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There are several possibilities for those who desire alternative
motor mounts for the E30 M3. The stock mounts are certainly quite
good. They are liquid filled and not subject to the same type of
"shear failure" as the mounts on the E30 325is. But the stock
E30 M3 motor mounts do no last forever, especially with the severe
vibration environment that the S14 engine creates. Also, in an attempt
to reduce vibration transmitted to the cabin, BMW chose to make the
stock mount rather soft. Just grab an S14 sitting on stock mounts and
shake it back and forth to see this fact displayed.
One obvious alternative motor mount is the factory solution for club racing - i.e. the Gr N mount. The Gr N mount has an excellent reputation for durability and it is also quite stiff. The problem for many is that it is actually too stiff. It reportedly imparts an inordinate amount of vibration to the chassis and is also likely to lead to cracks in the subframe, even after reinforcement. Other choices are the mounts from the E28 5-series (535i or M5), the mounts from the E34 535i (recommended by Rick Stormer) and lastly, the mounts from the big V8 740iL. The latter come recommended by Don Fields and I chose to install these on my E30 M3 after my 2.5L rebuild. | |||
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Here are the part numbers for the 740i mounts. As per common BMW practice, the left side has the lower part number. It is unclear whether there is any physical difference between the mounts other than the configuration of the mounting studs. The 740iL mounts are liquid filled, just like the stock E30 M3 mounts. | |||
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Further details on alternative motor mounts can be found on page 2 » |