I need a little push

[bgambino]

Have to change my 98 outback wagon auto. tranny

I would rather not pay a guy at work $200 to do it but I am apprehensive about tackling it from under the car.....

 

Any who have done this from underneath without a lift....it would be nice to hear from you

 

Disconnect bolts to engine...remove starter

Remove 4 bolts from drive/flex plate

unbolt the pitching stopper rod

Unplug wiring harnesses

remove trans coolant hoses

Remove exhaust

disconnect drive shaft

Is disconnecting the linkages pretty straightforward?

Drive the CV pins out

 

I only have a regular heavy duty floor jack (no transmission jack (not even sure what one looks like)---so what about this?

 

I assume you unbolt the cross member brace that is holding up the tranny when ready to move it out?

 

??Now...when moving tranny out and down...will the CV stubs slip right off the splined shaft?(dont' need to pivot the wheel out?)

 

Another thing----I have ramps...will that bring the car high enough....should I jack up the rear so that the car is level? Seems like this would make the installion/mating a lot easier than if on an angle.

 

what am I missing?

 

thanks guys...!

[gbianchi]

sounds good as written, you can save your 200. level the car as you'll need the room, ramps get it close to high enough, jack stands are your friends, regular jack is good enough, sizzor jack comes in handy for leveling purposes, racheting tydowns are also helpfull, be sure to support the engine as it will tip forward after the tranny is disconnected The axles should slide off without much trouble. Take it slow and BE careful they are heavy, I believe you can do this after rereading your post, good luck..............G

[idosubaru]

if i had someone willing to do a trans swap for $200 i'd gladly pay it. what's his number!?

 

doing a trans swap is annoying, doing it from under the car is a pain. i've done it. you can have the trans out really quick though, it's really not much to it if you don't run into any problems (rusty bolt). getting it back in is the more annoying part. it *could* be far quicker doing it from under the car minus the complications of working on your back, limited space, limited equipment (jack with straps), etc. it's far simpler, just awkward as all get out.

 

you *can* remove the CV shafts withough pivoting the wheels, but i don't recommend it, particularly for a first time experience. it's tight and not always as simple as it sounds. but yes it's possible.

 

if you're still bent to do it, then yeah that all looks about right. you'll probably need another jack to be able to push/move the engine to get an angle for the trans to come out/go in properly. you'll need to fab up a way to strap the trans to your jack - variations of wood/plates/ratchet straps will work.

 

get some goggles, the dirt and rust flakes in your eyes is really fun.

 

good time to reseal the rear engine separator plate if it hasn't been done before.

 

torque converter seal, rear extension housing seal are the two possible trans related items to consider while it's out. those the rear one is replaceable with the trans in the car.