I bought it through my mechanic and he said it should fit so I paid 200$ for it. The engine blew in the car with 160,000 on it. TZ102ZACAA-DR is the code on it. I have a 98 Outback Legacy 2.5 automatic.

See if your current transmission has a spin on external oil filter. If it doesn't, the one you bought should work.

did you type that part number into google and look it up? you could probably even plug it into any number of online subaru dealer sites or just call subaru and ask, they might tell you something, then relay that info to us.

 

98's have the external trans filter (or at least some of them do), so that might be confusing.

 

your mechanic knows something about it since he said "he thinks it will fit" he didn't just make that up, what if it was a 1978 trans? what does he know that you haven't told us? year, model, etc?

I bought it through my mechanic and he said it should fit so I paid 200$ for it. The engine blew in the car with 160,000 on it. TZ102ZACAA-DR is the code on it. I have a 98 Outback Legacy 2.5 automatic.

 

if theis number is correct, TZ102ZACAA , it will not fit, it has a 4.11 final drive ratio. it's out of a legacy, probably a 97 or 98. you would need the matching rear diff to make it work and your speedo and power curve would be different.

 

your trans is a TZ102Z2DBA. the last 3 letters are not critical, but the extra big "2" position indicates the final drive ratio. yours is a 4.44 ratio. (any outback trans, 96 - 98 will work just fine. GT and LSi 96 - 98 will also work but the speedo will be a little off.)

 

but for 200$ that's a good price. maybe make your mechanic a bet. if the final drive in the new trans does not match your car, he donates the matching rear diff and diff labor for free. (you need to compare the cost of the correct trans against the one you have plus the extra cost of adding the rear diff.)

 

make the bet, you'll win. i know my late 90s trans code numbers and ratios.

Edited September 30, 201015 yr by johnceggleston

JCE is the auto trans guy, you hit the jackpot!

 

if the front diff in your current trans is good you have the option of swapping front diffs if your mechanic is up to the task.

 

in 98 an external filter was added and the bell housing bolt pattern changed. neither of those negate the swap though, i just mention them because they're so obvious visually speaking. those don't really matter at all and can be ignored if everything else is up to snuff.

in 98 an external filter was added and the bell housing bolt pattern changed. neither of those negate the swap though,

 

 

to be accurate, the phase 2 trans with the spin on filter occurred in the 99 model year, probably a late 98 build date. and according to..... i forget what, probably the used parts interchange software, a few 99 outbacks had the old TZ102Z2DBA trans, but most had the new phase 2 trans, TZ1A2ZJEBA.

copy that. thought i had seen 98's with the spin on's, like the last 98 OBW i had, thanks john.

 

in 98 an external filter was added and the bell housing bolt pattern changed. neither of those negate the swap though, i just mention them because they're so obvious visually speaking. those don't really matter at all and can be ignored if everything else is up to snuff.

 

In addition to those differences, the electronics of the Phase II trans are different. (2 VSS in trans, and a "torque sensor") So are the overall lengths, Phase II is about 3 inches shorter. They cannot be interchanged.

No external filters on mine! Doesn't the front diff. have to match the rear diff.? I'll keep the used one for diff parts if they'll fit.

Thanks everyone!!--JCE esp.

No external filters on mine! Doesn't the front diff. have to match the rear diff.? I'll keep the used one for diff parts if they'll fit.

Thanks everyone!!--JCE esp.

 

you can probably sell the trans for 250$ - 300$ to help offset the cost of the outback trans you need.

 

http://www.car-part.com

 

why do you need a trans??

My front diff started whining a year or so ago and that along with a bad plug wire\plug made me think I'd better jump on the chance to aquire a backup tranny. Turns out I do not need a tranny at all. I needed to fill\change my front diff oil and replace plugs and wires. I moved\replaced the knock sensor too. It's a new car besides the quieter but still present front diff whine which I suspect over time will give way to front diff malfunction.

My front diff started whining a year or so ago and that along with a bad plug wire\plug made me think I'd better jump on the chance to aquire a backup tranny. Turns out I do not need a tranny at all. I needed to fill\change my front diff oil and replace plugs and wires. I moved\replaced the knock sensor too. It's a new car besides the quieter but still present front diff whine which I suspect over time will give way to front diff malfunction.

 

did the noise change with the new gear oil?

 

are you sure it isn't a front bearing?

 

or an axle?

 

how many miles?

if you drove it very much while low on gear oil you will have some damage. but there is no telling how long it will last. but usually, i think, they get loud before they actually fail.

 

most folks just swap the trans instead of swapping the front diff. you have to pull the transmission to mess with the diff and once it is out, it is less work to install a different one than to replace the front diff and reinstall the old one. especially if you are paying someone to do the work.

 

as long as it is running you have time to look around and maybe come across a deal. 200$ is a deal, in my opinion.

 

about the other trans you have, except for the front diff, it is EXACTLY the same as the one in your car. but very, very few people open them up and replace parts. it is just too easy to get a whole replacement trans and move on. i'd try and resell it, put the money towards the trans you need.

 

and finally, some folks have swapped a legacy trans and rear diff into an outback, or vice versa. yes the speedo will be off, ~8%, that's 4.8 miles per hour at 60mph. and the difference in power is like putting outback size tires on a legacy (90 - 99). the result will be a little less power but more fuel economy. if you down size your outback tires from 205-70-15 to a 195-60-15 you will end up where you started, speedo good and power the same.

 

i just didn't want to scare you away form a possible solution without knowing all the details and possibilities.

did the noise change with the new gear oil? Much quieter.are you sure it isn't a front bearing? No, I'm not.

 

or an axle? It's not a cv joint.

how many miles? 160,000

if you drove it very much (a year)while low on gear oil you will have some damage. but there is no telling how long it will last. but usually, i think, they get loud before they actually fail.

 

 

 

Wow- Thanks again!

Edited October 1, 201015 yr by Legback