eagleb

+1 Alpine Just need an adapter cable and your head unit is an ipod control unit. I have an older (2004) Alpine head unit and I needed an ipod interface to control the ipod through my head unit, but the new ones are plug and play. No interface needed. And it'll make your speakers sound amazing.

The binding/popping seems to have worked itself out I guess sitting for over a year didn't keep the trans in prime condition. All it needed was some spirited driving to wake up. There is still a shudder at ~1500 rpm, but that'll be figured out soon enough. Thanks again for all the help.

Wouldn't that problem be present more frequently? The issue feels like torque bind, with a popping sound, and goes away within a couple minutes of driving. What should I be checking for in the driveshaft ujoints and CVs? Tranny mount seemed like it was in good shape before the install. Thanks for the help.

On startup in the morning, the torque bind is accompanied by a popping type of sound. I've never heard this sound coming from my car before. It goes away once the car is warmed up, but I still don't like it.

It's not too bothersome, might just be a new 'quirk' that comes along with a new transmission. Since it's RPM related, I'm assuming something's just slightly out of balance, and it's not an internal trans problem. Will definitely watch it for the next few weeks to see if it gets better/worse.

Well, it shifts better! However, before I start harassing the mechanic again... There is a vibration/shudder when I accelerate slowly from 1k - 1.5k rpm (most noticeable at about 1.25k rpm). The car doesn't stumble, and I can accelerate through it without a problem. Most noticeable when slowly starting from a stoplight/sign. Any thoughts? Also, the car didn't bind at all on on the way home, but did bind a bit this morning. However, the car, and weather, were quite cold, so I won't dwell on it.

Well, I'll be going to get my car shortly. The binding didn't cure itself, so the rear extension housings were swapped, and binding is gone. boo-ya. I'm excited to try out my 'new' transmission

It seems as though the clutch pack is the culprit. No at temp light, and the rear diffs match. It could just be a matter of re-breaking in the clutch pack, or swapping rear extension housings with the original trans which was in good enough shape. They said the trans was shifting well, so that's good news. A couple transmissions they had installed previously that were sitting in a yard for some time just needed to be driven 100 miles or so to get the clutch pack back in working order. My fingers are crossed. Thanks again for the help, I'll know tomorrow whether or not I'm going to need to have the rear extension housings swapped.

I'll try to get some more input from the shop before they close this evening. I definitely will not give up on bloobaru. He's finally got leathers, a sweet sound system, and new HGs. After the trans issue is figured out, I'll have an almost brand new car (to me). Thanks for the quick replies, I'll report back asap.

Greetings, Currently, my 96 OBW AT with 122k miles is in the shop. I had them replace my AT with a 98OBW AT with ~70k as my trans had a leak between the front diff and trans, and was having some shifting issues. I am unsure of the vehicle history, the donor car had been sitting uncovered without an engine or front body panels/hood for about a year. Person with the car bought it from the owner who had crashed it in a ditch. Supposedly the front end damage would have been easily repaired, but the owner wanted the 2.5 for his sandrail project. The instrument cluster had been sold on ebay before I got to the car, so I'm trusting that the seller is telling the truth about mileage. Torque converter and driveline were still attached to the trans. Next time I talk to my mechanic, I'll ask if the at temp light is flashing and if they've put a fuse in the fwd holder. Final drive ratios are the same for the 96 and 98 OBWs I took a risk with this trans, as I was unsure of its history. but for $150, I couldn't pass it up. The Problem- Mechanic says the transmission is binding up real bad, evidently it seems worse than just the clutch packs to him (experienced soob mechanic and USMBer). I'm hoping my risk doesn't end up being a money pit. I seem to have bad luck in the drivetrain arena. Any suggestions?

New thread will be started (transmission swap problems). Thanks for the help.

I thought the ratios were the same. Thanks for confirming. If the problem isn't the rear diff (was working fine with the original trans), then what would be causing such serious binding? Clutch packs? Duty C? Could an improperly seated TC cause such binding? Hopefully it'll get figured out soon. I miss my car.

What type of symptoms would be present (post re-assembly) if the torque converter isn't fully seated?

Are the 96 OBW 2.5L AT and 98 OBW AT rear differentials the same gear ratio? Evidently the binding seems to be worse than just the clutch packs. What could the other causes be? Car is still at the mechanic, so I'm not sure of the specifics. Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you.

Well the transmission is in, but the mechanic says it's binding up. Hopefully it's something easy, might have to swap rear extension housings. So much for getting my car back today.

I'm holding on the my 96 obw for as log as I can, just to have a shot at making the turbo diesel subaru my next car

They did a pretty good job of hiding the connectors at the factory from what I've seen. Check between the carpet and the driveline hump under the center console (just in front of the armrest) It could be buried down in there

My dad and I pulled the transmission on Saturday. Luckily the rain held off while we were working on the thing. I'm taking the car in for the swap tonight. I'll update this thread after the swap to let everyone know how well the 98 transmission works in the 96 outback.

Thank you John. That is what I was hoping to hear. Looks like I'll have a new-to-me trans after next week

Since I think the transmission compatibility thread is no longer in service... Does the 98 4eat have an external VSS with a single wire coming off of it? I need to be sure all the wiring for the 96 will match the 98 trans. Was the phase II 4eat introduced any earlier than the MY99 Outbacks? Hopefully it wasn't introduced in late MY98.

96 OBW. I won't buy a TCU yet, I just remember from the other post (transmission compatibility) that it might need the matching TCU. There are a few 98 TCU's at a Portland wrecker, so worst case scenario is I pick one up after the install if there's a problem. I'm stoked I found this trans for $150. Almost impossible to find a 70k trans for under $500. The only downside is I don't know the vehicle history. Here's to hoping it all works out

Question answered. VIN is that of a 98. Guess I'll have to find a TCU on car-part.com.

My HG went out at 113k. Nothing in the overflow bottle, just a temperamental temp gage and bubbles in the coolant. It was actually barely noticeable, but I took it in to be sure. Hydrocarbons were detected in the coolant, so I had new HGs installed. If your car has low enough miles, a new head gasket will *most likely* provide you with a solid engine for years and miles to come. If your car is on the higher mileage side, an engine swap may be the best preventative maintenance. How many miles on the car?

The mileage of the car would be a major factor in your determination to fix or replace the engine.

http://www.cars101.com/outback_archive98-99.html Dual Sunroof Outback Limited available starting in 1998. An option on the OB Limited for 98 and 99. VIN of car: 4s3bg685xw7657833 Trans #: tz102z2dba