The subject title is a reference to the Alice in Wonderland story. I feel I've just dropped through the rabbit hole into a distorted world of motor mount replacement. Or, to put it another way, ... I wonder how I can get access to the motor mounts?

I recently purchased the Haynes 940 book, but its pretty slim on the subject of motor mount and transmission mount replacement. I understand the basic concept. Take the weight off the mounts by jacking up the engine under the oil pan. Remove and replace the mounts. There are 3 bracket bolts on the driver's side mount and 2 on the passenger side. I haven't found the transmission mount as yet, because I got hung up on the front mounts.

Without much guidance from Haynes, I Googled the subject and a well-pictured tutorial on the subject comes right up on the first page. The tutorial says to remove the heater hose for access and then go a head and jack up the car. Remove and replace the mounts.

When I look at the motor mounts on my '95 940 Turbo (200K original miles on the mounts), access to the 13 mm bolts holding the mounts to the supporting members and access to the 15 mm bolt that positions the mounts from the top appears to be somewhere between exceedingly difficult and almost impossible. It looks like I would have to remove the alternator and air conditioning compressor on the driver's side to gain access to at least one of the three mounting bolts and on the passengers side it looks like I'd have to remove the Turbo and the exhaust pipe. Nothing I've read describes this job at that level of difficulty. So, I must be missing something.

To be more specific, on the driver's side mount the two bolts closest to the fender seem to be minimally accessible with a long, perhaps 18 inch extender and a jointed socket. The third bolt which is toward the center and forward is under the compressor. Maybe I can get to it from below with a box wrench.
As for access to the upper bolt ... ???

On the passenger side, I believe there are just two mounting bolts. I can barely see them beneath all the gear that is attached to the exhaust manifold and between it and the exhaust pipe. I believe the component that is in the way is the turbo, but I'm just basing this on something I was told by someone who was not looking at the car. Is that the turbo? Its a component about the size of a large fist.

I'm feeling a little discouraged about this job, which I thought was going to be straightforward. My Brickboard FAQ reading suggests the vibration/grinding noise I am hearing could be caused by many other things, specifically those related to the drive shaft supports, and other driver train components. From what I can see looking at the motor mounts, which is not much, they do appear to be intact and solid. But, of course, I don't know what I should be looking for and the true condition may be determined by things I cannot see. Nevertheless, the difficulty of reaching the mounts and the possibility of the noise issues being caused elsewhere, has made me consider abandoning this project. However, a lot of comments on Brickboard reference replacing the mounts as a first step. I am not ready to completely abandon the mounts without some advise.

Thanks, as always.

Bob Franklin