22 replies to this topic

[mikeo65@hotmail.com]

the passenger side cv axle has popped out ou the trans. ok, replace the axle. right? Nope. new axle popped out as soon as i put it in gear. I decided to replace the circlip which holds it in. finished job again and pow. out it came again. I am not a mechanic. I do however kinda know what I am doing. or so I thought. i replaced the driverside last year and all is well. I tried to check and recheck to make sure it was seated in the groove. It did seat but would still pull out with a good tug. Any ideas subaru folks? Ever even heard of this happening? Thanks

 

 

[golucky66]

How are the engine/tranny mounts?

Year, model, engine, auto/manual trans would help everyone a lot.

[mikeo65@hotmail.com]

engine mounts are solid. its hard to see the trans mount. from what i can see it is good on both sides. 97 impreza outback 2.2L w autu trans. sorry i left that info out

[mikeo65@hotmail.com]

it comes out as soon as it is put in gear if that helps. 

[1 Lucky Texan]

details on car please and is it new to you?

 

does the car have a lift?

 

have you considered swapping in the axle from the other side?

 

how are the lower control arm bushings?

 

have you measured the compressed length of the axle? is it proper for your car?

[mikeo65@hotmail.com]

car was my sisters for 180k miles. I have put the last 45k on it. i have not measured the length. it matched up to the one i removed. the one i removed had also dislodged from trans. I am leaving town for the weekend and will properly inspect the trans mounts. no lift on car. its stock from beat up front to back. 97 impreza outback sport w 2.2L and auto trans. I did break 100mph about 400 miles ago. i was being an idiot but she had more to give. have not noticed any slippage or vibration. It came to me for free. It owes me nothing. I love that thing especially in the occasional NC snow. She will go the junk yard if it is the trans. The trans fluid did not smell burnt. visual inspection of male(axle) and female(trans) show no signs of any problem. Thanks for your thoughts. If this provides any other ideas as to the cause I would love to hear them. It is my "winter" car so I have months before I would be driving it more than a couple times a month. That is unless my Toyota minivan breaks down. 

[1 Lucky Texan]

i'm stumped - perhaps the front end damage has bent the frame?

 

seems 'unlikely' to be a trans problem - suspension or axle issue most likely

 

tie rods seem OK? no odd 'pulling' when driving or accelerating?

 

maybe someone can suggest a soob-experienced mechanic near your city.

[Fairtax4me]

On 97 you don't remove the inner stub from the trans. There's a roll pin in the cup that you knock out and the cup slides off the stub. Stub stays in the trans.

If the new axle has a built in spline on the trans end it's the wrong axle.

[mikeo65@hotmail.com]

actually yes, it pulls to the right when accelerating. I'm off to work but will check back this afternoon.  I worked for the best sub mechanic in town. He is actually the highest rated mechanic in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area. I dont think the frame is bent. My sister just cant park for S... and has bashed things in parking tots. It has never been in an accident over 20mph. The engine runs so well I hate to give up on her especially when most things I can fix for the cost of parts.

Thank You Texan

[1 Lucky Texan]

that's a big hint - you have a broken or severely damaged control arm or bushing mount or.....?

[sirtokesalot]

On 97 you don't remove the inner stub from the trans. There's a roll pin in the cup that you knock out and the cup slides off the stub. Stub stays in the trans.

If the new axle has a built in spline on the trans end it's the wrong axle.

 

 

 this. i had to knock that pin out and put it back in on both my 95 and my 98 when i was doing a trans swap.

[mikeo65@hotmail.com]

Thank you again Texan! I will let you know what I find. That sounds very promising. 

Thank you also EAT, Live, Breath: I knew you didn't have to remove the inner stub. If It had not been dislodged I may not have pulled stub. I don't have a lift so I likely would have pulled it rather than crawling under the car with a hammer and a punch.  It was not a choice. The ring on the end of stub is the only thing tasked with keeping it in trans. It looked fine but when it popped out the second time I decided to replace it. only a $2 part. I should have know $2 was not going to fix it. 

[brus brother]

https://youtu.be/yjM6rTVre-0?t=456

The above youtube link is for a 97 Legacy.

You didn't mention having to remove the pin sooooo...

Is it possible the axle is not the correct one for your car as Fairtax and others above have mentioned?

Does the other side look just like the one that is pulling out of the tranny as far as pins re concerned?

[mikeo65@hotmail.com]

Thanks for the continued thoughts. I compared the new axle to the one I removed and they were the same in all aspects as far as I could tell placing them side by side.  The old axle dislodged to initiate my repair.The old axle was on there at least 5 years. I, therefore, have dismissed the possibility that the axle is the problem. 

Thank You Master

[idosubaru]

Swap the stubby shafts (install each one on opposite side) and see if anything changes?

If it happens the moment it's out in gear Id want to watch or video tape it when it happens.

It seems to me he is aware that nominally the stub stays in the trans and the axle slides onto it and is held in Place with a pin.

He is saying the stud pulls out. He's. It saying he is pulling it out.

[mikeo65@hotmail.com]

Yes the stubby shaft is coming out on its own. Normally they need o be pried out gently. It should come out without a fight I think. I may swap stubbies next weekend if further inspection of control arm/bushings/trams mount yield no new information.

Thank You Elite Master

[GeneralDisorder]

Why don't you look in the trans and see what the condition of the snap ring groove and splines look like? If it's coming out then one of three things is occuring:

 

A: Axle is being pulled out by excessive axial forces pulling on the axle shaft. In your case, probably not. I have not seen this happen on a non lifted car and I think the suspension would have to be so jacked from a collision that it wouldn't drive. I've seen the wheels stuffed into the fender and not pull the axle out. 

 

B: Circlip on the stub is bad. Manifestly not if it's been replaced. Sometimes spreading them open helps though.

 

C: Groove in front diff pinion gear that holds the clip is damaged, allowing it to walk out. I have seen something along these lines. 

 

GD

[mikeo65@hotmail.com]

Thank you again Elite Master, The damaged groove makes the most sense to me. I will post any findings and results. If the problem is internal to the trans I suspect I will junk her and find another.

[mikeo65@hotmail.com]

I don't usually work on transmissions. I've always been scared. I also have a motto: "If it's so broken that I'm sending it to the junk yard, I can't break it any worse". How would I go about replacing whatever makes that groove? Can it be done with trans in car? Thanks 

[GeneralDisorder]

No you need the transmission out to take the front differential off. It's not terribly hard though. Some tall jack stands and a low profile transmission jack.

GD

[mikeo65@hotmail.com]

Thanks again. I think that this fits the standard for my motto. Thiss is when I am at my most dangerous.  I have joked for years that I have all the tools to take my cars apart. I just don'y know how to put them back together. YouTubehas a video i will watch again.   I will post updates as I have any news. 

[sirtokesalot]

get a box of zip lock bags and label everything as it comes apart. also get a good repair manual for the car.

 

this was the result of my first engine swap and everything found its way back in the car.

 

[mikeo65@hotmail.com]

I want to thank all of you for the help diagnosing the problem. My brother the retired engineer (at 53) offered to trade me a good running well maintained MG convertible complete with a hard top. I doubt this will be popular will subaru fanatics but I have to take it. after my brother fixes it he will get bored and give it back to me I bet. He has a couple subs, a couple Mercedes, a vw, and a toyota. You have been great. This will not be my last Subaru. They are the best awd cars by far. I may even have to buy a nice new one. lol