I paid somebody a lot of money for a passenger side engine bracket with an OE VW mount pressed in so I can swap it in my 81 caddy. The guy who did it didn't want to share much on how he did it and I understand since that is his business. Being a DIY type I took the bracket with the trashed mount (from the caddy) and made some tools to get the old mount off.
I took a hack saw and cut the mount as far as I can go w/o cutting into the bracket. With a hammer and screwdriver, lifted the corners of the cut then with a screwdriver sharpened to a chisel point, drove it in with the hammer, which split and lift the edge of the cut. With forces relieved between mount and bracket, I hammered on the center of the mount and it came out after 15 or so wacks. It was a piece of cake! Some pics below.
Now comes the next part, pressing in a new mount (which I won't need for many years) but I'd still like to do it for the experience. I have an after market mount already so why not? I can always sell the bracket and mount when I'm done. I have some ideas on how to get the new mount in but would like to hear how you do it. What did you use for a mandrel to hammer or press the new mount in? Do you add grease to help it in?
I've never done one of those but that looks way too big to hammer in. I would press it in after heating the bracket in an oven and freezing the insert. I would stay away from grease.
Clean out the mount with some sand paper real quick, grind down one side of the mount a little bit to help it start in easier, put oil or grease on everything and then use boards and a vice to press it in, the toughest part is getting it started in straight
I take this to a shop that has one of those big metal pieces with a slot down the middle.
The thin part of the bracket goes through the slot.
I made an offset doughnut out of a piece of 3/8" steel as a relief for the metal bolt bushing.
Set the round bracket on top of the doughnut and press the bushing all the way until it sits on the doughnut and stops.
probably don't need to mention not pressing the center.
BFH and an old bearing race, or some hard wood.
I think a press is the preferred method (if available) but I also think that hammering it in will do a equally good job if done carefully, i.e. insuring it is tapped in straight. Since I do not have a press, hammer is what I'll use.