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First Day Review of Powerflex Black Inserts

SrsBsns

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#1
I know that there are several posts about this, but I wanted to share my review if it helps anyone at all.

As soon as I fired the car up after the install, I could tell it was different. The vibration isn't bad, but it's definitely noticeable... especially during a cold start. I get a little more vibration as well when accelerating, but wow, it's worth it. The RMM made a huge difference and I wouldn't say that these had the same effect, but the car feels SOLID. I didn't really notice any slop before install, but wow, things are TIGHT now. You can feel it on accel/decel, braking and steering. It all just feels more connected and it's great. I'm hoping some of the vibration goes away as the mounts break in a little, but they're the black series, so I don't know that they will. Either way, I'm happy.

If you're on the fence about doing this, I highly recommend it. It's so cheap to get the two mounts and it makes the FiST feel that much more connected.


Here's the summary of what I did and some tips that could have helped me.

I bought the Powerflex black inserts for the trans and passenger side with the new ARP bolt.

It took me about ~2.5 hours to do the job. I would really recommend using a 1/2" ratchet as the 3/8"s really made me work to get everything off. I jacked up the driver's side of the car, supported it with a jackstand and then used the factory jack and a block of wood to hold the motor in place. Just enough so that it makes contact with the oil pan, but not a lot of pressure.

Trans side:

Pretty straight forward. Just take off the intake, ECU connectors, battery and battery tray and you've got access. I used a pair of vice grips to squeeze the locking tab into the powerflex mount after I had installed it into the motor mount.


Pass side:

Pretty straight forward as well. Take the head light off (optional, but gives you more room) and then move the coolant reservoir out of the way. I didn't disconnect any lines, just swung it over and out of the way. Take the three 18mm nuts off of the mount and then the 3 16mm bolts that hold it to the chassis. Wait until the mount is out of the car to do the mount's center bolt. Using a 21mm wrench and an 18mm socket, remove the bolt and replace it with the ARP bolt. The one I got from Whoosh was a 15mm star head and my normal sockets wouldn't fit so I had to take a quick trip to get the right socket. No big deal, but do this before you start if you can't take a break to go get a tool.

Sliding in the insert was a total pain. It helps to use a wrench on one side to twist and bend the mount a little bit as you push the insert in. I wound up using the handle of a wrench to give myself my leverage as there was no way I could do it by hand. Just go side by side, mm by mm. I used a zip tie instead of the little rubber band provided.


That's basically it. I hope this helps anyone if they're on the fence about doing these mounts. It's a cheap way to make the car feel even more connected.
 


danbfree

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#2
Great write up! I have the yellow Street inserts and they only add a tiny, tiny bit of steering wheel vibes at idle, but the biggest factor is the RMM and just how stiff you run there... I mention the vibes with the yellow inserts adding just a tiny bit of vibes, that was with a well used Cobb RMM, but after switching to a "half step down from Race" Pwnall RMM, well, that added it's own set of vibes to deal with, the inserts are not a factor anymore, hehe.

But for anyone reading this who may be on the fence, I can safely say that if you are using ethanol tunes and/ore going bigger turbo, doing the upper mount inserts and a traction bar are just as essential to do as an RMM to help with getting traction down and preventing torque steer. Even if you are afraid of too much vibration, I still suggest all 4 items (maybe do traction bar last) and stick to Street stiffness on the RMM and inserts and for minimal vibes you will see huge gains on traction performance.
 


OP
SrsBsns

SrsBsns

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Location
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Thread Starter #3
I'm not even E30 or upgraded turbo (yet), but the RMM, two upper motor mount braces and then the Pierce 6-point... Makes a night and day difference for this car.
 


danbfree

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#4
I'm not even E30 or upgraded turbo (yet), but the RMM, two upper motor mount braces and then the Pierce 6-point... Makes a night and day difference for this car.
Oh yeah, Pierce 6 pt is no joke, I'm hoping to upgrade to at least a 4 pt from Pierce or TBP in the future, I have to admit that doing a 2 pt is similar in effect to doing the inserts, but also adding a bit better grip on the apex of hard corners... so I'm guessing going up to 4 or 6 pt REALLY helps with handling!

And do yourself a favor and get an e30 tune ASAP... Dizzy is an excellent smooth and safe option, the car only feels like it's quick at all when you run ethanol, it REALLY makes a big difference! I actually finally recently got my intercooler and got a 93 stage 2 tune and still, didn't close the gap with e30 at all... Especially in Cali with terrible 91 octane that's more like 90 (I've ran 91 tunes down there), e30 is a total savior, especially as you get inland and outside temps rise.
 




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