Waaa...this one headache man!
Yes, it took some planning, much time and $$$ to get this done, I might as well blog about it. So all you Kelisa or Kenari drivers out there can benefit somewhat from my experience.
The original engine mountings are made in Japan and generally will last you about 4-5 years. Now theres a reason why they are VERY EXPENSIVE as I will explain later. There are 3 engine mountings to get and they are placed at the bottom of the engine, on a black metal frame that is bolted to the car body. There is one at the front (easiest to change), one at the side near the gearbox and one more at the rear, behind the steering rack assembly(hardest to change). They cost a bomb, enquiries at Perodua will set you back around RM 850 for all 3 of them.
Looking at the mounting, I cannot figure out why they are so expensive. Its just piece of rubber and steel housing. My foreman later explained that in that piece of rubber has embedded oil that help absorb the engine's vibration. Also, the rubber is cut with gaps to allow the rubber to flex properly. Now, using orginal parts, you can be assured of good quality and properly designed mountings, but if your are not able to afford it like me :(, going for compatible mountings are a 50/50 thing. More often than not its no where near as good as the original.
My word of advise? Just get the rear piece original (the most expensive est about RM 450) and the rest 2 compatible ones. The other 2 can be changed without removing the entire engine and are relatively cheap to change. The rear one is the one you have to watch out for and if you can...just get the original.
Some pics to share with you...
Front bumper, radiator and panel removed.
Woaa...Thats my 3-cylinder 1,000cc DOHC engine fully removed. The black frame is what the mountings sits on and this frame is bolted to the main car body via some tough screws.
A gaping hole is all thats left to get to the rear mounting...merciless..
