DIY press tool for '98 V70 top engine mount bush

[Distendo]

The top engine mount bush on my '98 V70 had disintegrated and, due to Covid, my regular Volvo indie garage was shut down. I couldn't find a press tool either, for sale or hire in the UK, and didn't fancy spending about £100 and quite some time waiting for one from the USA.

I made a tool for about £20. The ingredients (see pic):

1x A4 size sheet 8mm perspex
1x 60mm diameter 100mm length 3mm wall clear perspex tube (both via ebay)
1x m12 150mm long bolt (I used an old cylinder head bolt from my V70) with nut
2x m12 washers

All the following measurements are what I did - adapt as required. I'll try to be clear, but describing this essentially simple tool isn't so straight-forward! (By all means ask for clarification.)

I decided that each side of the tool would need three (two may suffice, but why stint?) layers of 8mm perspex to handle the compression.

I used 3x 85mm squares of 8mm perspex (in fact one ended up as 85mm x 50mm because prototyping meant I ran out of perspex!) centrally drilled for the bolt for one side, stuck together (I used double sided tape), centred on the bolt hole (section A).

For the other side I used another 85mm square piece and two 60mm-ish diameter circular* pieces. The square and one of the circular pieces were drilled out to create a 32mm aperture to accommodate the protruding centre of the bush (see pic), so pressure is applied only to its outer circumference. The other circular piece was drilled out to 12mm for the bolt (I used a flat wood drill: and for sure, a drill press makes all this easier), and the three stuck together (section B, see pics).

(*This isn't necessarily the best arrangement: the circular pieces were from a first experiment. Square sections may do just as well.)

The perspex cylinder I cut down to a 40mm long section.

I inserted the bolt through a washer, through section B from the right-hand side (looking towards the bulkhead from the car's front), through the bush, through the engine mount, through section A, the other washer, and the bolt, and began tightening, spanner on the left side, ratchet driver to the right.

The 12mm bolt fits the bush very well, and helps to prevent it from going in at an angle, but careful positioning before and during the earliest tightening will help. The tool's left-hand section in particular needs careful positioning to keep the bush accurately aligned. I found a slight deviation from perfect alignment corrected itself. I also used some silicon lubricant on bush and inner mount.

When the bush was substantially inserted, I removed the left side perspex squares, and put the 40mm section of perspex cylinder against the mount and replaced the perspex squares (see pic). The cylinder was able to handle the compression, and allowed the protruding bush centre to emerge, and let me to see when the bush was positioned equidistantly within the mount (about 3mm showing each side).

Job done.

BTW, to get the arm from the bulkhead out of the way, the bolt at the bulkhead needs to be undone downwards until it releases from the welded nut's thread at the top. This may have thread locker on it, but a few seconds blowtorch can free that up (move the throttle cable of of the way first, and remove the plastic clip that secures it too. I also moved the rubber sealing strip from the scuttle above, and had a piece of damp towel to hand just in case). On rebolting the arm, a drop of thread locker is recommended...

[happy diver]

Magnificent!

[happy diver]

I forgot, but for the the square rubber bush, the one in the aluminium mount

they're in the picture



I squirt dish washing liquid around and push it out with a stick
and push the new one back in again

[DragosGD]

Originally Posted by Distendo

I used 3x 85mm squares of 8mm perspex (in fact one ended up as 85mm x 50mm because prototyping meant I ran out of perspex!) centrally drilled for the bolt for one side, stuck together (I used double sided tape), centred on the bolt hole (section A).

Great job!
I also made my own tool but I used 3/4 inch flange pipe with some thick washers!