Thinking about new engine mounts

Going through my list of 'preventative maintenance' items and new engine mounts are next. Car is a 996 C4S 57K miles. 1. Is it worthwhile doing at that mileage? 2. Should I go for semi solid (i.e. RSS) or stay stock/aftermarket? Suggestions please. Car is not tracked and is for road use only. Any info greatly appreciated. Mark

Just had mine at 85K miles on my C4S and they def tighten up the feeling of the car. I went OEM as the car is stiff/bumpy enough with the M030 suspension and some say others introduce more vibration/cabin noise. Not as cheap as some options at about £165 each for genuine OEM mounts but seem worthwhile. :thumbs:

Changed mine at 102k. The old ones didn't seem beyond bad but the new ones did stiffen up the handling slightly. Just replaced with standard.

I personally feel engine mounts are more age related than milage .. basically they have been under stress longer . Easiest check and providing you have had no exhaust work done in several years is to look at the gap between the tail pipes and the bumper .. a sensible gap and they would benefit from replacement . I have to admit its nice to read here .. so many forum owners are proactive with things like this .. i've almost given up reporting on a service these have bottomed out because no one seems to ever want them replaced .. sigh . That and tyre sealant OEM for me .. Customers have reported more noise with Rs mounts so i go by what they have said .

If you drive hard on bumpy B-roads then yes refresh your engine mounts. If the car feels like it's needing to have two goes at recomposing the chassis after it hits a bump mid corner then you need them. Big improvement for the stability of my car, 70k C4S. I used RSS, only N&V change that I can tell is at start up and maybe sitting at idle. On the move I can't say I can notice any negative effect. Small improvement in throttle response.

I recently changed mine to 993RS mounts and they made a noticeable improvement in handling. There is a very slight increase in vibration but as the car is used purely for the joy of driving I don't mind and it kind of adds to the occasion. It is quite an easy job to do yourself if you know one end of a spanner to the other.

I just changed mine at 96k for RSS semi solids and I actually think maybe I should have gone for OEM. Haven't really noticed any noise increase, slight increase in harshness on poor roads but the increase in vibration is ridiculous. Apparently they settle down and really I hope they do.

I have changed mine for the ones that type911 sell. Very pleased with them and a noticeable and positive difference from the change. As I get close to running old cars for 20 years, generally speaking, if something is old and worn, anything new is going to be better.

Stay with OEM stock. To me even the RS mounts (Porsche) bring way too much vibration, not worth the slight improvement in other areas.

I have to weigh in to defend the performance mounts here. I really appreciate the road manners of the 911. It's what has always separated it from other track suitable cars for me.. but if you are a keen driver I'd say the semi solid mounts offer more performance per pound than maybe any other modification you can do to your 996. I don't disagree with what has been said above. The OEM mounts do offer better isolation but there is no free lunch. With performance mounts fitted, the car really feels like it's lost weight on corner entry, even driven back to back with a car on brand new OEM mounts. The difference is compatible to stiffer suspension but with less compromise on ride comfort. Also (as mentioned often), it makes a surprising difference to improving the gear shift feel. Much firmer and more precise, especially vs tired mounts. The difference is night and day. I have tried two brands of 'poly bush' style mounts Rohler and RSS. I found the RSS mounts to offer less vibration in the cabin. They seem to offer a good compromise to me over lack of slack without too much cabin NVH. It's a sliding scale, the 993 has more NVH in the cabin than a 996 but for me semi solid mounts are definitely on the right side of the line. I feel they have improved my enjoyment of the car.

Thank you for the replies and advice. As DeMort mentioned, they may be more liable to failure/going soft with age rather than mileage. Although my car has only done 57K it's still 17 years old and a failed engine mount is a show stopper as far as driving is concerned, so that's why they're on my preventative maintenance list. The question is OEM or a semi solid? I'm erring on the OEM route atm. Thanks Mark

I changed mine last year not long after I bought the car. One was leaking, so I assume had recently failed. The difference was big with regards to gear change - I didn't notice much change in handling. But that could be my poor driving skill... I went with OEM. Easy DIY job too.

Stop thinking and start doing - perfect part to upgrade at this age as they perish This was my experience, RSS and no issue with NVH, if you interested: https://youtu.be/1exyTcURbs8

I wonder why some people experience such cabin vibration and some don't? This is why I am holding off getting them fitted....Knowing my luck it will be tractor-tastic.

My C4S went in for new air oil separator. I took the opportunity to renew engine mounts and change to low temp thermostat.. Car has a well cared for 98k on it. As i only changed engine mounts as the engine was out, and it seemed efficient, i didn't think i would feel any difference. However I noticed the improvement as soon as i started the car. Smoother, less vibs, quieter, more enjoyable to drive, better handling...