idosubaru

there is a guy who modified his 4EAT and built his own controller for it. he calls it a paddle shifter so he can adjust the shift points or shift manually. he can dial in power transfer and lock up the transfer clutches as well. some soob manual trans do have 50/50 split to the front and rear. off road, lock the diff. on road, don't lock it. what more do you want from the trans? just a steering sensitive transmission? you could probably use a steering sensor (or a generic sensor/switch) from an XT6 and modify the output to control the locking and unlocking of the center diff if you really wanted to. that would be much easier and cheaper than replacing gears in the transmission.

just installed my motor and i think the distributor is off (car barely idles, at best). i can find TDC no problem, but then where do i put the distributor (on an XT6)? i know it's supposed to point to cylinder #1, but since the distributor housing is movable, depending on where the housing is (the 10mm hold down bolts) there are a few places where the rotor will line up with the #1 on the cap.

you can always yank the trans with the motor, pull them both at the same time. makes things very easy. unbolting motor and trans, reinstallation is all very straightforward and easy access to everything that way. very nice for mating the motor trans during installation.

any wrx (except 2005) wheels will fit. the stock tire size should work fine.

sometimes with the brake caliper bolts, they are facing the opposite way and there's a tendency to turn the bolt the wrong way. i've never had one shear off on the many rusted and old subaru's i've come across, so i was wondering how it happened. if anyone else ever reads this thread definitely use the reverse drill bit. do not use an easy out or bolt extractor. they suck. they don't work very well and when they shear off (they are very strong but also very brittle and shear off very easily under power tool usage)....but they are very hard to get out once imbedded. just look at my fuel pump bolt.....i used an extractor on it years ago and it's still there. twice i've tried aggressively beating it out...just tried again this past week ironically enough.....it's still there.

does it feel like it's in gear and trying or just not doing anything? manual or automatic? automatic im guessing and FWD? if you violently yanked on the axles while removing maybe one or both of the stubs in the transmission (that the axles slide onto) came out of place? doubtful, but weird problems lend themselves to wierd situations.

if your car has a MAF (the hot wire type), then remove it and have a look at it. (it only takes a couple 10mm bolts to remove on the XT6, the XT can't be terrribly different). remove the sensor and hold it up to some good lighting. look very closely for the wires passing through the MAF sensor, they are very very fine wires, like looking for a thin hair. should be 4 or 6 of them, can't remember, doesn't matter you're looking for just one that is broken and shriveled up. a broken wire in the MAF will cause exactly the problems you are indicating. likely wouldn't be intermittent though, would probably be all the time. check your water temperatur sensor. it SHOULD show an engine code, but i have seen them cause problems (including no start) without showing any engine codes. the water temperature sensor can be a very annoying issue and installing a new sensor lasts only a few months because the contacts remain dirty and corroded. i did a permanent fix on my XT6 and have never dealt with it again. here's what i did: http://www.xt6.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7341#7341 if that doesn't work, then in these circumstances it is best to pop the hood with the engine running and methodically go through the TPS and MAF wiring harnesses. the sensor may be fine but a short in the harness will cause issues. start at the sensor and gradually bend the wires (nothing severe, just enough to move them around and show any internal defects). start at the sensor and work your way back as far as you can. i've found 2 defective wires this way (both on XT6's).

my friends dad looked at ME funny when i wouldn't fill my XT6 up with kerosene and run it for a few seconds. said he used to do it all the time!?!?!?? i think he was sniffing kerosene.

you need a new torque converter seal, a couple dollars and you're good to go. on a side note, the 4EAT in an XT6 (simliar to your trans) has a ring seal as well on the torque converter shaft that i replace when pullling the torque converter. not sure if yours has one of these ring seals but keep an eye out for it when you pull the TC.

i wouldnt do it, but a guy i worked with knew some people running the muffler turbo's in camaro's or firebirds. he said they worked okay. oil supply and ATF cooler in the trunk should supply it okay. same with coolant.

tell us exactly what gaskets and seals you have replaced. my first guess is the valve cover gaskets. here's more information to bore you. are you positive there is no sign of oil leaks up front - by the oil pump or crank seal? it can leak and drip on the ground, then blow back at high speeds. how do you know it's not leaking below 70 mph? it's possible that at lower speeds it's just dripping on the ground and not blowing back and on the exhaust. unless you're positive it's not leaking at idle, i'd wipe everything off really good underneath and let it idle for awhile, keeping an eye on the valve cover, cam and head mating surfaces. the valve cover gaskets are the easiest and cheap fixes so i'd at least check if not just replace them while you got the covers off. very common oil leak areas. these are very simple to replace, i particularly like to attach them with a wratcheting 10mm wrench they really shine in this job. a cracked gasket is a sure sign of failure, but they can leak without being cracked. don't over tigthen new gaskets. other possibilities for rear engine oil leaks are cam carrier gasket (a bead of sealant), the head gasket (the head gaskets can definitely leak without mixing with the coolant or any coolant loss), or the rear main seals.

replace your rear pads. just did this a month ago on my friends explorer. brakes squeaking while coasting through parking lot, went away when they applied brake. pads were worn, no more noises.

there are turbo kits available for it. but the idiots that design it (the one i'm referring to anyway, there could be others) still think the XT6 has 8:1 compression pistons after i told them multiple times they do not.

isolate the crack and possible wetness inside the lamp and see if it quits doing it. sometimes cracks will fry the bulb, sometimes not.

air suspension computer is under the drivers seat. unplugging it is an easy way to keep the light from coming on. plug it back in. there is also another connector to the right of the fuse box down by your left foot that is basically just an extension of the suspension computer. unplugging that will also negate the suspension light. plugging either of these two plugs in will give you back your light if they are unplugged. many times people don't remove all the gadgets - just the struts. everything else you need is in place, just install air struts. things you can check for: solenoids. there are two under the engine hood. one next to the top of each strut. two 10mm bolts hold it in place with obvious air fittings. do you have those in place under your hood? the rear solenoids are attached tot he struts so no worries there. the computer is under the drivers seat. check for that (under the carpet of course). remove the front drivers side tire and fender lining. the compressor and drier assembly is located under there. you can also check for it by looking down by the battery because some of the bolts pass through there, but tough if you don't know what you're looking for. best to just remove one wheel and the liner, it's very easy to do. air lines - i would think they left these in place, i've never seen anyone but myself remove them. this is just about everything. be sure to replace every o-ring in the system when you put it back together. good luck and have fun. there is a good bit of air suspension info at http://www.xt6.net if you like.

go to the library (or order one) and read a book about buying cars (they are typically short) written buy a former car salesmen. good information in their and it really puts into light the tricks they use. if the dealer shows you "their cost", "inventory" or whatever, it's likely a fabricated document that really doesn't mean anything, it's just a tool for them to use. they will never show actual accounting records for a particular vehicle. getting the manager, him showing you top secret papers is all part of the game. newer cars are much easier to negotiate with for various reasons. one being the price is more consistent. with used cars you never know what they paid for it so there is more flexibility in negotiaiting and may be harder to get them to come down depending on the market in the immediate area. dealers have larger profit margins on used cars than new.

i'd buy a fuel filter from http://www.thepartsbin.com and buy generic fuel hose and clamps at any autoparts store (actually i just did this and will be installing it next week). do not buy OEM hoses for anything unless you like OEM that much and want to spend lots of money for it. i bougth OEM PVC hoses and they were like 70 dollars for what could be about 5 dollars of hose at any autoparts store. i am not familiar with the sock in the fuel tank but wouldn't worry about it too much unless you have a known issue. the stock fuel pump has a sock on the intake side, but you're replacing the pump so that's not an issue. i'm not familiar with any other fuel filter other than the one in the engine bay.

i installed this fuel pump on my XT6: MSD part# for the fuel pump is: MSD-2225 at Summit Racing. http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=MSD%2D2225 kevin also has one on his XT6. straight forward to install, i'll post pictures later, it will fit in the existing bracket of the stock fuel pump. i'll post pictures and details on http://www.xt6.net when i get a chance to take pictures this week. there are likely cheaper models available of course. this was a nice aftermarket option that is very easy to install.

the filter should not cause this, just a recommended maintenance item while diagnosing the trans. a really bad filter could cause line pressure problems which can affect the trans, but would be unlikely to cause only the problems you're experiencing. that's why i said you can get away without doing it. a fellow moderator at http://www.xt6.net says replacing the transfer clutches is fairly straight forward and they can be purchased from subaru for about 1.50 each for the XT6 4EAT trans. (there are 6 or 8 of them). this can also be done without removing the trans.

replacement is a fine way to go if you're sure it's the trans. more details would help, trying to diagnose over the internet is hard enough without any details on a particular problem. 90,000 is not a normal interval to be having any trans problems. give as many details as possible - describe the noise, when it happens, how it started, all the time/some of the time, comes and goes, only during certain times, temperatures, at start up...etc. you get the point, describe it as best as possible what it sounds like and how it started. is it AWD? if so - all the tires should match in tread depth and the tire pressures should be close to the recommended values. if not the TCU won't function properly. have the fluid flushed in the trans. this can improve drivability. you change your engine oil what every 3,000 or 5,000 miles and some people go 100,000 miles or more and never change the trans fluid. it's not subjected to as much abuse but it also does alot - it's a hydraulic fluid, a coolant and a lubricant for your trans and can degrade. replacing the trans filter is a good idea, but not necessary. check with a transmission specialty shop, i know a guy having a soob trans rebuilt right now was quoted 1,500 - 2,000 and that was with some performance mods included. also - if they look at it they may find it's not something so drastic. another option - i'd look for a used unit. i've had a used trans in my XT6 for about 70,000 miles with no issues and see no reason to not expect lots more miles out of it. a local trans shop said they would install a trans for me (when i seperated my shoulder) for 150 - 200. i ended up doing it myself, but my point is that i'd rather install a used trans for 1,000 than spend 3000 on a new or rebuilt unit. whatever option you choose, have an aftermarket transmission cooler installed. they cost 29.00.

i went through without a cat and failed like a champ, over twice the limit. the CE light being on doesn't necessarily mean much, mine wasn't on when i had my converter off and i didn't pass. if the CE light is on, then you surely shouldn't bother trying to have it tested unless you know exactly why it's on and it's possible effects on the emissions. some states now won't even check your emissions if the CE light is on. like mentoined earlier, a good running subaru should pass with no problems. good spark and fuel and you should be fine. my 200,000 + XT6 passed just fine (after i installed a cat!). make sure the car/exhaust has been driven and nice and hot when you show up. the catalyst in the converter works best when hot.

check your tires. improperly matched sets will cause the TCU to inadvertently lock and unlock the transfer clutches at abnormal times. i've seen it happen. check the tire tread depth and the tire pressure. AUTOMATIC - if the tires are good then have the fluid flushed and the trans filter changed. you can probably get away without the filter change, but i recommend changing the filter personally. if you have an automatic trans - install an aftermarket transmission cooler, the best 30 or 40 dollars you can spend. the stock cooler in the side of the radiator is limited in capability and easily degrades as the radiator ages. hands down best 30 dollars you can spend if you want high mileage and few issues out of your trans. this becomes more and more important if you do any hard driving, towing, racing, live in hot areas, mountain driving, torque converter launches, etc. MANUAL - if the tires are fine then change the diff fluid and transmission gear oil. i'd also change the rear diff fluid as the fluid costs a couple dollars. if you end up needing transfer clutches for an automatic trans, buy a used set and have a place install them. look for a bad trans and buy the rear transfer housing and have it installed. or find a cheap trans yourself and buy the whole thing. i know two people that have installed transer housings/clutches in this way. both in north caronlina now that i think about it, strange coincidene. good luck

if it is indeed in FWD and a transmission issue then the cause of the problem will determine the severity of this issue. the plausibility of how many miles you can drive the FWD fuse in place is kind of off topic until we know more. it may relate, or may not. i personally think it's possible and an interesting discussion, but not ready for that yet. if you are lighting up the tires then it sounds like you might be driving around in normal mode where the 4EAT trans is putting only 10 percent power to the rear. when i floor my 4EAT trans one front tires slips for a second and then the TCU detects this and distributes more power to the rear and the slipping tires stop. i can imagine a situation where your tires slip but the TCU doesn't do anything....and this would be normal and not harmful to your transmission. it would be normal in that it's a normal driving charateristic for the trans (10 percent to the rear) but abnormal in that it doesn't change the power distribution due to slipping. the 4EAT is always in a 10 percent power distribution to the rear mode...and only changes that when it slips. so if you're always in that mode then you won't necessarily harm the trans. i can also imagine scenarios that are damaging to your transmission, depends in the nature of the problem. i'd say monitoring the TCU and Duty solenoid C is a good idea to see if they are doing what they should be doing. check continuity to that solenoid and start checking the circuit sounds like a good idea.

you won't save gas mileage inserting the fuse, nothing meaurable anyway because the internal AWD components of the trans add most of the drag associated with gas mileage degredation. how are your tires? do they all match fairly well? tread depth and pressure correct? improper tire matching can cause the AWD to act weird, though in my experience it causes the trans to lcok and unlock the transfer clutches at wierd times. so it doesn't sound like your problem, but still something simple to check. how much are your tires slipping? alot? typically they will chirp or spin out a little bit before the TCU detects slippage and varies the transfer clutches. if the tires get worse i imagine they could slip quicker and make more noise before the TCU kicks in and moderates the torque distribution to the rear. if they are lighting up the entire time you're on the gas pedal then you're definitely in FWD. if it's temporary but longer than it used to be i may suspect the tires.

i'll check. it's the wifes car so i don't know a ton about the interior. thanks.