Hello build thread, it's been awhile.
*Please don't quote this whole post, as it's rather long, thanks!*
A few weeks ago I installed engine and trans mounts. It was a fairly straightforward process but I do have some comments, comparisons, and pics for those interested.
ECS already has an excellent set of installation videos, and I'm sure there are others out there, so I'm not really going to bother with a DIY.
Engine Mount: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxBIZnrT0UU
Transmission Mount: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0BsxLWMd2A&t=452s
What I can offer is my experience with two different transmission mounts, the ECS and the CTS, for what it's worth.
TL;DR - I started with a CTS engine mount and ECS transmission mount combo, NVH was a lot, so I switched to CTS on both sides and now all is good.
For those looking to do this install themselves, it's pretty easy. If you're lowered at all you'll probably need to get the car on jack stands (all 4 corners, but I only had to go to the bottom setting on each stand) to get enough clearance to slide a floor jack under the front bumper. Do one mount at a time, and support that side (either engine or trans) with the jack and a block of wood. On the engine side you can use the oil pan -- just put the wood over by the edge where it's strongest and not the center. On the trans side, just find a good flat area where the wood is balanced. The engine and trans do not need to be lifted, just supported. The goal is for them NOT to move has you do each replacement, so that's why I raised all four corners of the car so it's level.
Engine side only requires unclipping the coolant reservoir to gain access, and is a quick job:
Transmission side you have to remove more stuff (intake, battery, battery tray, ECU, ECU bracket, and unclip wire channel), but it's still easy to do and most of it is just 10mm bolts.
Here's what it looks like when you get in there:
The biggest struggle with the trans side is the wire channel that goes over the 4 body-side fasteners. You have to work around it and it's very awkward.
Some tools that will make you're life easier are a small ratchet for tight spaces, and a larger one if you have it for more leverage, a breaker bar, universal swivel, and a decent sized extension. I wouldn't start this job without those.
On to the comparisons. Below you can see the ECS mount, the CTS mount, and the stock mount:
Immediately you'll notice the ECS is it's own new design, while the CTS reuses the stock components with the exception of the stiffer rubber bushing. Another important note here -- the ECS bushing is poly, not rubber.
Taking a closer look at the backsides, you'll see that the OEM and CTS mounts have some locating pins to help center the mount on the body side, and the ECS does not.
You can also see that two of the body-side holes on the ECS mount are oval shaped, and two are circular, whereas on the CTS and OEM mounts, all the holes are circles.
What this amounts to is the CTS and OEM mounts are guaranteed to be aligned correctly with the body because of the locating pins, and the ECS is not, because it has no pins and there will be "play" for two of the fasteners. I'll get to my experiences with each more below, but I'm pretty sure this caused problems for me. ECS has detailed instructions on aligning their mounts, which include taking some measurements between parts of the mount and the body, which I tried to carefully follow but there could be a chance it was slightly misaligned.
The reason I say this is the NVH with the ECS mount was incredible. Rear view mirror shaking so much I couldn't see anything in it at low RPMs, steering wheel and pedal vibrations, and I could hear
everything in the cabin. There were some nice motor sounds for sure, although they were quite loud, but on top of that I could hear the gears constantly spinning and clicking, the pressure plate actuation, every clunk of the shift linkage was transmitted to the cabin. Even at idle with windows closed. I liked the idea of a little rawness, and was expecting some increased NVH with stiffer mounts, but this was way too much for my tastes. One of the reasons I like German cars is because they feel substantial and quality and refined. This was not refined, especially for a daily driver.
Now, this isn't me saying the ECS mount is a bad part. In fact it seems well made, and it looks cool as well. They claim low-NVH and I think it's billed as a "stage 1" mount so I was surprised at how much there was. This is why I am partially attributing it to misalignment. I also think the ECS solution might be better with their parts all around (transmission and engine sides, and maybe even dogbone). I'm guessing that having poly on one side and rubber on the other could have also been a mismatch and amplified the vibrations.
Some of you might be wondering why I didn't just try and re-align the ECS part if I thought that was the issue. Well... the bolts to secure it are one-time-use-torque-to-yield, and at $25 a set plus waiting for shipping I didn't want to go through the install process and cost multiple times to get it right, especially since I use my car every day. And the NVH was so bad (to me) that I didn't want to risk prolonging a solve. So I cut my losses and just went for the CTS. And I'm very happy I did. It's near perfect.
I'll write a proper review of the CTS mounts in another post, but if you're considering motor and trans mounts, and the ECS mount in particular, I'll just leave it with two things:
1. You should probably go with the same manufacturer for both sides, and poly-poly or rubber-rubber. They probably design their products to be used together and I don't think mixing brands was a good idea.
2. Be extra sure the mounts are perfectly aligned, especially if you get the ECS model where there are are more variables.