SFvalleyGTi1
Go Kart Champion
It's been weeks since I've posted a review but be sure that I've done mods over the past few weeks... Just haven't had time to post pictures or reviews.
Quality
A few days ago I bought a BFI stage 1 (yellow) transmission mount. Material was similar to the BFI torq mount insert minus the oil. The BFI mount was some what soft, you're able to press it in a mm or two before it stiffens up. The mount had some bubbles on its exterior, some what made me wonder if there was a larger bubble inside that could cause a catastrophic failure. Time will tell?
Install
First night after receiving the mount I attempted to install it but ended in failure. It took me about 5 minutes to remove the intake, battery and access the factory mount. I ran into trouble when trying to loosen the bolts holding the transmission. Advice for anyone that plans to install these, get yourself a long wrench and a long extension. I tried breaking the bolt loose with my trusty 6" wrench but it wouldnt move. I tried sliding a pipe over the wrench for leverage but still nothing. I went looking for an electric impact wrench but they were $170. So I ended up putting everything back on and next morning going to my buddies shop. I asked for an impact wrench and was hit with questions... Buddy hands me his 24" wrench and says this should do it... I explained to him I tried something similar wrench & pipe but didnt help. Anyhow I was convinced to try it and with little force the bolt came loose!
Unlike the MKV tranmission mounts, we do not have rivets to drill out. I forgot to take pictures of it, but theres 4 small tabs that bend over on each corner to hold the top portion of the mount to the bottom. I just bent them back and was able to separate the two portions. I dropped in the BFI mount and bolted everything back up and torqued things down.
Performance
After driving the car for about 50 miles, I can say the BFI mount helps. Shifts are more stable and precise. The car seems to pull much harder in 2nd gear but that might be a placebo effect. Driving the car in 1st gear you'll hear the transmission a lot. It reminds me of some race cars, it has a little whine to it. In second gear those sounds are almost gone but you can hear them. The difference between the sound in 1st gear vs 2nd gear is when the sound occurs. The sound in 1st gear is produced pretty much all the time. In 2nd gear the sound is there at low RPM's but mostly when you're cruising to a stop while in gear or RPM's dropping around 2000-2300 rpm.
Final Thoughts
I'm happy with the purchase and even more happy I did not get the stage 2 transmission mount. I think Stage 2 mount would've been too loud for my taste. Where as the BFI Stage 1 torq insert seemed like I could've gone Stage 2 on without sacrificing too much.
The factory mount is super soft, and if dropped it will litterally bounce like a ball. Where as the BFI mount will hit the ground and bounce up 3 inches, the oem mount bounced up 3 feet!
Here are some pictures comparing the OEM mount to the BFI mount. Surface was pretty flat...
Quality
A few days ago I bought a BFI stage 1 (yellow) transmission mount. Material was similar to the BFI torq mount insert minus the oil. The BFI mount was some what soft, you're able to press it in a mm or two before it stiffens up. The mount had some bubbles on its exterior, some what made me wonder if there was a larger bubble inside that could cause a catastrophic failure. Time will tell?
Install
First night after receiving the mount I attempted to install it but ended in failure. It took me about 5 minutes to remove the intake, battery and access the factory mount. I ran into trouble when trying to loosen the bolts holding the transmission. Advice for anyone that plans to install these, get yourself a long wrench and a long extension. I tried breaking the bolt loose with my trusty 6" wrench but it wouldnt move. I tried sliding a pipe over the wrench for leverage but still nothing. I went looking for an electric impact wrench but they were $170. So I ended up putting everything back on and next morning going to my buddies shop. I asked for an impact wrench and was hit with questions... Buddy hands me his 24" wrench and says this should do it... I explained to him I tried something similar wrench & pipe but didnt help. Anyhow I was convinced to try it and with little force the bolt came loose!
Unlike the MKV tranmission mounts, we do not have rivets to drill out. I forgot to take pictures of it, but theres 4 small tabs that bend over on each corner to hold the top portion of the mount to the bottom. I just bent them back and was able to separate the two portions. I dropped in the BFI mount and bolted everything back up and torqued things down.
Performance
After driving the car for about 50 miles, I can say the BFI mount helps. Shifts are more stable and precise. The car seems to pull much harder in 2nd gear but that might be a placebo effect. Driving the car in 1st gear you'll hear the transmission a lot. It reminds me of some race cars, it has a little whine to it. In second gear those sounds are almost gone but you can hear them. The difference between the sound in 1st gear vs 2nd gear is when the sound occurs. The sound in 1st gear is produced pretty much all the time. In 2nd gear the sound is there at low RPM's but mostly when you're cruising to a stop while in gear or RPM's dropping around 2000-2300 rpm.
Final Thoughts
I'm happy with the purchase and even more happy I did not get the stage 2 transmission mount. I think Stage 2 mount would've been too loud for my taste. Where as the BFI Stage 1 torq insert seemed like I could've gone Stage 2 on without sacrificing too much.
The factory mount is super soft, and if dropped it will litterally bounce like a ball. Where as the BFI mount will hit the ground and bounce up 3 inches, the oem mount bounced up 3 feet!
Here are some pictures comparing the OEM mount to the BFI mount. Surface was pretty flat...
