I bought two engine mounts for the VX, one for the passenger side and one for the driver’s side. I replaced the passenger side one a few weeks back and it was relatively painless and really needed doing.I’d put off the other side because it was slightly more involved. But last night I thought I’d have a go and an hour into the job I wished I hadn’t.Every thing started OK, I got the car up in the air and the wheel and arch shield off and out of the way. I could see the mount and the top nut came off no problems. So I dug the engine lift out and strapped it to the engine to take the weight and free up the mount.This is where the nightmare starts!The nut on the bottom of the mount had been put on by a seriously strong Oompa-Loompa and the nut was rounded off. This nut is located some 30cm up inside a chassis upright and to access it you have to thread a long extension bar through various holes to get it on the nut. So basically there is no way you are getting at the nut to try and undo it if your socket approach fails.So I took a step back and came to the conclusion that this engine mount is only coming out with a little persuasion with a hack saw.I set about sawing through the base of the mount as close to the chassis as I dare. It must have been 25 deg C + in the garage and the 1KW flood light next to me was ****ing hot! After a good 10 min of sawing I’d got almost half way through and had lost a pint of sweat. So I took a break and tried releasing the 3 bolts that hold the mounting bracket to the engine.These bolts had been put on by the other Ooopa-Loompa’s body building partner with a very long tool! I had to put a ring spanner on these nuts and give them several sharp thwacks with a mallet to get them to budge.Eventually I got the bracket out and continued to saw through the mount and finally the mount came free. To my great surprise I’d not marked the chassis at all. The remains of the bolt fell out, and is still somewhere in the chassis, I gave up looking for.Putting it all back was nice an simple after I’d found a replacement nut, all together it took a couple of hours. An hour of that was sawing, swearing, hitting spanners and knuckles. After all this the mount wasn’t even bust.

Though I would have a go at one of the engine mounts last night. I didn’t really expect to get it done in a night but at least if I made a start now it would be less to do at the weekend and more time driving the car hopefully.

One hour later it was done! I was gob smacked.

Simply jacked the car up, put a stand under the rear suspension arm. Then removed the wheel and the rear arch shield. Undid the two bolts top and bottom of the mount. Undid the 3 bolts holding the mount bracket to the gearbox and out it came.

New one back in, reverse of above and job done.

The near side mount is well knackered and needed changing. I haven’t tested the car yet to see if the rattle has gone but either way I’m glad that mount is replaced.

The new mounts turned up next day from Autovaux, really good service and a good product, so they are highly recommended.

After last night it seems the rattle is still there. However it looks like a common fault on the VX is the engine mounts failing, according to all accounts this sounds like ball bearings in a coffee grinder.

This is a pretty accurate description of what I can hear, so new mounts it is.

Only problem is the mounts are here: