Help! 1992 Early Vs Late K-member: Which Motor Mounts???

[wgreenlee4]

I can't believe I can't find one word of information about this online! I tried to replace my motor mounts and I saw there was an early and a late mount so I looked at my door tag (______) and ordered the late model. Well they didn't match the old ones (I assumed the old ones were wrong because this car was motor swapped at one point). I tried the new ones and sure enough they don't fit. Got the drivers side in, then went to do passenger and there's a good half inch between the K-member and the mount, you can see all the threads showing in the picture. I quick ordered some new ones to come in tomorrow morning but I just can't believe there's an early and a late and no easy way to tell which one you have! Does anyone know why there is a difference and how I was supposed to know? Most places around here have to special order these so this is such a massive pain.

 

[Dan02gt]

Your old mount is the coupe/hatchback mount and the new one is the vert mount. At some point in '92 Ford went to the vert mounts on all cars. The vert mount is stronger and also sits the motor .5"-1" lower in the car.

I run the vert mounts in my '91 hatch and they fit perfectly. I'm not sure why yours doesn't. Maybe the motor is not seated all the way down in the K member slots on both sides.

 

[mikestang63]

^this. just get vert mounts.

 

[MFE92]

IIRC they made the change to all-vert mounts in 1990. Your old mount is a pre-'90 hardtop mount. The convertible style mounts are way better, but also shorter.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Loosen the other mount, then jack or lift the motor up and redrop it more centered in the cradle.

By changing them one at a time, the slight difference in height cause the motor to favor one side when you tightened them up.

With the shorter mounted, you really need to lift engine up completely and recrnter it before tightening the bolts up

 

[wgreenlee4]

Ohhhh this clears so much up. I always thought it was weird how the "k members were different" and how no one mentioned it. I guess I was wrong. Looking at the mounts for a 1991 makes this make more sense.

Loosen the other mount, then jack or lift the motor up and redrop it more centered in the cradle.

By changing them one at a time, the slight difference in height cause the motor to favor one side when you tightened them up.

With the shorter mounted, you really need to lift engine up completely and recrnter it before tightening the bolts up

I didn't have time to try it I just went and got the other mounts and put them in. I still have the convertible mounts though and I will reattempt them at some point. I don't understand though because the transmission mounts are the same for the conv. but the height of the motor mounts are different so doesn't that mean that the transmission output shaft angle will be wrong? Does it just not make enough of a difference to the height to matter?