Engine Mounts 1991 Corolla Wagon - Pre-1997 Toyota Corolla and Geo Prizm

Guest DXWagonry

hey everyone, first off i am brand new to corolla'a and corolla land forum and this is awesome! I have some experience working on smaller engines growing up and i just got my first car in NYC. Its a 1991 Corolla wagon with 185,000 miles, it has a 16v EFI in it. For being a +20 yr. old car I am in love with it, perfect balance of cabin space, compact size, fuel economy, and relatively affordable parts and service for a broke-###### like myself. And it looks awesome!

The only area of concern I have had, since i bought it 2 weeks ago, is a slight vibration from the engine when I'm in Drive at a COMPLETE STOP. Other than that, I'm getting no noise or vibration at any RPM moving or idling in Park or Neutral. My bosses mechanic took a look and he pointed out that the front motor mount(just behind the radiator) was visibly shot. He demonstrated this by having his guy put the car in drive while the hood was up. It was clearly visible that the engine was moving front to back when put into gear. I am under the impression that the light strain on the engine while its in gear at a stop is slightly lowering the idle RPM and causing the vibration I am feeling.(thoughts?)

In any case i want to replace the front-center and possibly the rear-center mount. The mechanic said "you gotta get original Toyota mounts, any of that cheap stuff won't line up or could cause more issues in the future". I understand that aftermarket can be crap but at the same time cheaper parts can sometimes do the job of "premium" or original parts just fine. The crux here is that the original toyota mounts are about $103 a piece, I have found Aftermarket/OEM/OES that range from $35-60 a piece. Thats $206 vs $60-$90(remember broke-######). I would love to hear some opinions or experiences or suggestions in regards to using aftermarket/OEM verses original/Genuine Toyota parts.

In summary:

-Original Parts vs. OEM/OES/Aftermarket?

-Is it worth the money with a car as well-seasoned as mine?

-Does anyone know anything more about my make and model corolla? Its seems a little obscure when compared to a majority of corolla models of that era.

1991 Corolla DX Wagon, manufactured in Japan, w/4A-FE engine

Thanks Guys!

Dan

There are a handful of retailers out there that sell OEM parts at discounted prices. One that gets good reviews here is www.1sttoyotaparts.com. Might also try Rock Auto - www.rockauto.com - good prices there on aftermarket and some that are close to OEM like BECK/ARNLEY.

Unfortunately, sometimes they don't always get the right material in there for aftermarket - so there is some truth to what that mechanic said about OEM parts being the best. That said - you've pretty much hit it on the head - on a 20+ year old car, you have other things to worry about than what mounts to put in there. You don't have to spend big bucks to get good quality parts - just shop around, you should be able to find OEM ones for around $60 or so - BECK/ARNLEY ones can go from $30 to $60, depending on transaxle type and vehicle manufacturing origin.

As for info on your make and model - you have pretty much all the info posted on your topic.

1991 Corolla Wagon - 6th generation Corolla platform, DX wagon chassis code is AE94, most are FWD those some are AWD

4AFE - 1.6L DOHC inline-4 engine, A-series block (iron block), F-series narrow angle valve head (16V, aluminum head), E=EFI - power rated at 102HP and 101ft.lb

Sounds like you have an automatic transaxle - if it is a 3-speed auto, be A131L transaxle code, if it is a FWD 4-speed (has an over drive button), be A240E transaxle code, AWD uses A241H tranaxle code

In any case - congrats on your purchase. Stay on top of the maintenance, and there should be plenty of life left in the car.

You also might be able to find mounts in junkyard although 1991 is pretty old. Check car-part.com.

Guest DXWagonry

I appreciate the advice guys, this is a great resource for owners. I'll keep you all posted with how it goes.