So I've been noticing lately that when I make a left turn and accelerating, my 1999 SL2 feels like it is binding and makes a noise.

I thought the tire was rubbing on the inside of the fender or something but when I looked in there - I see no marks from the tires rubbing on anything.

It doesn't always do this, but I would say probably 50% of the time it does.

I did just cut out my flex pipe from the exhaust and spliced in a new flex pipe, but I can't imagine that would have anything to do with this. I don't remember feeling this happening before replacing that flex pipe though.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!

 

 

Very possible LW. I am seriously considering changing that top motor mount and I just ordered a new driver's side cv/axle from detroit axle because I am now hearing clicking when I turn left. I ordered the driver's side cv/axle for an ABS car even though I don't have ABS - because the part was $20 cheaper and I thought I read that the only difference between the two is the exciter ring is on the ABS one whereas it is not on the non-abs part. $45 shipped for the cv/axle.

Any ideas on where a person can still find an OEM motor mount these days? Every where I look they are discontinued or no longer available.

 

 

Take a pencil and try to fit between the bottom rubber of the upper mount and the surface below it. If the pencil fits the mount is shot. This test is for an OEM mount.

The flex pipe is so thin, I wouldn't think it would pull the engine on its mounts as much as I think you might have the downpipe in front of the flex pipe leaning on the bell housing of the tranny or whatever is there. Barely clears.

Then when the car turns, the pipe is leaning harder on the tranny and picks up the vibe.

Problems with the top mount tend to appear gradually unless you do something severe enough to tear it. They are general vibrations that are worst at op temp idle.
Based on thing of things this does not sound like a mount issue.

Furthermore, upper mount vibrations decrease with RPM, your vibe increases

 

And to answer your question about where to get OEM torque axis mounts.

eBay .$150 a pop. For a $35. Part

If seller is a Saturn owner or works for a dealership and was hoarding, may he burn in hell

 

Are we talking about the thickness of the entire pencil or just the graphite material of the pencil here?

 

Entire pencil.

And we should round up a group for a discount blk sale and ship to one of us on the AC Delco mounts

 

Do you know what the test would be for the dog-bone motor mounts? Seems like sometimes when I crank the engine over and it takes a while for it to start, the engine seems like it is shaking or something. It starts to shake the car a little - feels odd. I should probably try to catch it doing this with the hood open and see if I can tell if the motor is moving around maybe?

 

Per the Saturn techs, the upper dog bone mount is a positioning mount that bears no weight. It just helps to keep the engine from rotating but if your upper torque axis Mount is good, this mount is not really under very much stress. My car is 21 years old and I have never replaced it nor have I found a reason to. I look at it now and then to make sure the rubber is still intact and not damaged. It may have stiffened up over the years but there really does not seem to be an issue with it. I would expect if there was, that you would see it at idle with the engine rotating much more than normal. But anytime the engine sputters, it's going to bounce around because it is firing unevenly so that is not really an indication of anything other than it is firing unevenly. Best to look at it at idle and maybe work the throttle a little to see if it is bouncing around.

As for the lower torque axis mount, I don't really know of a test for that. I do know that when you install an upper torque axis mount, you need to loosen the lower torque axis mount while you install the upper torque axis mount and then retighten it. This is to make sure that you are not trapping a static stress between the mounts. Most people do not know this and with the crappy aftermarket mounts if you trap a static stress it will act more stiffly as a mounting system and the vibrations will be worse then they would be normally through a crappy mount. Again make sure the mount rubber is not torn. 98% of vibration problems are from bad upper torque axis mounts and occasionally a bad transmission mount