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How To Install Energy Suspension Polyurethane Inserts for Front Engine Mount
By BrianGTS


Energy Suspension produces these urethane inserts for the 2000-2004 Matrix. The good news is, they fit 2000-2004 Celicas as well, ALL MODELS GTS/GT, both auto and manual. They are meant for the front and rear engine mounts. Celicas are known for having soft engine mounts that when driven hard, wheel hop and bogging of the motor occurs. The benefit of having these inserts is that they reduce the motors movement during shifting both up and down as well as help reduce nasty wheel hop while launching your car. I have also noticed improved braking characteristics with these in my car. The part number that I used was 8.1101R. I found them online for $29 from a parts retailer.



Step 1- Remove engine plastics on left side of motor. This is done by pressing down on the center pins with a screwdriver then lifting up the plastics. Be careful not to lose them.

Step 2- To gain better access to the front mount remove the 10mm bolt that holds the coolant overflow bottle in place, then pull up and move the bottle to one side for better access. Now you can see your front engine mount.



Step 3- Jack the car up and put it on jack stands. There are 2 14mm bolts holding the mount on the underside of the car as shown. I used an impact gun to loosen these. The bolt closest to the motor is recessed in the frame a bit.



Step 4- After removing those you must the 14mm bolt in the engine compartment that holds the mount to the motor. I used an air socket and another 14mm open end wrench to hold the other side of the bolt.

Step 5- Now lift the mount out of the engine bay. If should come right up with no problems, be careful of the plastic fan shroud. Pose for a picture- see how much space you can see through?



Step 6- Take the mounts out of the box. Its pretty obvious which pieces go where.



Press them in firmly with your hands. You can see how nice the inserts fill up the gaps in the motor mount left by the rubber as shown.



When you get both sides pressed in, it will look like this:



Step 7- Try to put the mount back into place. Make sure it goes in the same direction as it came out. Mine was pretty tight fit and it wouldn't go in so I coated the outside of the inserts with regular dish soap to lube them up. After I did that they slid into place with no problem at all.

Step 8- This is where it can be frustrating. Put the bolt through the mount in the engine bay. On some vehicles nothing will line back up again. On my car, everything lined up perfectly. Just be aware that you might have to mess with it for a little while. After you get the bolt in the top, get underneath the car and get the 2 14mm bolts started under there. Again, things may not line up right. Having a friend or jack helping you to move the motor can really be a good thing at this point. Your girlfriend however, will probably not be. Using a screwdriver to position it can also help. Tighten everything up once its all aligned and each bolt has a thread or two started. It should look like this when your done:



Step 9- Put coolant bottle back in place, tighten the 10mm that holds that in place and re install your engine plastics. Lower the car, close the hood and drive.

As soon as you start the car up you will notice you can feel the motor more. The idle quality isn't horrible but you will notice a change in vibrations throughout the car. Its very similar to a Honda using polyurethane adapter mounts. The car is much more responsive to the throttle off the line and from a roll. You can really hear and feel your motor more especially when hitting lift. I have yet to install the rear mount but these characteristics will only increase with that completed.

Overall I have to say whether you drag, autocross or just drive to and from work- there isn't a much better way to spend 30 bucks on your Celica.