1999 V70XC: Front right (& left) driveshaft replacement impossible to find! Topic is solved

[jvl]

Thanks Neil.
My indy has been talking about the 'lower front engine mount'. Could this be the same one that you mentioned, near the engine crank pulley?
I've been considering replacing this mount for a while.
Do you feel it would be worth replacing this mount, considering the other things I've already tackled?

Thanks,

Joost

[scot850]

Have it checked to see if it needs done. Can't tell which mount your mechanic is meaning as technically there a possible 3 candidates here. Most likely is the one on the RHS below the crankshaft pulley. This can be easily checked on a hoist with a lever between the engine and the sub-frame. Lifting the engine carefully look to see if the rubber portion has separated from the lower part. Fairly quick to replace, maybe 20 minutes and 4 bolts with the passenger front wheel off.

Next would be the lower torque mount under the center front of the engine. That is the one that in no longer available. It has 2 bushes and the rear one (smaller one) is typically the one that fails first.

There is another large 'cone' shaped engine mount at the front of the engine, but these seldom fail.

Neil.

[jvl]

So, I ordered the front (cone shaped) and right (near pulley) engine mounts, and hope to install them this weekend (if the weather is allright). Will keep you informed. Thanks so far!

[jvl]

Update!
Even though I could still feel I attended a wedding party on friday, I decided to get started on the engine mounts early on saturday.
With some help, I replaced the two mounts.
The lower right mount is really easy to replace.
Not so much for the front mount: it was almost impossible to reach the top nut that holds the mount onto the engine. I disconnected and unbolted the radiator fan from the shroud for better acces. I also had to fight a cable loom and some plug that are above the mount and made it hard to get to the nut.

This is where things started going wrong: it was impossible to remove the fan easily due to the manifold that is above it. I was able to lower the fan and acces the engine mount nut. Undid the nut, started lifting the engine using a jack under the sump. It was too late when I noticed that the fan had fallen down a bit further and had become stuck between shroud and engine. The fan has cracked a bit, but I only noticed this after reinstalling it and it making (a slight) noise. Today, I tried glueing the crack and removing some plastic splinters.
I felt stupid about this: I should have temporarily fixed the fan using zip ties or something, to prevent it from shifting or falling down into the engine bay while lifting the engine. Wish I had thought about this better (being tired from having slept for only a couple of hours didn't temper my enthousiasm but didn't help me think clearly).
I just glued up the fan and will let the crack dry overnight. Hope this makes this damage almost unnoticeable. It turns well and moves freely so hope it will be fine.

Then for the good news: replacing the mounts has really helped in reducing (but still not eliminating entirely) the vibrations. The car is now super quiet when idling. When driving, it is also much quieter and it also shifts smoother now, especially when accelerating fast. Thanks Neil for the tip!

While I had the right front wheel off, I noticed the strut rubbers could do with replacement, so that might be something I will look into next.

Joost

[scot850]

I made an equally silly mistake once doing a similar repair. I removed the fan from the radiator and stored it to one side in the garage, then it slid down from an upright position while I was working and I stepped back onto it cracking the housing. And I thought I was being careful!

Glad you are making progress!

Neil.