shop around, you can usually get it for around $350 (you supply the laptop) or for about $700, you can get a turnkey system with the laptop (Dell D630 or similar). Checkout mrcartool.com - that's where I bought my last unit.