OK it was time to get the engine out so I could replace all the gearbox mounts (front, rear and nosecone seal as well as clutch sleeve). He was swamped with cars so even though I got there at 9:30am the engine came out at 1pm...
Now that the engine was down it's clear that the rear seal was destroyed and most likely it was the original one. I also took this opportunity to test out my denting skills and straightened the rear heat shield,.. which turned out a treat. Silencer welds were touched up as there were quite a few leaks and I also cleaned up my spark plugs.
Here is a shot of Khalid Ustaad fitting the front rubber (rear installed), this process went on till 1am due to load shedding and pesky owners who kept interrupting us with their whiney problems.
Here you can see the new HD mounts i sourced. Surprisingly even though they are precision engineered and are supposed to be MUCH better than the original ones I was a little disappointed at the fact that they required 2 small shims between them and the gearbox in order to clear the flywheel. still, the drive home proved that it was worth it, the car feels solid as a rock now and there is no notable engine/gearbox "hop" on rough roads
Next stop, I have to get a wire soldered on the inside of the generator, it got damaged a few days back due to arcing, and new axle boots (as soon as i can source one more pair as i only have enough for 1 side)
