I have replaced most of the engine mounts - front gearbox and the top of the rear engine steady bar, but can’t work out how to replace the bottom Bush on the engine steady bar. It is tucked away between the back of the block and the bulk head.
Any tips on replacing it with the engine and head in place?
Thanks
Dave
May get to it by removing the gearbox cover on the inside !
When I converted from auto to manual, I had to install the whole stabilizer setup. I installed the whole thing in situ… basically put a towel over the engine and laid on it and had to reach but I could get to it!
Thanks Theo,
I may have to resort to doing the same. I assume removing the bonnet/hood would make it easier.
The top bush was awkward to replace from the side, but just achievable with the battery and the heater pipes removed.
Did you have to remove anything else to get to the bush?
Looks like I will be having some fun at the weekend…
Thanks
Dave
My car has the battery in the trunk and there’s no heater box… so there’s space on either side. With both of those things in place, might be a bit tighter 
Yes battery and heater removed would make it easier.
Battery is simple. Heater a bit more tricky, but I do want to replace the big foam sealing ring between heater and bulkhead, so it has to come out at some point.
Bigger job for the weekend then.
Thanks
Dave
Hi,
I have removed the rear engine steaby bar from my mk2. It was not too difficult, just the battery, bonnet and rear exhaust manifold removed, and then two people to remove the lower bolt.
I have removed the bush from the rod and was surprised how easily it came out (it fell out) and how easily the new bush pushed in (with very little resistance).
Is this normal?
Thanks
Dave
In my experience it requires to be pushed in with a vice although it’s not really a very tight fit. Check to make sure the holder is not cracked/split
I may have got to the bottom of my rear engine steady bar issues. I wondered why the threaded rod didn’t sit squarely through the upper bush.
I hope the new part (on the right in the pictures) fits better than the home made affair fitted to the car when I purchased it (left in the pictures).
Not only was the rod welded asymmetrically both ways (not central to the bush), the bearing surface was much smaller area, and the diameter of the hole was too big allowing the bush to be easily pushed in with no resistance.
I assume it was fitted at a time when the car was only worth a few hundred pounds and so spending money on the correct parts was not worth the investment Either that, or a previous owner just liked to bodge things.
Fingers crossed.
Dave
Well, its all back together now, with a new steady bar and lower bush thats fits tightly in the bar.
The engine runs much better now, revs much smoother all the way up to 4, 4.5k.
It seems to be more refined throughout the rev range.
