how to install motor mounts

At wide-open throttle the fence posts click on by. You plow through a ditch, rich with deep snow. Moguls bounce the nose. It's a good feeling. A driveway comes into focus, but it surfaces quicker than your brake finger. The T-Cat launches. Buhroomph. Sky high T-Cat.

The Cat lands on all fours. You cautiously click off a mile to check things out. Throttle up. Motor grabs down on the belt, then… a second buhroomph. Belt grenade.

Broken motor mounts, regardless of brand, throw motor alignment into the weird zone. Clutches mis-align, efficiency is lost and the belt gets pummeled with off-camber tension.

Changing a motor mount, in this case a Thunder Cat, is fairly easy to do. However, a change out is only part of the program; clutch and motor alignment is the second act.

Here are the steps to change out and align.

First inspect the front mounts. If a hairline crack or discoloration are visible, or an obvious separation is evident, replace.
These mounts are easily accessed, and require a twist on a socket to remove and replace them.

For the rear, do the following:

1. Remove exhaust pipes.
2. Remove front motor mounts and bolts from chassis.
Note: If the front motor mounts are broken, replace them after the rear mounts are replaced.
3. Remove the airbox. Take note of tube and wiring routes.
4. If needed (easier to access rear mounts), remove the carburetors. Here, use some prudence on cable and hose routes and positions. Be cautious and sketch them out.
5. Remove the rear mounts and bolts from chassis.
Note: To gain access to the rear mounts and bolts, with assistance roll the motor on one side or the other. This is just short of removing the motor. The same is true when installing the new mounts and bolts; roll the motor on one side, install and roll to the other, and install.
6. Install the mounts. See note above.
7. Torque down to specifications.
8. Install the carbs.
9. Install the airbox.
10. Connect the hoses and wires.
11. Install the exhaust pipes.

After the new motor mount is installed, align the drive and driven clutch by doing the following. Before doing so, secure a clutch alignment tool.

1. Remove drive belt.
2. Create zero belt deflection (the belt's vertical, up and down movement inside the drive clutch) by backing off belt deflection so the driven clutch fixed half and sliding half touch each other.
3. If equipped on your model, loosen torque limiter rod.
4. Place alignment tool down into drive clutch and behind the driven clutch sheave (closest to the motor).
5. Push the driven clutch tight toward the tunnel to ensure no clearance is present between driven clutch and spacers.
6. Loosen motor mount bolts on the motor's bulkhead. Depending on the model, the airbox or exhaust pipe may need removing to access the bolts.
7. Once motor mount bolts are loose, adjust (forward, backward, side-to-side, or twist) motor so the drive clutch and driven clutch sheaves touch or pinch the alignment tool.
8. Tighten motor mount bolts.
9. Tighten torque limiter rod, if loosened.
10. Install drive belt and readjust belt deflection to factory specifications.
11. Install airbox, and exhaust, if removed.

This project is rather easy to do, but time consuming. Grab a joke-telling pal for an extra pair of hands. This is needed when rolling the motor.

Don't let a cracked motor mount ruin your ride, clutches and belt. Busted mounts can create more costly problems, if they are not replaced.

Many thanks to Cory Foster and Shawn Davenport at TE Motorsports 208/458-4835, and Dale Cutler at Cutler's Performance Center 801/224-5005, for their assistance.