Thread: Do you think this is the motor mounts?

Car: '97 200sx SE-R, all the bolt-ons (I/H/E/C/ECU/Pulley/Exedy clutch) and suspension (Tein coilovers etc.)

Problem: I'm getting what I can only describe as a rapid popping noise, kind of like "taptaptaptaptaptap" from around and underneath the drivers side of the car, only when in neutral and coasting. It was enough to scare me into considering a tow, but I made it home. The chassis vibrates and it sounds kind of like when you're on a bad road that has lots of mini potholes. When I put the car back into 3rd or 4th gear or whatever after coasting, the sound goes away.

The mounts are stock, and have 182k on them. I have the ES poly mounts that have been sitting in my room since I got the car last spring but no places around here seem to have the right press to install them (neither do I).

The reason I suspect it may be the old mounts, and I may be completely wrong here (but I hope one of you would know) is because of how the sound stops when I put the car back into gear, perhaps when in gear the tranny moves up just a tad, in turn, boosting up the motor a bit? Then when I put it back into neutral, the tranny drops a little bit and in turn drops the motor and something is hitting something else that is moving. Is this possible?? I have no idea. I can coast in any gear, but as soon as I put it in neutral, the sound returns.

If I'm sitting in the driveway in neutral I can rev all I want, no noise at all, obviously because it's not moving.

Any idea guys? Thank you. Stumped.

Deff could be caused by the engine not sitting in its place properly. Look for any metal on metal contact in shift linkage.
I once head a loud bang coming from my trans mount on my B13. It was during acceleration I believe.

Try to get the mounts put in then go from there.

Go under and check the mounts. You can see the trans. mount and pass mount easily. The rear mount, not so much. Or free rev the engine while standing at the engine bay and see if that thing moves.

You don't need a press if you have a car. Use the cars weight to press the mount in by lowering the wheel onto the mount and it will pop into place. Just make sure you are clear in case it slips and chucks it out somewhere rather quickly.

Or you can just shave off one side of the lip and slide it in there.

How low is the car?
Could it be axle binding?

If the sound is only happening in neutral when coasting its probably either an axle issue or trans issue. Is it something you can feel through the body of the car. Look at the mounts, more than likely if they are original they are probably shot. The tapping doesnt make sense though. When in neutral coasting there is no load on the motor or trans. gears are turning but all in free spin. When in gear there is a torque applied to all those components.

Just have a look at the mounts, replace them and if the noise is still there then im gonna say its an axle or wheel bearing related issue.

Video of the sound coming in 1 minute. Just took it.

Did you look at your mounts yet? It is insanely easy to just look and see if they are cracked or dry rotted to all hell. Some crap phone video won't help us as much as you looking with your own eyes for the mounts to be worn.

It is crazy that you have so many problems with the car but a lot of them are basic things.

P.S. I am not trying to be mean, but trying to teach self-reliance!

Ok here's the video. I didn't know what to point the camera at so we just pointed it at the gauge cluster. You can see I was coasting in neutral at the speed indicated. Listed CLOSLEY, you can hear it, it sounds like "duhduhdudhduhduh.... duhdudhdudh" but its not just the sound, we can feel it.
Vid:

http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/Storm88000/media/weirdsound.mp4.html

I doubt it's the mounts. More than likely it's driveline. How many miles on the clutch, how is it driven, etc etc? When was the last time you did any work on it? Did you look at anything? Check your axles, check your wheels and hubs for play, check it all man.

I dunno what I am hearing but it surely is not normal. I tried listening a bunch of times but I don't hear anything definitive.