How did you replace dog bone?

[deus85]

I just helped my brother replaced his dog bone aka torque rod/control rod.

The Haynes manual said to lift the engine up slightly with a jack under the oil pan. Unfortunately, I did that, and the bolt hole on the mounting bracket is too far from the hole on the dog bone.

Ultimately, I pushed one end of the bone into the car structure (near where you mount the suspension strut), and connected the other end to the mounting bracket on the engine. Then I used two screw drivers (those got bent so I then used two of those jacks you use to remove your lug nuts with because its thicker and stronger), and pry on both sides of the dog bone to get it out far enough to get the bolt into the hole.

So my question is: For those DIYers, how did you replaced that?

[Eye8Pussies]

no need to jack up the engine

just take off the bolts to get it off, then put them both on loosely when putting it back on- I've found that it's easier if you put the engine side on first, and then shove it backwards towards the firewall to get the chassis mount side in

[Paladin06Greg]

Yep, that's all I did and it was easy.

no need to jack up the engine

just take off the bolts to get it off, then put them both on loosely when putting it back on- I've found that it's easier if you put the engine side on first, and then shove it backwards towards the firewall to get the chassis mount side in

[deus85]

Oh, well that sounds very easy.

I was working on my brother's car and was a bit concern about how I am going to be changing my timing belt/water pump if I can't put the dog bone back (getting it out was easy). Perhaps, his dog bone (and PROBABLY all the other engine mounts) have been broken for so long that it is out of alignment, that's why the dog bone and engine bolt holes were an inch apart.

[BadChicken]

You should also keep in mind that the dog bone usually goes bad due to the front mount (by the radiator) goes out first

[deus85]

You should also keep in mind that the dog bone usually goes bad due to the front mount (by the radiator) goes out first

Well that's great. Those things are pretty pricey.

[Eye8Pussies]

ebay!

if you do the labor yourself, there's nothing wrong with cheap parts that you can just change yourself later

[deus85]

ebay!

if you do the labor yourself, there's nothing wrong with cheap parts that you can just change yourself later

Good idea!

Now, would you have to use a jack to hoist the engine up a bit to replace that, right?

And actually, how would you tell if the mount is really broken?

[SleeperSolara]

You had me confusesd in your first post.
That are you really replacin'.
There are 2 items you mentioned but in 2 different areas.
Ther eis the dog bone bushin' mount which is on the passenger side, and the torque rod is in front of the engine near the radiator on the driver side.

For the dog bone bushin', i had the car in neutral first, and pulled the e-brake so that way the car isn't restin' on the tranny/engine.
And that will make it easier to take out and put in. Minus the part if you get the SuperPro dog bone bushin' whichi is thicker, and takes some energy to get it back in.

The torque rod on the driver side in the front near the radiator is a strut like item. Wit that you can make another wit some other parts.
If you're lucky enough you find find Jim's Torque Rod F/S and get that. It will help keep the engine in place.

I have both, and wit the car parked, before i could move the car back and forth and see the engine move, but wit the SuperPro dog bone bushin' kit, and Jim's Torque Rod the engine doens't move that much.

[deus85]

I have both, and wit the car parked, before i could move the car back and forth and see the engine move, but wit the SuperPro dog bone bushin' kit, and Jim's Torque Rod the engine doens't move that much.

I was confused myself, apparantly. I was refering to just the dog bone at the first post, but it was definitely good to know about the torque rod, too.

When you refer to moving the "car back and forth" you mean setting it forward then reverse, etc? I do notice on my car that when I set the car on reverse to back out my driveway the engine does this irritating jerk. Same thing for forward, but a little less in tense. You're saying that replacing the torque strut with Jim's then it will be mostly eliminated?

[SleeperSolara]

I was confused myself, apparantly. I was refering to just the dog bone at the first post, but it was definitely good to know about the torque rod, too.

When you refer to moving the "car back and forth" you mean setting it forward then reverse, etc? I do notice on my car that when I set the car on reverse to back out my driveway the engine does this irritating jerk. Same thing for forward, but a little less in tense. You're saying that replacing the torque strut with Jim's then it will be mostly eliminated?

Godo that we clarified that.
Not i meant when the car is parked, you can still move the engine back and forth alittle.
It is normal for the engine to move back and forward when you you put the car in reverse.