Not my first time doing motor mounts, but my first time doing them on a Dakota and my first time running into this problem.

Has this happened to you? Am I missing something obvious?

Installing new, genuine china mounts in my Dakota, Had to work them a little to get them to fit down into the frame part of the mount.

Doing one side at a time, the passenger side dropped in, easy, peasy. Done in 20 minutes.

Drivers side, is off w-a-y off, The bolt holes are off by at least a half inch.

The engine is being supported by a jack under the oil pan.

I have tried:

Removing the passenger side and installing the drivers side first, no difference.

Swapping mounts side to side, no difference.

Re-install the original. That doesn't fit either now.

With the original now not fitting either, I loosened the trans mount too to try and gain some movement to no avail.

I've tried pushing, pulling, using cuss words I haven't used in years, nothing is making a difference.

Even went so far as to measure different points on the frame to see if maybe something was bent, but it all looks good.

I'm packing it in for the night, gonna look at it with fresh eyes tomorrow, but in the meantime, any suggestions?

And just to clarify, but saying the original doesn't fit, this is what I mean:

When I first removed it, it looked like this..........



But when I tried to re-install it, it fits like this...........

Looks like the drive train shifted, bet the trans mount is FUBAR too.

No doubt I missed when it shifted, but for being that far off, I would think other things would be out of line too, like the shift linkage, but it looks fine.

Well, it's in.

Funny thing is, I'm not sure what I did differently from yesterday.

Dang, I'm beat.

If I ever get the stupid idea to change them out again, ya'll have my permission to shoot me or even just a 2X4 upside the head.

Oy................