CNY_Dave

The nuts on my stock AL wheels never needed to be retorqued... until they needed to be. Weird. I would swap 'em on or do brakes and check 'em, always tight, until swapping out my snows a week ago.

Maybe the guy forgot to connect the solenoids before bolting on the pan?

I have an electric impact, used it to remove this SOB of a bolt on our '05 forester. I used lots of real freeing oil (kroil, pb blaster is good, there are some others but WD40 is useless, ATF in a pinch, ATF + acetone is amazing), and I turned the nbolt by hand until the impact would move it a little, then I just left the impact on it and spun, spun, spun (outwards, of course). If it is spinning, make sure to clean the exposed part so when it starts to come out it doesn't just jam on the thicker rusted part. When steel rusts it gets bigger (the outer rusted layer).

4EAT no VTD: If the engine is not running there is no hydraulic pressure to press the AWD clutch plates together. Towing with just 2 on the ground does not cause damage because the AWD is engaged, the AWD is as disengaged with the engine off as it can/will ever be. The damage results because the plates are rubbing together (not pressed together but still touching) with no fluid flow to lubricate or cool the rubbing surfaces. The plates overheat, the friction material degrades, bad and expensive things happen. If you HAD TO tow with two on the ground you'd do it with the fuse in and the engine running. If you can do that though you probably don't need a tow, though.

So where did this trans come from- a dealer?

The problem would be much smaller in scope were it only the Transfer duty solenoid mismatch (referenced in the other thread). I believe the front speed sensor, not the rear, supplies the signal to the speedo and TCU for controlling the shifting, etc. If it shifts it's not in limp mode, I think. Limp mode is what you get when you disconnect the connectors and it goes into 2nd (or 3rd?). Have you tried disconnecting the battery to reset the TCU and going from there? I don't think it would drive as well as you say if those codes were genuine.

Don't know if it'll swap into a 98 (parts or whole trans) but the Gen 2 H6 4EATs have more clutch plates for at least one of the stages.

Who replaced the one that is noisy again after a few thousand miles? Either the hub was badly damaged and re-used, or the knuckle is shot, or it was done wrong (axle nut tightened with the wheel on the ground? Nut not tightened enough, or it loosened?) Are you sure it is the same one? I would be ready with a new hub in case it is needed. I have done fronts and backs, the front one never got hot or loose, just made noise for thousands of miles. The rear got a bit loose after driving on it for a long time, I was wearing ear plugs for a while it was so loud. You don;t want to drive on a loose one...

The outbacks had a minor change in 2004 where to put a trans from '04 into an '03 car (or vice versa) you need to switch over the transfer duty solenoid and AWD valve. Not sure when they made this change in Foresters.

I thought the H6 itself didn't weigh that much more? That is, the H6 cars usually had all the premium 'crap' that weighed things down.

So how the heck did those that swapped across the two types do it? Maybe there's more than one type of 2.5 auto driveshaft out there? What were the two measurements?

If it will take an '03 outback trans then it should also take an '04, but it would need to have the AWD solenoid and valve swapped over (assuming the H4 outbacks received that change same time as the H6 outbacks)

I hear a faulty PCV valve can even cause it...

Looks like it uses the 'outer' joint style for the inner and outer joints, cool.

Forester electronics changed in '03? I know on legacys and outbacks in 04 some things changed, but the only diff in the trans itself is they changed the operation of the AWD solenoid and valve (and you can swap over the parts). I've been trying to get info on when the foresters made that change, and other models.

It is almost never the sensor with that code. Double-check for vacuum leaks and exhaust leaks.

I have a 4EAT on the bench due to front diff noise. I've never set up a diff, the 4EAT seems like a tough 1st try, so I stuck in a used trans. I've only pirated one bolt off the benched trans so far...

When my flange degraded so much even a split-flange repair wouldn't work anymore I just ran springs attached to somewhere on the pipe pulling the pipe forwards and up a bit.

Especially not the upper aluminum pan to block seal...

Do you set the stack height (change the shim washers) to match the SVX specs or the legacy/ob spec, or has it worked out well just swapping and not setting it?

I second making sure you know exactly where the leak is. My lower pan leaked- it rusted through!

If you do want to 'disable' ABS and worry about the insurance co- put in a blown fuse! Mwu-ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!

What part of NY? I'm here all day, every day, doing the job-search thing and could use a diversion...

If you have a bunch of collars, spacers, big sockets, etc you can press it. I had no special tools other than the press, and an awareness that for the new bearing you have to avoid pressing such that any force is transferred through the bearing- all force to the outer shell itself.

Excellent tires and it still happens to me- I have rehearsed turning the key off. On slush it's like throwing out an anchor!