Well, after reading all the posts that detailed how hard it is to replace the engine mounts, I tackled the work today.
I followed the instructions up to the point where you remove the engine support bar. At that point, the engine bar dropped down with the bottom half of the engine mounts. Yep, both of the engine mounts were broken.
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The picture shows the four pieces of the engine mounts, where there should only be two.
I repaced the mounts, replaced the shifter bar, completed my oil change and presto, the car really shifts and runs much smoother. No shudder in first and second gear. And this greatly reduced running vibration.
As for the title of this post.... Yes,it s! About six months ago I replaced the transmission mounts, and here is the picture of the mounts I replaced:
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So you can see, both the motor mounts and the transmission mounts were completely torn while I used my car as a daily driver. Very lucky for me.
The lesson learned is to check your transmission mounts and engine mounts now, and replace them if they look worn.
Eric Read