motor mount

[Cavere]

This is my first post.
Yesterday we bought my girlfriend a '96 Grand Am SE for just under $600. A friend had just traded it in on a new car and the dealer was going to wholesale/auction it, so they gave it to us as-is for cheap.

Our friend told us that it had a couple of issues:brakes and a motor mount. The brakes work fine, with a little vibration, so I think the rotors might be a little warped. The car runs fine, but has some missing screws/bolts(coolant tank and other unimportant things) and loose trim pieces. It has 111,000 miles. He had also just had the water pump replaced, and some oil got on the alternator, so that was splattered all over the place.

The real problem is the motor mount.
He said he had replaced 2 of the motor mounts, but the car still needed the "middle" one. I have looked through a bunch of threads on this website and haven't really been able to figure out which one he was talking about.
The symptom we've noticed is that when you turn right and accellerate, the car makes a terrible grinding sound. It will also make this sound occasionally under heavy straightline accelleration, but not as badly.

Which motor mount do we need?
How hard is it to replace?
Could someone show me a picture of it and its location so I know where to look?
I'm not very mechanical, but I'd like to see if I could take care of it on my own instead of paying a shop. Then again, we got the car for such a great price, I'm sure it's worth putting the money into it.

Thanks!
-Matt

[rixGAphx]

1. Get a Haynes manual for this car, NOW!
Best $14 you'll ever spend on it.

2. Three mounts for the engine/tranny of a GA:
* 'Motor Mount' = Top center right side of engine (as viewed from driver seat).
Attaches engine to top of right inner fender; access from top.
* 'Torque Strut' = Bottom rear right of engine.
Attaches bottom of engine to chassis floorpan kinda under passenger's feet; access from below.
Also called the 'dogbone' 'cuz of its shape; about 8" long on the V-6, don't know for the 4-cyl.
* 'Transmission Mount' = Low, center on driver side (left) of engine; basically centered on crankshaft.
Attaches tranny housing to chassis side rail; access from left wheel well with tire removed.

3. The Tranny Mount is the 'center' one of the three, and also the toughest to do.
So that's prolly the one he didn't do :roll2:
Doesn't seem like a tough DIY, but I haven't done it.
At the very least, you'll need a floor jack and 2 x 4 to support the engine.
Follow the Haynes directions for the rest of the procedure.

Good luck, and
:welcome:
-Rick

PS-1: The coolant reservoir is NOT a 'minor thing'.
Both the V6 and the 4-cyl are prone to overheating in this car, and the reservoir is a VERY important part of the 'closed' cooling system.
So firmly attach the bottle and get a new cap (do NOT tighten very much; only as tight as your g/f can easily tighten with one-hand; any tighter and you distort or cut the sealing washer).
Buy a replacement bottle from GM if you have any doubts about the integrity of the current one.
Nothing will kill the engine quicker than losing all the coolant and running 'dry' for a few miles 'til the gage finally indicates a problem.

PS-2 The battery cables.
Everybody here knows how I rant about the cables on this car.
Even the best new alternator and best new battery can't pass electricity properly if the cable ends are dirty/corroded/loose.
Water gets into the molded rubber boot on the battery ends, and corrodes the copper wires into worhtless dust. So, cut-off the boots, inspect/repair/replace, and install removable aftermarket molded boots that can be inspected regularly.

[Cavere]

Thanks for the info.
Maybe I wasn't clear about the coolant tank. The tank itself is fine, the only thing missing was the bolt that secures it in place at the rear. But I will definately keep an eye on the temp levels. I've had cars overheat before-don't need to repeat that problem.
I think you're right about the mount, and we're looking into it.

-Matt