Porsche Cayenne Project: Replacement of Torque Arm Engine Mount

2021-12-01 08:28:36 By : Ms. sheena wang

Replacing this critical component requires minimal time and effort.

The list of potential problems that made the 2006 Porsche Cayenne Turbo so affordable today can often offset the outstanding performance of this 15-year-old super SUV drive. Despite this, keeping your eyes open, I recently chose an 115,000-mile Cayenne because it provides great power and off-road capabilities in a luxurious package. Fortunately, the previous owner resolved most of the commodities that affected the Cayenne's depreciation, including replacing the drive shaft, rebuilding the air suspension system, and installing metal coolant pipes for the 4.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine.

However, the reason why Porsche issued an official technical service announcement to replace the metal coolant pipes first comes down to the hot dipping in the tight engine compartment, which may also cause any other plastic parts to fail prematurely—not to mention electronic equipment. I I discovered a problem like this on the Cayenne before I bought it, but I don’t think it’s a big problem, it’s the torque arm. The torque arm is also called a torque strut or dog-bone mount. The torque arm is located directly above the engine to help stabilize the huge power unit. My rubber bushing was obviously hit, but if you avoid the OEM Porsche tax, installing a new torque arm is easy and relatively cheap.

The torque arm helps prevent the engine from over-distorting and shredding the lower engine mount. When still in good condition, it helps to idling and driving more smoothly. But the rubber bushings of the torque arm are located right in the hottest part of the engine compartment, so they will eventually break and fail. Diagnosing this condition only requires a quick yank on the metal rod-if it moves or oscillates, prepare to replace it.

Although it is there, classic Porsche engineering means that this job requires a relatively important set of tools. Basic tools like flat-head screwdrivers and Phillips-head screwdrivers, ratchets with 10mm and 16mm sockets, 44 lb-ft torque wrenches, and socket extensions will help make things easier, but you need two more A professional tool, a T20 Torx driver, and a 12 mm tripartite bit or driver (also known as 12 point). I went out and bought the tri-square attachment and made sure it fits the unique bolt that holds the torque arm to the hood before leaving the store.

With all the tools ready on hand, first remove the passenger side engine compartment trim by popping out the washer liquid cover, removing the two quarter-turn plastic screws, and unscrewing the T20 Torx under the neck of the washer liquid tank.

Follow here: HotCars official Twitter

The torque arm itself may feel loose and swinging, but it still requires a lot of muscle to loosen the bolt. I used a wrench to hold the triangle bit in place, then put the ratchet on the rear nut and twisted it carefully to avoid hitting any other fragile hoses or the secondary air pump above and behind the engine itself. After loosening the nut, use your fingers to completely unscrew it, making sure not to drop the bolt once it is loose.

Related: Porsche Cayenne Project: How to replace the rear hatch and glass shock absorbers

Slide out the long bolt that secures the torque arm to the engine bracket. Removing this end first will help open more channels connected to the other end of the chassis, because the engine side can be lowered a bit and rest on the engine cover. I screwed the loose nuts back onto the bolts, hoping to stay organized before reinstalling.

Related: Porsche Cayenne Project: How to Replace Engine and Cabin Air Filter

On the Turbo Cayenne variant, the hose bracket above the torque arm chassis bracket needs to be loosened in order to install the sleeve to the bolt below. Use a 10 mm socket and completely remove the two screws holding it. Now, with one hand, push the bracket slightly upward toward the rear of the vehicle, and then slide the 16 mm sleeve onto the bolt head (not visible in the image above). The nut of the bolt does not come out. This will take more time, but please be careful not to hit any hoses and electronic equipment when the one-way ratchet is about 30 degrees. Then, slide the bolt out from the back.

For non-turbocharged Cayenne, the bolts should be more accessible.

Related: The Porsche Cayenne Project: How to Change Engine Oil and Filters

After removing the two bolts, the dog bone bracket should slide out easily. I know the engine end bushing looks terrible, but once I see the chassis end, the larger bushing looks almost entirely toast. It's completely deteriorated, it almost collapsed in my hands-the photos can hardly show how bad the rubber has become over the years. The engine end is also very rough, so bad that I can manipulate the bushing with my hands.

Related: The Porsche Cayenne Project: Install the stud conversion that every project car deserves

In fact, the bushing was clearly too loose that the engine must have hit the torque arm, enough to rupture the engine cover covering the ignition coil and spark plug. Not very good. Seeing this damage makes me happy that I put this work first, because I can only imagine how much extra torque the lower engine mounts compensate-and replacing them is a more serious job. I also found it hard to believe that the former owner’s mechanics did not notice obvious bushing failures during the most recent maintenance (including removal of the valve cover and intake manifold). But maybe in the long list of huge billable items, this just hasn't been cut.

Related: Exclusive: HotCars Checks Magnus Walker's Porsche 996 Series

Slide the new torque arm into its bracket, and then tighten the screws and nuts on the engine end by hand. This may seem counterintuitive, but reconnecting the engine side first will allow you to do more on the chassis side when the time is right (ask me how do I know). Essentially, you will be able to gain some leverage by pulling the torque arm while sliding in the more difficult bolts, instead of trying to align the second bolt by pulling the engine itself with one hand. After inserting the two bolts and tightening them by hand, use a ratchet and a square drill to further tighten each bolt. Finally, pull out the torque wrench and set it to 44 lb-ft to ensure that all parts remain fixed for a long time.

Related: 10 things we know now about the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo

Don't forget to reinstall the 10mm screw fixed on the bracket above the engine end of the torque arm, and then replace the engine trim cover. Although you can use thumbnails or actual coins to complete the two quarter-turn screws, I find that the flat head helps make the job easier. Screw in the T20 Torx screw, reopen the cleaning liquid cover, and you are done. All in all, this work takes about 30 minutes (or even less for non-turbochargers without brackets). I am very happy to replace the torque arm, although it is a pity that the new one is black, not to mention the cracks in the ignition coil cover.

However, there is another option to keep the original appearance: you can buy the bushing yourself to press into the existing torque arm. Or, for those Cayenne owners who are cash-rich and obsessed with Porsche, the entire OEM replacement parts cost is about $200 or $300, depending on where you buy. But the after-sales torque arm with a new bushing I bought on Amazon is less than $40 including delivery. I think it’s a hard-wearing thing, so $200 seems ridiculous, because I might only Buy the second one for next time use.

Source: callasrennsport.com, oreillyauto.com, sunsetporscheparts.com and amazon.com,

Porsche 996 has aroused fierce controversy among the loyal fans of Stuttgart, but the low price has almost exceeded the concerns of IMS and headlights.

Michael Van Runkle grew up surrounded by Los Angeles automobile culture, often attending small enthusiast gatherings and large industry exhibitions. He learned to drive the gear lever of a 1948 Chevrolet pickup without a gear. He currently drives his 1998 Mitsubishi Montero every day while daydreaming, hoping to complete the Porsche 914 project one day. Since graduating from the University of California, Berkeley in 2010 and joining HotCars in February 2018, he has written in various media.