KCD Installation Help by Toby Erkson
Addendum to supplied KCD Engine Mount instructions:
First and foremost, have your Bentley shop manual opened to the proper pages for removing the engine mounts and read the instructions given. The KCD instructions I had didn't give torque values nor did they explain the need to put the upper mount alignment fork in the groove. Consider the KCD instructions as a supplemental to the Bentley steps. When removing the rear mount, removing the lower front mount should be done to ease lifting the engine. Lifting the engine more than it needs to (and making me rather uncomfortable) will allow you to squeeze the rear mount out from the top of the engine bay -- I'll give the instructions that but with reservations.
Lower Front Engine Mount
Remove the steel plate from the stock lower engine mount. Smear the contact areas with the supplied white lithium grease. Assemble just like the stock configuration. Tighten bolt snuggly but don't go cranking too hard on it. After a week or so of driving make sure it's still tight.
Upper Front Engine Mount
Remove forward starter mounting bolts. Lift engine at the bell-housing, not the oil pan! How it looks once the upper mount is removed. Front mounts together. To remove the stock mount pry it up.
Rear Engine Mount
Remove front lower engine mount. Remove intake pipe for easier access to rear engine mount. Unbolt the rear engine mount from above, making use of all socket extentions. I found it easier to remove the mount from below the car. To ease the disassembly I used my vice to hold the mount. Looking up at rear engine mount. How the standard KCD rear engine mount looks.
My Modified Rear Engine Mount
I cut 3.5cm from the rear KCD mount, then put it back on the mount post. Took the front lower stock rubber mount (did you count the number of adjectives there? ) which is 3.5cm tall and put that on next so the end that contained the metal plate is facing down into the rear mount cup (the metal plate is of course not used because it was used with the front lower KCD mount). Now, the piece I cut off replaces the rear lower mount. Bolt it all together, making sure the stock bolt plate is being used on the rear lower mount (just like the front in other words). Secure it all down, install in the car, making sure that the alignment fork atop the cup mount craddles the spine located below the engine mount (as described in the Bentley and Haynes manuals...ahem...). Done!
Starting the engine doesn't have that hard feeling like a dense rubber rock hitting the frame head, cabin noise is reduced but you still get a deep frequency, on the edge of hearing it and feeling it, like a bigger engine was under the hood. Rattles disappeared for the most part, still a small one around my Alpine. Steering wheel vibration is almost non-existant-stock-like. Idle is smooth, harmonics are greatly reduced-to-nullified. I was listening hard and if I had to find one it was about 2800rpm, which is good since I try to stay on the low 3000rpm end. Shifting is smooth and just fantastic. Very happy with my set up now and I highly recommend it; feels close to stock but performs close to race.
End of Document