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High-mileage Loyale


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When I bought my old Soob a couple or three years ago,  It ran well in spite of having over 300k miles on ti, but it made a noise in the drivetrain I couldn't isolate and fix.  I replaced the front half shafts and wheel bearings, no change, the noise seemed to come from the rear end, but people in the back couldn't decide what it was, either.

The brakes were terrible, so I replaced the front calipers, disks and pads, but most of the problem seemed to be with weak rear drums.  Since the noise seemed to be in the rear end, I tried to pull one of the plugs to check for metal in the oil, or chunks instead of oil, but I couldn't get either plug loose even with breaker bar and 1/2 drive pneumatic wrench. I decided to convert the RE to disk brakes, bought the whole setup from a local junkyard.  Then I found that I couldn't remove the rear halfshafs, either side, after driving out the pins, pulling, banging, etc, no joy.  Went back to the junkyard and bought a "new" 3.90 diff, came home and dropped the driveshaft and removed the entire rear suspension and differential, and even out from under, couldn't get the splines loose.

Put the "new" diff and bolted up, installed the GL10 suspension and half shafts, bled the brakes and went for a ride.

Brakes totally cured, but the noise remained.  Now I've replaced the entire drivetrain but for the driveshaft and the engine/trans package.  Car came with brand new driveshaft when I bought it,engine been near perfect from the get-go, so noise (follows car speed, not RPM) must be from trannny.  Car now has 428 thousand miles on it, noise getting louder as it went along, last weekend the noise changed notes and got louder, I stopped along the road and checked the trans, metal specs in the oil...

Now I need a new tranny, and old Loyales are pretty thin on the ground hereabouts, so I have a question:  Is the Legacy 5-spd usable here?  I'm hoping I could remove the tailhouseing  and center diff, replace with Loyale pushbutton clutch..

 

Anybody know if this can be done?

 

TIA

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No. Engine bolt pattern is different. A 5spd from any 86-94 non-turbo with the same body style as yours will fit. Try and get a dual range 4x4, pull the shifter and boot with it and it's a bolt in upgrade to the pushbutton 4x4.

I should have known that, recently went through a discussion regarding EJ swap..

I do recall reading somewhere that the internal bits of the later trans could be swapped into the old Loyale box, will have to hunt for it.

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I should have known that, recently went through a discussion regarding EJ swap..

I do recall reading somewhere that the internal bits of the later trans could be swapped into the old Loyale box, will have to hunt for it.

 

You can swap the guts between single range cases EJ vs. EA......but you cannot swap transfer type........EA stays P/T and EJ stays AWD....

 

Additionally to use the EJ trans you'd need a shorter driveline, and a modified crossmember and shifter.

 

Pushbutton 4wd trans should not be hard to find.....almost all loyales came with them and you are on the west coast.

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No. Engine bolt pattern is different. A 5spd from any 86-94 non-turbo with the same body style as yours will fit. Try and get a dual range 4x4, pull the shifter and boot with it and it's a bolt in upgrade to the pushbutton 4x4.

Why would I do this, whats the advantage of having a transfer case insead of a button?

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You can swap the guts between single range cases EJ vs. EA......but you cannot swap transfer type........EA stays P/T and EJ stays AWD....

 

Additionally to use the EJ trans you'd need a shorter driveline, and a modified crossmember and shifter.

 

Pushbutton 4wd trans should not be hard to find.....almost all loyales came with them and you are on the west coast.

Guess I'm gonna need a transmission manual for this thing.

Nearest Loyale is 110 miles from here, but I think there is a GL not to far away..

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Why would I do this, whats the advantage of having a transfer case insead of a button?

It directly replaces what you have and it has reduction gear that gives you a lower gear below first for going slow. So no custom mods and no rebuilding transmissions, just bolt in the factory parts and go. It's the trans the GL nearer you probably has.

 

 

Capitol Imports in Sacramento has a loyale 4x4 trans for $250.

http://www.car-part.com

Look under "Subaru Other" for all the 80's models.

Chatfields in Sac has a dualrange 4x4 no listed price

Edited by WoodsWagon
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Been looking in P&P for xmissions at about $130..

 

I really don't need a lower first gear, to get where I go.  What I do need is an LSD for the rear, and, if possible for the front too, if not too expensive.  I have traction problems in snow and ice, last winter got high-centered in snow..

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What a guy... WoodsWagon.    Where else you gonna find some dude on the east coast tracking down parts for some stranger in CA?

Hey, I need some mudflaps for my '85 wagon... can you find me some???    just kidding... I got some on the parts car.  She just keeps on giving and giving.

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PNP is a great way to go. $130. for a trans and they'll give you $30 back on the core. If you go to their website they even keep an inventory online so you know which yards have the cars you may need. Just did a swap for my Impreza

 

Drop a single range or as mentioned - ideally a dual range in there and good to go. The trannies are super light compared to most.

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