2-Stroke

Let me begin by saying how happy I am. I have been battling a "click-click" sound in excess of 2 years, and it turned out to be the motor mounts. Now you will read online that they they are not prone to fail that often, however let me assure you, it does happen - as I have the data point. ~300k is about the time that my truck began to exhibit a "click... wait for it.... click" while accelerating and braking. At a stop - full brakes, let off and immediately full brakes again, "Click" Let off and accelerate - "click" for 2 years, it was driving me nuts. It would come and go, too. I began initially looking into the swaybar endlinks and maybe the tie rods or the shocks?. Nothing. I began to suspect a wheel bearing or the brake slides. Nope. I was the motor mounts. The noise seemed to be originating from the driverside, however the passenger side was the worst. They were so worn, that the rubber had visible separation cracking and the oil pan was about 1/8" away from resting on the cross member. When I finally pulled them and replaced, I found that the passenger side metal frame of the mount was even bent and distorted (almost as if it looked bloated and swollen).

To perform the job, I first tried to use a floor jack and a 6x6x24 on the bottom/front of the engine block by the AC compressor, but quickly decided that was one not worth the risk of breaking a bracket or two it slipping out when the mount was not in with my hands all up in there. So, I got an engine hoist (aka cherry picker) and did it the right way. Highly recommend it, as you can lift from each side of the block to rock the engine to the side you are working. There are 4 bolts total on each side, 1 main through bolt and 3 bolts that hold the mount to the engine block. You will need an 18mm socket and wrench for the main bolt. 15mm for the other 3. It was necessary to get the top bolt (1 of 3) from the engine bay, using a box end wrench, and the two below with a standard ratchet with 15mm short socket. Installing the mounts was a PIA, as the new ones required being pushed into place for alignment, this is where a friend is a must, using a small prybar. Prepare yourself for some agony using your fingertpis to start these top bolts. I am a pretty good mechanic, but this job as simple as it seems, really was a bear. Make sure that you wire brush the bolt threads and apply anti-seize to them for easy install, and when 600k rolls around, the bolts will come right out!

The truck has a new vibrations, almost like it has a diesel in it again! And the shifts are much more prompt and direct. As for the clicking sound... would I even be typing this up for you if it was present.