Vibration when pulling away - engine mounts?

[Hallsy]

My 944S has quite a distinct vibration when pulling away, it could be exhaust resonance/engine labouring a little, but it feels more like a moderate vibration to me.

It seems to be around 1500rpm and is gone above 2000rpm. There is no obvious vibration at idle, and although it does vibrate a bit more when you rev (while in neutral) between 1500-2000rpm, it only really vibrates as you load the engine up - i.e. pulling away.

Is this normal, or likely to be something like the engine mounts?

 

[chrismanchr]

if its still got the rubber clutch it could be that

 

[Paul 290T]

I think engine mounts that have collapsed might give your symptoms, other members might corroborate this one.

 

[Hallsy]

I can't comment on the clutch, the car is on 128k but I have no record of replacement. However I only have detailed history from around 90k onwards, previous to that it's just stamps in the book.

The vibration is there in neutral also, just less pronounced than when engaging the clutch. If I'm quick with the clutch then pull in gear from say 1500rpm, the vibration is there but less so. If I'm pulling away with more revs and clutch engagement is a bit larer in the rev range it will vibrate more.

I'll try measuring the compressed length of the mounts to get an idea, but at the mo I'm laid up with a bad back

 

[chrismanchr]

its easy to check your engine mounts just measure there height if theyre lower than I think its 62mm then theyre shot

also you can see your engine leaning the exhaust side are the ones that allways go because of the heat ,theyre about 150quid from an opc
dont buy the ones from eurocarparts or anywhere else they need to be proper porsche ones that are fluid filled

the new ones from porsche are turbo mounts and you'll also need different bolts where r u because I have spare of both
I also have some good old mounts of a failed engine

I still reckon it will be your clutch lol it was with mine

 

[ChasR]

Hallsy, are you based in Bedfordshire? If you are ever near Warwickshire in the 944S I'd be happy to take a look .

From what GT&Porsche were saying, the pattern mounts can give some vibrations at low RPM, much like harder engine mounts on Group N cars from the way they described it.

 

[Hallsy]

Thanks for the offers guys. I'm in Sudbury, Suffolk. Either way, if I'm ever in the area of another 944 owner, I'm always up for a chat

Back is feeling a bit better today so might get chance to take a better look, just bending over in an engine bay is asking for trouble at the moment. Having a bad back is bloody miserable!!

 

[chrisjcoe]

I'm in Colchester. I had the mounts changed on mine a few months ago. Not cheap but it's a different car now. Alresford Garage did them. They hadn't seen a 944 for 10 years so should be sufficiently experienced to do them for you, or at least check them out.

 

[colin944]

Sounds a bit mad..... But while your under the car looking at stuff,have a quick look at the position of the gearbox. Just make sure the mount is ok and not letting it touch the crossmember beside the torsion bar tube.A knackered gearbox mount can give you all sorts of strange vibrations etc.

 

[Hallsy]

Hopefully this weekend I will gt chance to have a good look around, but it's possible I'm looking for a problem that isn't really a problem!!

I was reading the original 944S article from Motor magazine this morning and it says this:

"Apart from a sub-2000rpm boom which reverberates through the cabin when pulling away from rest, the Porsche's mechanical refinement is impressive....."

So it seems what I'm hearing has probably been there since new, lol!