Replace Upper Engine Mount w/ Polyurethane Bushing

Bushing Replacement Tutorial Overview

The 850’s upper engine mount is designed to hold the engine in place. Without it, the engine would thrash back and forth in the engine bay and damage nearly everything near it. There are two lower engine mounts that are responsible for the engine’s weight, but these are out of scope for this How To section.


Original bushing after sawing and removal.
It’s easily spotted at the top of the engine a bit to the driver’s side (North American). When it decays, the results can vary from engine vibration felt in the cabin to violent shake and sounds from the engine bay. The upper engine mount, as it comes from the factory, is a molded rubber piece a little smaller than a baseball. Replacement polyurethane mounts (about $20-40) are two half-donut pieces that come together from either side of the metal arm (you don’t replace this). In retrospect I would have replaced my mount with an OEM peice after looking at the OEM that came out and reading about them. It turns out the OEM peice has a certain engineered design that limits engine rock to two directions, and conversely dampens engine movement in other directions. Apparently the 850’s engineers built a certain degree of movement into the design of the car.

Tools

• hacksaw
• hammer
• ratchet set
• adjustable wrench

Procedure

Remove the bolt that runs through the center of the engine mount. Put the adjustable wrench on one side to keep it from turning while you use the ratchet to unscrew the bolt. When this is out take a hacksaw blade and run it through the OEM bushing (there are holes). Cut the bushing from the inside out (cutting approximately a half- or a quarter of a centimeter). This photo shows the original bushing that has just been cut. IMPORTANT: The hacksaw blade appears to be ‘aimed’ at the bolt hole… but please, don’t cut that. It should not look like you need to cut through any metal. This is a much better illustration of what you need to cut:

Original bushing during sawing. Notice the small cut at the 11 o’clock position.
The next step is to remove the bushing after the cutting has collapsed the integrity of it. It should pull out either side. Line everything up, put in either half of the replacement polyurethane bushing (or the one peice of the OEM replacement if you’re concerned about keeping your Volvo running with the correct parts), keeping in mind you may have to tap the bolt through with a hammer. If the holes are not lining up perfectly, get a friend to try to rock the engine back and forth while you push and tap the bold. Don’t forget the washers.

Conclusion

The hardest part is getting the old OEM bushing out. Like I said above, if I could do it over again, I’d get the OEM version. Also, I think I feel now more natural engine vibration in the steering wheel because the polyurethane replacement transmits a bit more vibration.

Reader Comments

When you fit the new mount rotate the top forward about 15 degrees as this takes some of the ’shear’ out of the thrust and the mount will last much longer. I still have an OEM mount in and it is about 6 years old.
Hutchie

Instead of a hacksaw to cut the old bushing out use a narrow wood chisel and hammer. It is much faster.
Orr’s Island

Add Your Comments

1. Andrew 10:40 am on December 22nd, 2009

   Instead of either the hacksaw or the chisel, use a large rubber mallet to smack the old bushing out. I took one look at it, grabbed my trusty rubber mallet, gave it a good whack and the whole thing popped out just like that.

2. Sam 5:51 pm on January 1st, 2010

   This procedure worked for me.
   1. Remove the bolt that holds the old bushing.
   2. The torque arm that the bolt passes through gets in the way, but it is attached to a flexible mount. Lift it up, swing it toward the center of the car and park it on top of the bracket that holds the old bushing. Now you can work.
   3. Get the old bushing out of the metal sleeve. I cut through it with a hack saw blade (holding the blade with my hands), and then it pushed out easily.
   4. Clean the sleeve, and then smear some grease on it. Butter or margarine will do if you don’t have any grease lying around. Grease the poly bushings also.
   5. The hole through the new bushing is off center, and it has to be aligned with the holes in the torque arm. The poly bushing should have arrows or some other index mark to help with alignment. The yellow MTC bushing I installed had arrows, and the correct orientation had the arrows pointing towards the rear of the car. It is easier to slip a bushing half into the side of the sleeve that is closest to the center of the car. Push it in with the index mark toward the rear of the car. Lower the torque arm. Are the holes aligned? Rotate the bushing if needed until the holes are aligned and note the orientation of the index mark. Return the torque arm to its parked position.
   6. There’s a metal tube that passes through the bushing halves. Insert the tube through the half that is already installed. Now with the index mark of the second bushing half oriented the same way, slip it onto the tube and align it with the sleeve. It’s hard to push into the sleeve. I used a dead blow hammer.
   7. Slip the torgue arm over the bushing. It’s a very tight fit, and the dead blow hammer is useful for tapping it down until the holes are aligned.
   8. Install the bolt. Per the Haynes manual, tighten to 26 ft. lbs (35Nm)then tighten an additional 90 degrees. You’re done.