Engine ~shake~!
 

I just bought a 89 Geo Metro Lsi for $600.00 US. There's a little front end damage, mostly cosmetic.

I'm looking for feedback on this symptom.... When I start the car it ~shakes~, almost like it's idling fast and rough. I pop the hood and look at the engine and the engine dosen't seem to be shaking. My guess, there's a bad motor mount?

I'm waiting for my Haynes manaul to arrive to make sure I order the correct mounts. In the meantime the only place on line I've found to order the mount si from https://www.geoautoparts.com . Anyone ever order from here?

Any feedback will be appreciated.

Mine shakes pretty good too, but only when it is idling low. Mine also has front end damage. It seems to have affected the PS motor mount location on mine though. New rubber in my case should help, but I didn't know if that was just the way these 3 cyls idle. Plus I haven't checked my idle rpms to see if they are normal.
I've never ordered from the link you supplied, but looks like a good place to find hard to get parts for geos. I've been lucky enough to find parts at the local junkyard.

Update!

So I was able to get out and snap a picture of the motor mount in question, it's the front one passenger side right behind the headlight.
https://www.indistans.com/images/fronmotormnt_web2.jpg

Here's where I get confused, I looked up the part on the website above and they show this guy as the mount???
https://www.indistans.com/images/FRON...AUTOPARTS2.jpg

HELP!!!! :confused:

How badly is it shaking?

My first Firefly had a shake in it too (hey, it's 3 cylinders, right?) but only when it idled low. When it was hot (e.g. after a highway run), it would only idle in the low 700 RPM range.

When it was rough, the gear selector would flop side to side a little (in neutral).

Yeah, it's "tweaked" alright...lol I think from the front end fender bender it was in. I'm starting to wonder if it's even the orginal engine.

I'm hoping someone else wiht the same year Metro can confirm the engine mount/bracket. My Haynes manual should be here by the end of the week and I can check that. Then it will most likely be off to NAPA and hope they can find me one.

BTW - how would you know if a mount is shot? Can you tell by looking at it?

If I'm not mistaken, the holes through the mount (black part) are oblong. If someone did replace the engine, they may not have taken the time to line the mount up straight, and there may still be some adjustment room in there.

Careful though: the engine bracket half of the mount is aluminum, and the bolts are steel. I broke off one of these bolts when I did my taller tranny upgrade, and had to drill it out & tap it.

I can lift the engine (when it's not running) and there's a lot of play, I can see the bolt move up and down before it starts to push on the rubber mount and pick up the car... God I love this light little engine....lol

The other thing is when I start the car, sitting in the drivers seat, the steering wheel even shakes. I've got a new digi camera that does movies, I'll see if I can record it, upload to You Tube and post a link here so you can see and here what I am talking about.


Thnaks, I'll have to make sure and not reaf on anything too hard.

The motor mount brackets shouldn't have any play in them, that you can feel by lifting or moving something. Generally what happens is that the rubber tears away, to a point where it won't come apart because of the bolts, but the motor is not isolated or held solidly. Most of the time I can't tell they are bad until I've taken them out and I can see them on all sides. They usually crack or tear along one side, while the other look's ok. If in doubt, I'd replace them, their pretty inexpensive.

That is the same one I question on mine. Wow, your's looks like new compared to mine though:o . Mine is a little more tweaked too :( . maybe this summer I will look into fixing mine.

check your spark plugs and firing order.

Best to listen to the exhost, it should be smooth and steady - if it is buffing there is a skip. The engine should have a very regular even spaced beat to it since it fires pretty evenly once every 240 degrees of rotation. Check for air leak and foulded injector - then compression check would be next. Mine always ran smooth unless a plug or wire was wet. Original plugs lasted 12 years 90k miles never changed only gapped.

Rubber mounts are known for this no biggie.

Check that there is NO damage to the harmonic balancer however, they can get hit and/or bent, giving the car the shimmie shimmie shake, seen it before....

geoautoparts.com appears to be nothing more than a search-engine drop-shipper and nothing more (google their 800 number for fun) just by the looks of it (clicking on tires just jumps you to Tire Rack). However the mount price is lower than what the local costs online for retail.

Tom's Truck used to be good (Suzuki OEM at Suzuki OEM prices). I think Beck Arnely stocked this mount at one time, check with your local Beck dealer, but keep the price (and or shipping for the above) in mind.

Thanks! To all your responses.

I just got my Haynes manual today. Tomorrow I'm going to jack up the engine and test the mounts, then to NAPA for a price quote.

Based on your feedback and my hunch, the motor mount is looking like the culprit. But after I change them, if it still shimmey's you've given me plenty of other things to check.

I'll keep you posted.

Again, thanks!

Good luck, I miss our Metro (bought new in 1993 and sold last fall with 90K on it) for simple repairs, and the so VERY few it ever needed in those 13 years.

Stopped by an out of the way junk yard today and guess what? They have a 90 Geo Metro way in the back. So I went out and sure enough the engine mounts are in good shape. I didn't have my tools so I am going back tomorrow morning first thing.

I was so excited I went right home and pulled the engine mount from my car.
I put a jack with a chunk of 2x6 on top of it under the oil pan and lifted it just enough to take the weight off the engine mount (got that idea from the Haynes manual). Just for kicks I jumped in and fired it up....No shimmy!!

I took out the main mount bolt and then started loosening the bolt to the engine bracket, when I notcied the bracket wiggling a little too much. Low and behold it wasn't the engine mount, but that aluminum bracket to the engine. Cracked in half.

Here's the broken bracket:
https://www.indistans.com/images/brok...nt bracket.jpg

I'm hoping the one on junkyard Metro is still in good enough shape for me to get in the morning.

Wow. Good sleuthing.

Used 89 Geo Metro = $600.00

Used Motor mount bracket from Junkyard = $10.00

3 new Spark plugs = $5.37

Being able to recycle a Hi MPG Car and do all the work your self.....Priceless...


-----------------------

After swtiching the engine bracket I changed the spark plugs, air filter, new wiper blades, changed Oil and filter and she's running great....Well almost great, there's some leak form the exhaust pipe (gives it that turbo sound), but that's for another thread.


I'm looking forward to reporting on the MPG I get. Monday I start using the car for my daily work commute (approx 24 miles each way).

Thanks for all your replies.

Great news. :thumbup:

With the broken mount you probably has some damage on the header to exhost pipe gasket donut from the excessive engine movement.

Good point.

Thanks. I did repair a loose connection in the pipe and that really cut down on the noise.

I'll check the rest fo the exhaust system for leaks this weekend.