OK, I have always had Soob's for many years (since I bought an '87 turbo sedan back in '90, then had several other carbed sedans and wagons that were all 4 or 5 speeds) - but they were alway's 80's Soobs. Now I have a 97 Outback - and this is a whole different beast - the clutch is SO different and it's so different to drive. When I am accelerating, if I shift before 3000 RPM, it will shudder as I accelerate after the shift until it gets above 2000 RPM. Now it doesn't feel like a lugging feeling like I have felt in the 80's Soob's, but maybe it is? Because it smooths out with higher RPM. And, if I shift at around 3500-4000 RPM, it doesn't do it in the next gear as I'm accelerating. So, is this a NORMAL occurance - that they LIKE to be rev'd higher? Sometimes I"m in traffic and it's just better to shift at a lower RPM, but it just doesn't like it when I do that! No CEL on, so I am assuming at this point it's normal and I'll just have to get used to it? It doesn't feel like the clutch is slipping either, but I suppose it could be the clutch.... it has 129K miles on it and I 'stole' it for $3K

 

Karin

I have the same car. I don't think it shudders, but I generally shift it in normal conditions (flat dry roads) at around 3500 to 4000. It seems like that's where it likes to run. Sometimes I shift at 3000 maybe, but running anything under 2000, or 2200 feels like it is lugging to me. On long climbs the car feels very good at 4000 to 4500. On a fast acceleration onto a freeway I will often go to 4500 or 5000. Horizontally opposed engines do like to spin.

 

My mother used to have a 96 (I think, maybe older) sedan with a 2.2 and an automatic. Left to itself, it would always keep the car around 2000 rpm or a little higher. it made it feel like a complete dog. I would just shift in manually, then it would run uphill like any other Subaru I had ever driven. This is all just my $.02.

well, sounds like maybe it's just the nature of the beast liking the higher revs

Check the rear tranny mount. This can be the source of low end rpm shudder.

 

 

nipper

Yeah, again, mine does not shudder. Maybe chug and spit and tell me not to lug it, but not shudder. Do what Nipper said.

OK, I will check that, thanks!

Sounds like clutch chatter. Bad pressure plate or flywheel distorted from heat.

Either the flywheel needs resurfaced or and/or a new clutch. I always do both at the same time.

no, it's not the clutch - and after thinking about it, I used the wrong wording. It's not really a shudder, but a lurching/surging. It's much less pronounced after it warms up, but you still have to shift above 3500 if you want to completely eliminate it.

lurching like no power lurching....like when you first learn to drive a stick? It could be a bad fuel injector that doesn't have a good spray patten at low rmp.

lurching like no power lurching....like when you first learn to drive a stick? It could be a bad fuel injector that doesn't have a good spray patten at low rmp.

 

yes, like when you first learn to drive a clutch, LOL. It doesn't do it when it's warmed up though nearly as much - mostly when it's cold. I hate to rev a car when it's cold though, I like to drive real easy on them until they are fully warmed up..........

I would go after the fuel injectors then ignition (wires, plugs, coil pack) My 95 legacy wagon did this and it was the wires my 96 wagon did it and it was a bad injector. they are easy to get to and switch... watch out for the gas its at high pressure. Take a the top fuel line off and put a rag over it to keep the spray out of your face..

Sounds like clutch chatter.

I'll second that.

Any idea how many miles are on the clutch?

OK, after driving it for a while more, I am thinking maybe it is clutch chatter afterall. I just don't know! It does it on deceleration too though? Will clutch chatter happen when you decelerate? If it's clutch chatter, what all will need replaced? Clutch is probably original with 130K miles.

 

I just remembered that it's idling a bit high when warmed up too - around 1200 RPMs

Edited October 12, 200916 yr by bkvail

well, I had my brother drive the car (he is a Nissan master mechanic) and he suggested plugs and wires first, then coil if that didn't work. The plugs were a PIA!!!! I never want to do those again! The shop that did them last, well, they were ''supposedly'' done about 8K miles ago - but they sure didn't look like they were! They were BOSCH too So, we installed NGK premiums and new wires (the other wires were awesome wires, but they were TOO hard to take off the plugs and 2 were destroyed taking them off). So, I think it's fixed now, did a short test drive and didn't seem to do any surging!