new Xantia engine mounts made a real difference

[charentejohn]

Just thought I would share this info.
A few days ago a garage changed the engine mounts, two top ones and the bottom 'donut' one and a great difference in the car. I was going to do them myself but I couldn't move the bottom one without removing the bracket and that is quite a job. Garage did it for £110 so seemed a no brainer.
The car now has no whip in the gear lever when accelerating and decelerating, also feels better all round. I didn't expect such a major change.

I also had the crank pulley changed to the new type, looks all in one but still has a rubber block inside. Supposedly less prone to flying apart when old.
When I got the car back I noticed it was quieter when accelerating, no tapping noise which I thought was just the engine and injectors needed work.
There is still a slight tapping but nowhere near what it was. I remember some time ago it was mentioned that the pulley could cause noise when old. When on the car I could move the outer part of the old pulley sideways about 1mm just by hand. Can't move it now it is off the car.

Just thought I would mention it as not something people rush to do, I only did it because of very soft lower mounting, but it does help.

[sparksie]

Yes, I transformed Cit, just by adding a bit of tractor tread in place of a missing rubber pad.
The bottom mounting is usually the culprit, as it seems to get coated in oil and eventually this degrades the rubber.
Oddly, despite having changed many on Peugeots, the one on my Xantia is still good. We poked and prodded at it enough, trying to find the intermittent dramatic movement of the engine. We eventually found the problem, following a long run towing a car, when the rubber pad came away and got lost. This allowed the engine vibrations to be transmitted straight into the shell under accellaration, with an alarming sensation that the engine was trying to jump through the bonnet on the overrun, and clutch judder that threatened to shake the car apart.
Having failed to get the "Mounting Holder RH" I chopped a triangle of rubber off a scrap tractor tyre and glued it in place with Sikaflex.
It was as good as new. I inspected it a week or so later, while doing the timing belt, and it seemed to be holding up well.
I think the Xantia is one of those cars where small things can make a big difference, but it's also a rewarding car to work on, with big improvements easily achievable in a relatively short time.
There are a few rough edges where the development was not finished properly, but it's certainly not deserving of the reputation Citroens in general seem to have. Mine is no harder to fix than the 406 it replaced, though it does seem easier to break! I seem to be the only person she behaves herself for...

[charentejohn]

Yes, I think it was the bottom mounting that was the real problem, I had the others done on the 'may as well while they are there' principle.
The bottom mount was soft and I could dig my thumbnail into it, new one is rock solid.

I tried to remove it myself, a friend made a couple of tubes about 7cm long. One the diameter of the mounting and the other the diameter of the casting it is in. I hoped to push it out while still on the car by putting a bolt through the middle of the mounting casting and then press it out. Not a chance, solid as a rock. When I got the old mounting back it was well mangled.
The garage did say it is possible to buy the casting with the mounting fitted. I couldn't find this for sale anywhere, may be trade only here ? Saves time for the garage so would probably work out about the same price overall.