The mounts on. Anthony installed it this evening at CP-E's shop. Fitment was spot on. Lets start with the info.
1) The stock engine mount is alumnium. So is the CP-E mount, but the center section is now solid with urethene bushings on the front and rear.
2) CP-E machined a new alumnium mounting bracket, as well as two groves in the main bushing area to ensure the mount does firmly in place.
3) Install is relatively easy. You jack up the front of the car, place some jack stands by the front wheel wells, then use the jack to lift up the transmission ever so slightly to relieve tension off the stock mount. Then its just the bolts and lift "UP" and out. (The mount for the mount has grooves so it has to be removed by pulling up and out, not down)
Initial impressions.
There is no noticable increased vibration. None that I can discern. I didn't expect there to be any, as there are still two rubber engine mounts remaining absorbing a good chunk of engine vibration.
As for driving differences, it appears that its easy to get the car going off the line. The tires spin more and there is less wheel hop. But its very hard to tell. The mod is like a ninja. You start shifting and you don't notice anything, then you shift a little harder and...hmm what was that...something feels firmer...shift again, hmm seems about the same, downshift firmer. The differences are subtle and not directly in your face. The more you shift and the more you play with the throttle you start to pick up on things.
I also let steve take my car around as driver to see if he could spot any differences. He said "Your car is so much smoother then mine, I don't see how I can ever beat you in another autox, and thus I am retiring early"...or something like that, its paraphrased
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I'll continue to drive my car over the next week and try to see if I can spot any major differences. I tried to do two videos, one of a cup of water, and one of the engine bay when the throttles being blipped, but there is no noticable difference in either vibration nor engine movement while not under load.
Second update
The mount both stiffens and smooths out the car...depending on what your doing, and how your doing it.
For example, there is now a larger window for the 1-2 shift, without that stupid almost double jerk that sometimes occurs if your off just a wee bit too much.
Shifts are met with either smooth engangement, or harsher engagement depending on whether your shifting normally (rev matching), or trying to slam it into gear.
NVH changes are barely noticable. The only time I can pick up additional cabin vibration is when I start the car in the morning, and the pcm auto sets the rev warmup cycle. When idling at a light, you can feel a slight difference in vibration in the steering wheel, but its undetectable once moving.
I am on a stock suspension and I can really see where alot of the jerkiness is coming from is the front shocks. Now that the engine is reigned in, its time to adjust mr soft damper and his 3 pals. I would imagine replacing this mount would have far more drastic effects on a vehicle that was running coilovers or had replaced the front shocks.
I'm going to see if anthony can put an 80 urethene in another mount and have steve try it, then perhaps have us swap, and see which mount is the best of all worlds.
