Questions and Answers
Eclipse Engine Mount
Q. Hi there, my name's Joe. I was a tech for 17 years on all makes and models from lawn mowers to tractor trailers. Well I'm to the point where I'm stumped on a Mitsubishi Eclipse.
I have changed careers and I work on cars on the side to make a bit of extra cash nowadays.
Well I have this Eclipse and I recognized the sound right away as a bad timing belt tensioner. now this seems like a fairly easy job to take care of, but herein lies the nasty.
It APPEARS that you have to pull the engine to get the motor mount off of the front of the engine. I've got everything loose and for the life of me can't figure out how to get the motor mount plate out of the engine bay.
Indeed I am able to see the tensioner and belt and the tensioner is definitely crooked which I can pretty well guess that the bearings are shot in it. :-)
Can you please tell me how to remove the engine mount WITHOUT pulling the engine. It has 3 bolts that are so long that no matter how high or how low I position the engine, I still cannot remove them. They hit the frame rail.
Any advice you can give me would be a godsend.
Here are the particulars on the vehicle:
1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse
2.0 L FI
DOHC
A/C
P/S
P/B
5 speed
Rack and pinionThanks for your time and I look forward to hearing from you very soon.
Take care,
JoeA. I have never, personally, replaced the tensioner in that car, so I called a friend of mine at the Mitsubishi dealership. What she told me she does is drill three small holes in the frame rail. That will let the bolts slide out enough to remove them. When she is done, she puts rubber caps on the holes to keep water and dirt out.
She also told me that you can just unbolt the tensioner pulley and just replace it. I hope this idea works for you. Let me know how you make out.
