Engine Mount Replacement

The transmission shop that's been working on my van says i need to replace my engine mounts. My Haynes manual says to unbolt the a/c compressor, i was just wondering if anyone here has done it. And, if so was taking the compressor off necessary? (95 Winny, 3.8L)

on the 2000 3.8 I didn't have to, but not sure about the 95.

It looks like the AC compressor has to be moved to get to the upper nut on the engine mount. To get to the AC compressor the steering pump may have to be moved too. The AC compressor is buried and it definately blocks the engine mount bolt.
I myself will be removing the steering pump and compressor after work tomorrow night.

MAY I ask why you are replacing yours?

I have a thumping/clunking sound and feel on the passenger side of the van when I step on the throttle.

Are you having the same problem?

It looks like the AC compressor has to be moved to get to the upper nut on the engine mount. To get to the AC compressor the steering pump may have to be moved too. The AC compressor is buried and it definately blocks the engine mount bolt.
I myself will be removing the steering pump and compressor after work tomorrow night.

MAY I ask why you are replacing yours?

I have a thumping/clunking sound and feel on the passenger side of the van when I step on the throttle.

Are you having the same problem?
i had my transmission rebuilt first of last month, i was experiencing what i thought was torque converter shudder and they told me i needed to have the tranny built. long story short, 1 month and 3 trips back to shop that did the work, i'm still having the same problem. now they're saying i need to replace the coil pack, wires and engine mounts although he hasn't told me which mounts yet. i replaced plugs and wires last summer but apparantly i didn't buy the high dollar plug wires and they're no good. looks like from trying to look up the parts there are either 2 or 3 mounts on the 95. 2 on the front of the engine and possibly 1 on the right rear.

After I had a remanufactured transmission put in, every time I put the van in gear from neutral it would jerk and clunk, so we thought the mounts were bad.

I was there with the mechanic when he replaced the mounts and he didn't have to remove anything except had to lift the engine high up for clearance to remove the mount on the passenger side. Maybe the 2000 model is different.

Replacing the mounts, sway bars and swaybar bushings didn't help and I still live with the clunk since I could not figure what else can cause it.

i still think mine is torque converter or transmission related, but i guess i'm going to have to play these guys game for right now. i'll replace what they say needs replacing but if that don't work it's probably going to be a trip to small claims court to get my money back. STAY AWAY FROM SPEEDY TRANSMISSION CENTERS, THEY'RE A JOKE! mine also exhibits every once in a while you'll stop for something and go to take off again and it acts like it's low on fluid. the engine revs up like it's in neutral and then it catches and slams into gear, but there's plenty of fluid in it.

The movement is definately coming from the passenger side of the van. I hope it is the engine mount in the front, but I'll start there first. The only other items to consider for me are ball joints and strut.

I replaced my engine/tranny mounts at 200k miles. The old ones didn't look bad ... though I don't know if a visual inspection tells much about it. Some car mounts have the rubber elements "easy to see" ... not that way on my '99 Winny.

Be sure to look at anti-sway bar mounts ... and lower control arms.

I replaced the front mount so far.

Compressor had to be removed to get to the front mount top nut.

It is also easier to perform all the work with the electric fan assembly removed from the van. There is way more working room with the bulky fan out of the way.

Tomorrow I will do the rear engine mounts and see if it works! Getting rid of the clunking, that is.

Clunking can be where the radial bar connects to the front subframe member.
The standard way to repair this is to weld it.
This is the BIG nut that you see right in front of the oil filter (and another one on the driver's side).
This faces the front....so you see it when you look back at the front subframe from the front of the vehicle.

This is a link to a picture that was sent to me by one of our members......who did the repair.......this is minus the nut....but will show you the location.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2434758820011220610IgkWqk

I had to replace the front passenger engine mount on my 3.8L Taurus at around 50k :shakehead:, which has a very similar arrangement to the Windstar. I made sure the replacement wasn't a Ford part, which the parts store actually had without Ford's name on it. I had a kind of clunk sound I vaguely recall when going into D and R. I could verify the problem by putting the trans in D and R with the brake on and giving it the gas. You could easily see the engine move and hear it drop down.

My manual also cited removing the ac comp to get to the top mount nut, but you have to pull the power steering pump as well. Instead, I was able to use a combination of wobble extensions and maybe a universal adapter. It was worth it to me to avoid removing the ps pump and the ac comp. I didn't have the ps pulley puller. I just removed everything in the path of the extensions and wrench: the front plug wires, dipstick, oil fill cap, electrical connector and heat shield to ac line sensor, O2 sensor on ex. man., radiator fan protective shield that has engine spec decal, and disconnect battery to turn off air bag sensors. All of them were easy to r and r. I actually rewrote the directions in my manual to use this approach if I have to do it again.