Motor mount frame ears broken off

I finally got around to changing the motor mount on drivers side of my Tacoma today. I found the bolt hole ears at the frame mount are both broken off. Anyone ever have this happen? i really don't want to pull the motor to fix this

 

Here is the frame mount

 

It will be so much easier with the engine out .

If your dead set against doing that .

Cutting the old frame mount off and welding a new one in will be interesting .

A temporary fix might be a plate welded to the top of the broken frame mount raising the engine the thickness of the plate

Welded in place once every thing is in place and the engine lowered down

 

I was thinking along that line. My thought was to make a rectangular washer and have a hole for the motor mount in one end and another to rosette weld the washer to the remaining lower end of the frame mount. It would be better than nothing at this time, which is what I have. There really is no room to weld from the top. I think I could finagle my wire feed tip into the area from under the mount at the front to rosette weld it. I put it all back together earlier since I needed to go somewhere. Only driver I have. It's not a good time for me to remove the engine. I can still drive it, just not while in 4lo wheeling up ledges. :-(

 

Here is looking at it as it sits now. I might just weld it in place for now.

 

Maybe you don’t need to take the engine out. Remove the transmission crossmember + linkage, and attach an engine hoist to the lift points on the engine. You can tilt it up enough to have more clearance.

That’s how you’re supposed to remove the transmission on a 5-Lug. The FSM states to lift the whole thing out engine and all as one unit.

 

No 5 lugs here! I already had the motor as high as it would go. Still tight to work in that area. I'm sure a solution will come to me.

 

I know, but you can use the same method to tilt the engine up.

 

Just messing with you. To do it right, that mount needs to be replaced. I might go for a plate on top of it welded and then bolt the new mount onto that

 

I would start pulling parts off the motor and that side of the fender well and start hacking away sheet metal until I could get to it with the welder. Or find someone with an engine hoist and yank the motor. Once you get to the mount the fix is easy with some 3/16s plate.

 

I'll just jury rig it for now until I get back from overseas.

 

I’ve seen a couple threads were they have reinforced the mounts while the engine was in. But I haven’t seen a repair like yours while the engine was in.
I replaced my motor mounts with engine in and it was tight.

 

Sounds like you will be renting a car for a few days!

 

True dat! I'll take it to my mechanic friend tomorrow to see if he has any ideas. I have garnered a few from friends and here today. It will work out. Just at what cost is the question! Maybe I'll sell it and buy a Chevy! lol

 

It always does work out! It's actually a pretty straightforward repair, just time consuming, so if you have a welder, the metals cheap and the labors free lol!!!

 

And that is the detriment. Time. Busy as a bee and then going overseas for a month. I have been driving it for a while like this. I wondered what that clunk was. It wasn't rear axle wrap as some Taco's suffer from. It was the motor dropping!

 

Looks like I will make a plate to mount and weld on top of the broken ear mount. I can get the MIG tip in there just barely on the back. Should be good for another 350K lol

 

Sometimes you can get a stick-weld electrode into places that MIG won't fit. Might be worth it for the tighter areas. You can also pre-bend the electrode to give yourself an angle tip. Good luck

 

My mechanic friend has a two pole lift in his shop. We are going to make a plate with his plasma cutter and see what we can do. I have a template made already and just waiting... Whatever we come up with will be better that the free floating mount that its been.

 

The reason the frame perch ears broke off was because the weak stock rubber mounts flexes all over the place and allows for a slamming condition to occur as you off road your truck. You need a more solid engine mount to keep everything tight once you fix your frame perch. FYI I also have pre-cut frame perch plates I can sell as well.

3.4L motor and trans mounts (2wd trans mount shown)