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I.L. Motorsports engine mounts / bushings

4K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  Doppelganger 
#1 ·
A little background information-
So after having a considerable amount of drive-line play because of the clutch shudder of my 6-puck sprung clutch, I decided that I needed to upgrade some parts. Back in January I got my car back from the body shop and noticed a lot of movement in the powertrain which I guess was caused by people carelessly moving my car around the shop with no regard to keep the clutch shudder to a minimum. I replaced the engine mounts within a week with what I thought were Mazdaspeed Miata mounts (remember, regular, Mazdaspeed and Mazdacomp are all different) because the MSM mounts are a bit stiffer and I think I remember the MazdaComps being hard to get. So I finally got aroudn to replacing my diff. mounts with the ES poly bushings. I still had some shudder that was causing an undesirable noise from the powertrain. So I decided to put new mounts in just so everything would be new and so I could do further repairs/upgrades if need be.

Thinking I had the MSM mounts, I decide to go stiffer, and becuase I am impatient and had time to work on the car over the weekend, I started lookign around locally for new parts. MazMart could get the MC mounts in within a couple of days, but R*Speed listed the I.L. Motorsport mounts as in-stock. So a quick call confirmed they were indeed ready to be purchased. I did some looking around on the web and noticed several questions about the IL mounts compared to the MC mounts with some saying they are the same, some saying they are copies, as well as some saying they are as stiff as MCs and others saying they're a bit softer. After work, I swung by and bs'ed with Hector and Joe for a bit, bought the mounts and went home. Saturday morning I got up, pulled the car in the garage and went to work. I pulled the pax. side mount out to discover I had actually used the MC mounts back in January :bang: . The mount that came out actually turned out to be in good condition and did not need replacing. Bus since I had them both there, I did a little side-by-side in-hand comparison and figure it would be worthwhile to post it up i nhere for others to find.

First off- I.L. Motorsport mounts ARE NOT re-labeled Mazdacomp parts. They are made in Germany and use the OE design. However, the construction is identical and seem to be made well. Nothing about the part looked any less "good" than a Mazda-branded part. So I'd say if you're looking to use these, go for it.

Second observation- They are noticeably softer than the MC mounts. While I lack the lab-grade equipment to scientifically test the materials, I do have two hands. I performed the "how much can I twist this part" test and noticed the IL units could be moved more/easier than the MC units. While not "soft" by any means, I could get more movement with the ILs compared to the 5-month old MCs. This is NOT a problem by any means, I'd probably guess they would be on-par with the stock Mazdaspeed Miata engine mounts. So once again, if you are looking to upgrade, but don't want the added NVH of the MCs, or simply cannot get them, I'd say go for the ILs. If you are not a track-rat or a boosted monster, then the ILs should be just fine for you. Unfortunately, I did NOT install them as I had no need to and will be returning them to R*Speed. I just wanted to give my observation and impression to other who may be considering them or looking for definite answers on the construction of these engine mounts.

TL ; DR-
I.L. Motorsport mounts seem to be a quality constructed piece. They are not re-boxed Mazda pieces. They are softer than MazdaComp mounts, but definitely stiffer than stock mounts. Would be a good upgrade for those looking for a stiffer mount but not wanting to go with something as stiff as the MazdaComp units. Would recommend.

 
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#5 ·
Did you check drivers side mount?

When I took both of the original mounts off, pass side is still in ok usable condition while drivers side is torn. If you rev your engine, the motor rotates CCW (if youre standing infront of the car). Pass side mount tends to compress and drivers will be in tension every time you're on the throttle. This repeated action will cause more wear and tear to drivers than pass side mount.
 
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