Guest Keith_Milford Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 The rubber in my front dogbone mount is shot. Got one at PAP today, on impulse, and it's about a half inch too long., but has excellent rubber. Is there any way to swap out the rubber? Are they molded in or pressed in? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NEMO Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Always take the old unit with you so you can match up the part. Auto parts will give you the wrong one to lock in the sale. Did you ever guess why there always laughing , the joke is on you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Keith_Milford Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 No, I wasn't taken advantage of. I went to the junkyard for something else, and just saw this one that looked about right. Nobody's fault but mine. Figured I'd take a chance and grab it. Anyway, how do I swap out the rubber? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NEMO Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I think it is pressed in at the factory. You might damage it if you try press in a used one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Mine looked too long as well. What I did was bolt it in on the radiator side, had someone I trust put it in drive with the brakes on, accelerate slightly. The engine will shift, slide the bolt in, put it back in nuetral, tighten the nut, and you are done... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Craig57 Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Trust in the power of Daves89! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 If it don't fit, get a bigger hammer. Both the Fiero and the white car measure 4 1/4 inches across the bolt centers.I would think that a longer dogbone would stress the lower motor mounts. Not cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-a-n-i-e-l Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 They are $12 new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 You would ruin it by trying to replace the rubber mount. Take the one you got from the salvage yard down to the parts store and ask them to pull a new one for you. Match it up. If it is wrong, buy a new one as D-a-n-i-e-l has said. For less then $15.00 it's not worth screwing around, trying to swap out a mount. The one I got from the parts house seemed to long as well, as the bolt dead ended on the rubber. As I stated earlier, I was confident that I was given the right one, so rather then fight with it, I did the trick I stated above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Keith_Milford Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Well, I'm sure this one is longer than the one that's on now. When I sit them side by side, it's a little over a quarter inch longer. However, I believe it is about 4 1/4" long (between bolts), so I'm wondering if the one that's on it was a "too short" replacement; it's only 4" between bolt centers. This might explain the extra stress on the rubber that caused it to fail. Anyway, if I were to look for one of these online, what would be the "official" name for it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dship Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Keith,The official name for the dogbone is "engine mount strut" and its part #17986841 for your 88 Reatta (according to the 86-93 Riviera/Reatta parts manual). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike_s Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I've seen it listed as a Torque Strut Mount, or Torque Strut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjfranken Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Front engine strut mount or dog bone; also what he said. A weak front mount can make up some the difference you are seeing too. A history of an oil leak on it can make it pretty mushy.The dog bone on my 89 is 4" bolt to bolt, but, the housing is 4 1/2' center to center. So the engine is leaning on it some. Look closer at the front mount under #1 plug with a jack for some play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike_s Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Most of the time when I can't get bolt holes to align up I go for my 16" pry bar with a long taper on one end and a small hook on the other. It's not a tool I use a lot, but it does come in handy. I think harbor freight has one for about $5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 And just for S&G the parts book says that E-bofies use the same strut from 1988-1993 (and possibly later). Meanwhile the 88 measures 4" even between the bolt centers and the 90 'vert, 4 1/4". If a bet were made, I'd go with the 88 since I recall replacing the original with one that matched.I recall replacing the bushings for a Fiero (4 1/4") and while the old ones took some effort getting out, the new ones pressed in with a vice.Now the 86 Fiero GT has a 4" strut, 87 4 1/4 this time there are two different part numbers. So the only real answer is the $55 adjustable dogbone from Rodney Dickman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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