Hi,

I've got a loose gearbox engine mount. I'm getting a metallic rattling sounds when i back off the gas. At first i thought it was a loose exhaust but that was ok. After more shaking i found a loose washer that goes between the gearbox mount and the body on the passenger side.

Basically the insulating rubber has shrunk causing the washer to vibrate against the body. I tried to tighten the nut from the bottom but i need to hold the bolt head from the top with a ring spanner while tightening the nut. The problem is i cant get the spanner through the tiny gap in the front of the lower suspension arm brace and lock it onto the bolt head.

If you look on the photo below i'm trying to put the spanner through the small hole about 2cm wide, 1cm high on the passenger side brace for the lower suspension arm so i can hold the bolt head.

https://www.fiatforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=45322&d=1213391188

Am i going about this all wrong? Do i need a stubby spanner to get into there as i only have the longer open spanner. Can these bolts be tightened? Or do you have to replace the rubber mount?

Cheers,
Ben.

I've never had this problem in a Panda before (although I think the Selecta has got similar at the moment so I'm having to get that looked at), but when I was in a Renault Scenic that had this problem you could see excess movement of the gear leaver!

Jon.

You've lost me completely?

The gearbox mount rubber sits on the top of the mount not at the lower side of the bar, the back of which you can see on the pic. The bar cosists of 2 studs eitherside that attaches to the gearbox with three lower bolts then a central nut/bolt feeds through the middle of that bar up through the rubber and mount.

There should be no access problems tightening that central nut & bolt from the bottom and the top. I'll go take a pic and see if it helps

Ah! I have just realised it's the back geabox mount you are on about, went out to take some pics and now realised they are a waste of time. easiest way is to support the back of the gearbox with a jack, remove the two bolts that hold the mount to the floor drop the jack slowly till you get access to the nut. Once tightened jack up the gearbox till the mounting bolts are able to be replaced and job done.

Another way is to support the gearbox and remove the plate that houses the mounting two bolts to the side of the box and the two mounting bolts on the floor. Remove completely inspect the unit and replace if completely f**ked. Once removed if it's ok in general use a vice to hold the plate and tighten the nut & bolt.

Just a quick update. I managed to find a new rear gearbox mount rubber/insulator pad. I found a very easy way to take it off. You just undo about 3 bolts on a bracket which is attached to the gearbox and holds the mount. Now i just need to find a new bolt as the one on the car has stripped threads due to the constant vibration.

hrpanoben said:

Am i going about this all wrong? Do i need a stubby spanner to get into there as i only have the longer open spanner. Can these bolts be tightened? Or do you have to replace the rubber mount?

Click to expand...

Yes you were going about it the right way. For future reference you can stick the ring end of a 17mm spanner through the small hole. (open claw spanners are too big) It's quite straight forward from there, only the spanner tends to come off the bolt and you have to fish around for it again.

hrpanoben said:

Just a quick update. I managed to find a new rear gearbox mount rubber/insulator pad. I found a very easy way to take it off. You just undo about 3 bolts on a bracket which is attached to the gearbox and holds the mount. Now i just need to find a new bolt as the one on the car has stripped threads due to the constant vibration.

Click to expand...

Erm!
Another way is to support the gearbox and remove the plate that houses the mounting two bolts to the side of the box and the two mounting bolts on the floor. Remove completely inspect the unit and replace if completely f**ked. Once removed if it's ok in general use a vice to hold the plate and tighten the nut & bolt.