a lot of people here are gear heads and are here learning & offering great advice,

but when it comes to repairs, i prefer to take mine to a quality shop

my car vibrating loudly but not horrifically at idle 80 Percent of the time isn't the end of the world

im glad,

even though some on-line site quoted parts and labor for a change in Camaro 1993 v-6 motor mounts at $500

if it was a big deal, the other general-mechanic would try to squeeze more money out of me, right? when after the $440 oil leak repair I took it to him for a free diagnosis

in fact, he was trying to save me money

my oil leak was small and he even honestly suggested just monitoring the motor oil often

i ended up having him seal the oil leak

8 months ago I had a tune up at Midas with strong plugs and other wiring replaced

then I had the same general mechanic who I spent $440 on an oil leak seal a tough job on a Camaro look at my car the next day and lower the idle

it still has this problem

but there are 2 things I need to know: at least there's a max $500 including parts and labor to change a $30 a piece 4th Gen. motor mount.

Thanks for the inflated prices shops, but I dont have the time or the patience or the choice, all of you guys charge high prices.

...so I drive around for a while and it vibrates at a traffic light big deal

I will come up with $500 and have it looked at that's the most I figure on spending $500 which includes labor max-tops, for sure

It'll be in 3 weeks till I get that $500 together, but this problem here is not a time is of the essence problem since on acceleration she is smooth as a f 14 tomcat

not sure if the Camaro has to be hoisted with a cherry picker thereby driving up the cost of labor to change simple motor mounts, not broken or warped ones, but old ones.

thanks everyone for your patience and valuable input. have a happy new year (y) lots to be thankful for.

 

I'm not sure what you're asking here?

Yes, the motor needs lifted off the k-member to access the motor mounts. So an engine hoist will be needed, or they need to drop the kmember (easier option) to get to them. Its not a difficult job, but it is time consuming.

gotta pay to play, otherwise learn how to do it yourself

 

Motor mounts designed in the 60's have a safety factor to them, for everything after 1970 a broken motor mount is a annoyance only. If the rubber that reduces vibration fails or was not there at all then you just feel a light vibration. Nothing more will happen. The motor can only move about an inch and it hits the metal unlike a trans mount that can break completely. FYI all race cars do not have any rubber the mounts are just solid, it is a common upgrade for a lot of street racers also. The little bit the engine can move will not really hurt anything it will just cause a bang sound when you accelerate or let off the gas.

As you can see the bolt is completely trapped by steel. The rubber can tear but it will not hurt anything else.



This trapped mount design came about because the high HP cars where breaking mounts and when the mount broke the motor would lift causing the throttle cable to pull the carb to wide open throttle. There was a recall on the first gen Camaros and they added a cable to hold the engine down if the mount broke. Take if from someone that experienced it, having the gas pedal drop to the floor can cause a panic

 

thanks great info for everyone involved.

1) mounts are there.

2) the motor mounts are just old

3) I lowered or raised the idle I forget which but whatever proactive measures are done to the idle to get rid of this annoying vibration at idle only

4) I revved up the engine, looked at the plugs, plastic and tubing, wiring etc.

5) I sprayed (something) by the intake manifold (presumably to clean things up?)

6) I am not charging you anything. Happy New Year (although he spent 30 minutes diagnosis this without lifting it up

those 6 statements are from a qualifying mechanic

idle vibration not violent, just annoying

I am noticing it more after a new transmission mount

if it was vibrating while accelerating then that would be more of a concern.

so the gist here is a vibration at idle is part of an older car, a 1993 in my case and if I want that annoying vibration which I am just starting to notice, I would probably need motor mounts and Original good ones that cushion against vibration.

*The point is this, if the car passed legally STAR smog, a stringent program here in California every 2 years and an oil leak repair was done (at 450 bucks and the shop that diagnosed the vibration @ idle problem the next day didn't charge me anything shows it's not a big problem), an oil leak repair is no small job on a Camaro, so the mechanic who diagnosed the vibration at idle could have charged me more to replace the old mounts. Unless, the vibration wasn't there when he was parked testing it. It comes and goes but as aforesaid it's there 80% of the time: So the bottom line is then there's nothing to worry about vibration at idle. The engine is all good. *If I want that annoying sound to go away, I better spend $500 on new motor mounts. In fact, as a preventive measure, it would be wise to get them so that they don't break as stated they are all there in place, just old, not warped, just old.

Why not get new motor mounts before they break on the highway unexpectedly?

Thanks again you all

 

Ask your mechanic if he installed a stock style rubber trans mount, or if it's a polyurethane mount. Poly mounts are stronger, but their stiffness translates to more drivetrain vibrations being transferred to the body.

 

it's the better one. ford-destroyer lol...this is a highly-rated Trans. shop....that-

is all they do on big pick up trucks and hemis common here in southern california, differentials drive train drive shaft, "transmission service"-basically a tune up for the transmission which cost me $140 instead of $160 since I printed out my awesome Yelp.com review and showed it to the manager. that transmission service included new filters, gaskets, replacement of transmission oil.

further the drive shaft, the original problem was replaced at $620 including labor

4 days ago she was strong enough to pass a stringent Cali smog test at 137,000 miles on her.

V-6

***Basically, I may be digressing, but this is a highly rated Transmission Shop in San Diego working on a variety of cars, lots of American hot rods, etc., they rebuilt and Reman. their own Trans. (after Bruce Jenner I can
t say tranny anymore lol) but i am drunk now a bit***They do transmission stuff all day every day. anyway, that's all they do every day, they had to have installed the right, quiet, cushioned Trans. on my make and model. This is just an educated guess, there are exceptions, but they are rare. Life is a matter of degree. More chance of getting your wheels stolen in a bad neighborhood than a good one etc.

There motto along with their establishment in 1971, is "we like to get it done the right away the 1st time around"

the manager has good contacts with Chevy / GM and some of the inherent faults of their 4th Gen. series.

So in answer to your question and thanks for your input the best one of the 2 you mentioned is probably what they installed. here's the heart of the matter again here cut and pasted:

***Basically, I may be digressing, but this is a highly rated Transmission Shop in San Diego working on a variety of cars, lots of American hot rods, etc., they rebuilt and Reman. their own Trans. ****they do not farm out Rebuilt or Reman. transmission work for the drivetrain area. (after Bruce Jenner I can
t say tranny anymore lol) but i am drunk now a bit***They do transmission stuff all day every day. anyway, that's all they do every day, they had to have installed the right, quiet, cushioned Trans. on my make and model. This is just an educated guess, there are exceptions, but they are rare. Life is a matter of degree. More chance of getting your wheels stolen in a bad neighborhood than a good one etc.

 

they don't use otc over the counter aftermarket stuff. i think they use the best kind. it's not a mom and pop Asian shop which the guy yes's you to death and you're not sure if he understands you or not--what happened at the smog test to me recently. they use original parts otherwise their rep would go down the tubes.

 

oh after further review, I see what you;re sayiing: stock o.e.m. or poly....which isn't the original manufactured part. I will have to take it to a guy who owns a "general-mechanic" shop and not a "transmission shop" who is older and hopefully wiser and will do a thorough diagnosis.

This guy will determine hopefully find what's causing the vibration at 90 percent of the time at idle (even though it could be a multitude of things).

I am just taking an educated guess as to why the transmission shop owner who is very reputable would want any of his customers to have this annoying vibe 90 % of the time at idle at a traffic light? So he'd install the ones that don't make any vibrations at idle on any make and model. Their motto, after all is: we like to do it right the 1st time"....and the transmission repair mechanic manager said this is now a concern for a "general-mechanic" to diagnose. He didn't offer me to bring it back to him. And I explained all this to him.

(by the way, prior to installing the transmission mount this vibration at idle wasn't there before or I didn't notice it before or the problem surfaced itself after a new transmission mount was added). He would'nt install the noisy mounts you mentioned as 1 0f the 2 blue camaro poster, i forgot your name, 'cause since if he would if he didn't want people returning and nagging after a new transmission mount that it would vibrate on any make and model at idle. No one likes that feeling. It mildly overpowers the CD player at 20 volume or so.

he works on trucks and offers service to your home while the repair is made. maybe he hasn't seen a camaro 4th gen. in a while and he has been working on tiny toyota tacomas or 4 cylinder hondas / toyotas? i don't know.

 

With a poly mount, you will feel a certain amount of vibrations that you may not have with a rubber one.....its considered "normal". When I put a poly mount on my old 4th gen, I could feel it, but it didn't bother me any.

 

Thanks Camaro 69 that makes sense. The Transmission Repair shop manager who I thought knew a lot about cars when I left there after the new Trans. mount was installed and I called him from my car 10 minutes later complaining about vibration should have told me. But it could have been a multitude of probs so I don't blame him or hold a grudge against him.

He should have also not asked me to refer it to a "general - mechanic" but should have found out from the records exactly if it was a rubber or poly transmission mount.

(apparently the material matter the Trans. mount is made of matters with regard to Idle vibration).

I will call him Monday. If not something unexpected came up and in exactly 2 months (60 days), I will have enough disposable income $550 to change the old motor mounts with New Motor Mounts and make it even more silent & still at idle. That's enough time, I never punch my gas at idle. Okay very very rarely. So the motor mounts won't be under much strain. Thanks sooooo much Camaro 69