355 Engine and gearbox mount deflection

That sounds like too much deflection to me but it probably depends on how much force you are putting into them while deflecting them. I just replaced mine and the rubber looked fine in the old ones until I took a good look at the lower buffer washer that is bolted directly under the mount. There should be only the slightest gap between that washer and the body of the mount. As the mounts sag that gap widens and when I removed the mount center bolt and washer the sag was very obvious when looking at the base of the mount. With the bolt and buffer washer removed the center tube of the mount where the bolt goes through should be level with the bottom of the mount body and both of mine were significantly sagged down and I could see cracks in the rubber around the tube that were not visible from on top of the mounts. The exhaust heat just kills the rubber in these mounts so they have a very short life span. Hope this helps you.

Dan

 

As an aside, once I replaced all of the mounts, my car felt and drove much smoother and it shifted much easier and more precisely. I also noticed the exhaust tips were much better centered in the bumper exits. Replacing the mounts on my car transformed the whole driving experience more than anything else I've repaired on it.