FUNCTION-FIRST Performance - Engine/Trans Mount Inserts

Introducing new Planet-9 site sponsor: FUNCTION-FIRST Performance Hi, I wanted to introduce myself as a new site sponsor to the Planet-9 forum! Founded by a mechanical engineer, racecar mechanic, and true Porsche enthusiast, Function-First Performance was created to deliver Porsche drivers an unfiltered, visceral driving experience. Road-going Porsches are derived from their race brethren, but much of the racecar precision and rawness is lost in the name of civility and comfort, resulting in a numbed and impure driving experience. Our functional solutions bridge the gap to restore your Porsche's racing pedigree. By elevating performance and enhancing driver connectedness, our products will unleash your Porsche's true potential. Our first product for the Boxster/Cayman is a stiffened Engine Mount Insert. We already have a thread on this product in the main 987 forum, which you can view here . We look forward to serving the Porsche community with more exciting, original, and innovative products in the near future. Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions or feedback - [email removed] . Thanks! Luka

Has anyone installed these? I would like to install them but want to hear from others before spending the money. Granted $130 is a drop in the bucket. Any response would be greatly appreciated.

I have ordered a set and will post up pics and a review as soon as they arrive.

Looking forward to a review

Im hoping to have mine installed before the end of the year. Monday if lucky. Will report asap.

OK, mount inserts installed 10am this morning. Going back at 2pm to get them removed... Like most mods, this one has some +s and some -s. To me: + engine is clearly more connected to the chassis! General handling feels tighter. Perhaps a very slight increase in shifter crispness, but I am running CAE Ultrashifter already, so it's hard to improve on that. - Considerably increase in NHV - all three in fact! Vibration increase is so great that the dash rattles all the time, even while cruising on the freeway at 3000 rpm. For me, the negatives so outweigh any positives I'm removing it and returning to stock mount. Quite an investment at $100 each way (I don't like working on a car under 15" of jack stands, period.) It's not that removing the engine mount is hard, but it's awkward. Much easier done under a lift at standing height. Also, we had to take both parts of the mount off, as it was very hard to install the inserts--had to use a vice to press them in. My tech is a 10-year dealer trained P tech, so it had nothing to do with the installer. Conclusion: Not for me (I did the engine mounts on my MINI Cooper S and it was far less NHV than this.) But for someone who doesn't mind the NHV, it could be a good thing. I also guess there'll be a set in the classified section for a great price...

Thank you for posting the results ... I appreciate your feedback

Thanks for the thorough and honest reply, Phil. As with most modifications, there exists a trade off when installing upgrades. The Engine Mount Insert is definitely a performance modification and is intended for those drivers interested in sportiness over comfort. As such, there will be additional NVH introduced - some drivers like it, some don't mind it, and some don't want to live with it, which is completely understandable. So in the end, it is difficult to gauge how this increase in NVH will heighten or hurt your driving experience, and whether that trade off for the handling and performance benefits is worth it to you. Keep the reviews coming, so that we can gain some additional perspective and impressions from other owners!

I have a set of these awaiting install. Dr. Phil's write up doesn't light a match under my oft to get them installed. I suppose I'll wait for additional reviews before I make a final decision though. FF... Would it be possible to manufacture these in different durometers?

Do it, do it :banana: You already have it and we need more data points c:

Arrived home to find a nice little package awaiting me: On opening the quality looks great, they have been hand finished and there a couple of neat touches too: I hope to fit them mid week at the same time as I do the water pump and thermostat, will make sure I take plenty of pics!

In developing these, we found that the 80A (current hardness) was the best compromise, geared more towards performance than comfort, which is the intention of this upgrade. With softer inserts, you will certainly see some of the benefits, albeit to a lesser degree, and with greater comfort. We will consider offering a softer option if there's enough demand for that, but we'd like to see some more feedback first on the 80A inserts.

Yes, please don't see my experience as anything but a single observation. (It's bad practice to infer anything from one observation!) Once we get more reports FF can assess if a softer durometer insert would be a good idea to offer. I presume many have already been fitted, they just aren't posting about them here. Can we ask FF to encourage buyers to post on this thread?

Hi Giff did you fit these yet? Let me know how you find them as I was considering these too. Andy

Not yet, will hopefully get some time in the next few days.

Anyone else try these yet?

With the installation of the ENGINE MOUNT INSERT , you will be rewarded with improved shifting and enhanced performance. These benefits, however, come at the cost of some increased NVH, and we understand that this is the main concern for our existing and prospective customers. I daily drive my car with the Insert, but I realize that my tolerance for the NVH increase may not be in line with others. As such, we will now be offering a softer version in addition to the original stiffer version. Choose between two hardness levels: STREET - Yellow (70A) for less NVH *Softer version* TRACK - Black (80A) for optimized performance *Original version* There will still be some NVH transmittal with the STREET version, but it will be much more bearable for those wishing to keep their car purely streetable. For those interested more in the performance benefits, we still recommend the original TRACK version for spirited street driving, AutoX, and DE/Track. If you already purchased an Insert and wish to exchange for the softer version, pls email us at [email removed] to arrange for an exchange. Any other questions or concerns, pls feel free to email. Thanks! .

Great job being very open to customer feedback and responding with this option. Sometimes hard to find in the world today. Look forward to additional products...!

Agreed - great customer service. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Are there any further reviews of the engine/trans mount inserts (both 70A and 80A)? Also I've seen some people add transmission mounts without engine mounts and vice versa - wouldn't this put more strain on the components as they are not moving as one and cause problems? I'd like to do something similar to mounts or inserts but there is just too much uncertainty and a lack of information surrounding the subject to make an informed decision

Great customer service! As promised they are exchanging my uninstalled early (track) version for the street version for my Cayman . I picked up a set of the track version for my Boxster . Thanks!

This is what I posted elsewhere: OK, I'll bite: I was nervous about the inserts based on some of the feedback and opinions online. I recently had my indy put it in after trying to do it myself in the garage and giving up when I couldn't get to 1 bolt on the engine mount. I was working on my back in a cold, dusty garage while the car was up on jack stands. I got to a point of asking myself "why am I doing this (on my own)?" Anyway, the inserts are in and I've had 1 day of street and 2 days of track driving. The caveat here is that I haven't driven my Spyder all winter except for 1 day and my memory of how it drove and sounded may not be totally accurate. Good: car seems tighter and more responsive. I remember thinking that the Spyder felt a little soft when driving down to my indy for the installation. Now it feels tight and good. Another caveat though: I had a GT3 front sway bar installed at the same time (4th stiffest position) so that could be affecting the suspension feel as well. I already had an AM sway bar in the rear. Bad: I feel like there is more NVH in the cabin. Specifically background vibration noise. It was annoying and not how I remember the stock. Fine on the track but was annoying/deafening on the street. Caveat: I have a Fabspeed race exhaust so there is loud exhaust noise and drone. The inserts seem to have amplified the drone and noise in general to make it a little too much for the street usage. However, I've only had 2 days of street driving (1 before and 1 after) and none for months before then. So it's possible that I just need to get used to my race exhaust again vs. the inserts making it significantly worse. Current conclusion: F1 inserts are good and do what they're supposed to. Great for the track. May be too much for the street if you have a loud exhaust, LWFW, or if you're sensitive to NVH. However, I need to drive it on the street more and see if I can tolerate it . Will report back after further testing.

Vetman... Thanks for the review. Do you have the 70 durometer or 80 durometer units installed? Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

np. I have 80A (Track) version.

Has anyone tried the 70A version?

No, but I have one for sale in the classifieds.

The Engine Mount Inserts were primarily developed as a performance additive, delivering improved shifting and handling by limiting excess drivetrain movement. They also fortified the failure prone OEM Engine mount, which can be costly to replace, by filling the voids of the bushing to support and reestablish its original geometry. But the main drawback of the inserts was the added NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) transmitted into the cabin. And for that reason, we offered both the harder TRACK compound for ultimate performance and the softer STREET compound to mitigate some of the added NVH. Several 987 owners, however, have requested an insert with even less NVH than the STREET version that would still renew their aging engine mount, so we set out to choose a compound that would strike a nice balance of comfort and restored performance. And following several rounds of successful testing, we’re now offering a solution for daily drivers - the SOFT (Orange) Engine Mount Inserts. So if you were intrigued by the benefits of the inserts, but you’ve been hesitant to try them because of the risk of increased NVH, the new SOFT Engine Mount Inserts may be the “just right” solution for your daily driver!

Hi Function First team! Think you've hit a gap in the market. I know it's early days for customer reviews but am interested to hear about the test results during product development of these soft inserts. In particular, how NVH level's compare to OEM at low vs high RPM and the feeling of stiffness? Subjective rating is OK. Looking for an indicative guide I'm about to return to OEM mounts after a year on wevo's.

I fitted the grey type to my Cayman R. At first it made the car feel a bit harsh but after a few miles it just felt normal and I didn't notice it. I removed them after I finished using car on track and it felt really luxurious and very smooth. I sort of liked the feel with them in as it made the car more as what it should have been, but I don't use it as a daily which may make a difference.PS: I have them for sale if anyone wants any. Based in UK HTHAndy

I put both F1 transmission and engine (yellow) mounts in. Although I really liked the feel, the nvh was a bit much. Removed the engine mounts and left the transmission mounts in which seems to be a decent compromise. These orange mounts look interesting, mind you. I still have the yellow ones if anyone is interested.

Hello all, Just checking back on this, if anyone installed the orange inserts ? Figured i dont need to open a new thread for this.

Yes, I have the orange motor mount inserts installed along with the transaxle mounts. I installed the motor mount inserts first, and to my surprise the motor mount also needed refreshing as it was cracked and falling apart. I noticed the vibrations and noise for a while, but after a couple of months, all is well. Car tracts very well, even through slalom type corners. The engine and transaxle stays put without any rebound effects.