Hi all.

Been away a while because I wasn't driving a Subaru, but I picked up a 97 Outback recently so Im back.

Here's my dilema... while replacing the shift cable I managed to bend a part inside the auto transmission, it is the part that engages the manual valve in the valvebody and also attaches to the park pawl rod. I removed the tranny pan to inspect and repair and I discovered a spring clip in the bottom of the pan. I believe the clip likely fell of at the same time as I bent the other part because the clip is steel and if the vehicle had been driven with the clip in the pan it would have likely found it's way to the magnet but it hadn't. So, can anyone identify this clip and tell me where it goes?

I'm not sure what that is, but hopefully someone else can help you out.

Well if nothing else, at least I got bumped back to the top of the forum!

Im going to drop by the dealer with the part to see if any of their techs can offer some guidance.

Thanks.

Since you know exactly where the part came from and I dont, give me your email and I will send you the FSM for the tranny from a 1998 and then you can find it.

 

nipper

it may be a guide for the wire looms that loom inside the transmission near the valve body.

Many thanks to nipper for taking the time to email me the FSM transmission pages. I was able to determine that I am missing a part that may or may not include the clip that I found in the pan. I ordered the part today, it was $7 CDN but as luck would have it, no stock in Canada. The parts guy told me it would likely take a week or so to get it... I'm hoping the item has the clip attached to it so that I can have piece of mind before I reassemble.

Sounds like you were trying to unbolt the Shift arm?

 

FTR, it's waaaaay easier to remove the cotter pin at the cable end, and slide the "eye" off the lever. Then unbolt the 2, 12mm bolts that secure the cable housing to the trans. Done.

 

 

Unbolting that arm is almost impossible to do without bending or breaking something inside. It's meant to be done only with the pan off, during a major disassembly. And it needs to be held firmly from the inside while removing the outer bolt.

Sounds like you were trying to unbolt the Shift arm?

 

FTR, it's waaaaay easier to remove the cotter pin at the cable end, and slide the "eye" off the lever. Then unbolt the 2, 12mm bolts that secure the cable housing to the trans. Done.

 

 

Unbolting that arm is almost impossible to do without bending or breaking something inside. It's meant to be done only with the pan off, during a major disassembly. And it needs to be held firmly from the inside while removing the outer bolt.

 

Yep. I know that now.

My reason for trying to remove the arm was because the centre bushing of the shift cable was seized onto it. I got the cable off but the rubber insulator and the bushing wouldnt come off and there is zero room to get tools in there to pry or chisle etc. I ended up using a Dremel tool with a grinder tip to get it off.

Well it cost me 6 bucks but I now know what the mystery part is. As you can see in the picture, the part was just spread / bent apart which is why I couldent find anything that it fit onto. The picture shows the original one next to the new one. I ordered the part because based upon the part schematic in the manual, there was a part missing in my tranny. I was hoping the missing part would solve the mystery and it did. Many thanks to nipper for providing me with the service manual pages.