stabilising link

[alfred]

I've been trying to chase down an annoying squeak for the last year. At first I thought the front U joint might be the the issue, then the front exhaust manifold ring seal. Both have been addressed and still no relief . The noise only starts after 15-20 minutes of driving, so yesterday I drove around until the noise started, drove home and employed the sharp ears of my S.O. I rocked the car by stepping on the door sill and it seems to be close or at the rear stabilising link at the back of the engine in front of the firewall. Can it be easily removed for lubrication or do I need to support the rear of the engine first? Anything else back there that could be sounding like a bag of mice?
The car is up for sale so I am trying to get this resolved before test drives begin.

Thanks

[christopher storey]

The stabilising bar should carry no load whatsoever, so you can safely remove it for lubrication purposes ( not that any lubrication is usually required ) . It should then be carefully reassembled, ensuring that the lower threaded flange is screwed up to meet the welded part first, and only then is the top threaded flange screwed down to meet the top of the welded part. By this means you ensure that no part of the engine/gearbox weight is being carried by the part welded to the bulkhead

[politeperson]

Have a look at the large seal between the barrel air filter and the inlet plenum chamber.

When the engine rocks from side to side, those components can squeak if misaligned.