I'm going to be starting a five speed this weekend In my 92 legacy L. So far I have collected the parts I need and just wanted to double check the list...

 

4:11 Trans and rear diff

Drive shaft

flywheel with bolts

New clutch

clutch cable

pedal assembly

shift linkage

trans mount

all the interior bits

 

If I missed anything it's no big deal I have 2 parts cars. But let me know if I did!

My real questions have to do with the wiring. I have been reading about this swap and there is a pin that needs to be grounded on the ECU to tell it is a standard trans correct? I'm not sure what else there is to the wiring, back up lights need to be hooked up, but that's all easy. This car doesn't have cruse so that's not an issue. I guess I'm just looking for tips and pointers on the wiring, and how to correctly set it up so it runs a works the way it should. The last five speed swap I did (92 svx) had a high idle when I was done that never got resolved, i'm looking to avoid something like that again, it was a pain.

 

Thanks in advance

-Shaun

that should be a 3.9 gear if the donor is a 5mt for 1992 legacy.

 

to defeat the neutral safety, just jump the 2 largest wires in the center of the connector for the A/T shifter assembly in the console.

 

The rest would be making the reverse lights work, on the harness of the trans itself.

 

I hope you gpt the bolts that go with the trans mount, as they replae a shorter bolt on the radius rod plate. Since the mount is in a different location, you remove one of the original bolts, and substitute the longer bolt whre the mount goes in place of the original bolt.

 

hold on, i was thinking of ea82 to ea82 swap. You may need an ea82 trans crossmember with bolts in plae of the lego mount. I am not sure on this, but this is what i specilate. You may have to hybrid the legacy trans mount to fit at all points

Okay thanks, Not sure about the whole ea82 thing, but I'll look into it. I can always make one. It wouldn't be the first time. As far as the trans goes, I got it out of a 97 outback, I wanted 4.11's because of the hills we have in this state.

I don't know when they switch from stubs in the diff to stubs in the axles. I thought it was around 96, or so.

The 97 diff will stubs in the axles, make sure it's going to work wit the axles in your car.

Also, doesn't the legacy L auto already have 4.11 diffs? Check, there's a chance it does. Then you don't even have to deal with swapping the diff.

I actually though about this last week. The new diff has the stubs on the CV's but that's no big deal because we kept the the CV's and everything out of the outback and I was planing on swapping them out. Mine has 3:90's I just looked yesterday. It would be great if I lived in a flat place, but that's not Vermont

Anyone know what I have to do with the ECU? I have heard that there is a wire that needs to be grounded. Also can I used the auto ECU once I have completed the swap or do I have to use the one out of the standard car? (I 'm hoping I can leave the auto one because the one out of my parts car has been underwater for quite some time)

Anyone know what I have to do with the ECU? I have heard that there is a wire that needs to be grounded. Also can I used the auto ECU once I have completed the swap or do I have to use the one out of the standard car? (I 'm hoping I can leave the auto one because the one out of my parts car has been underwater for quite some time)

 

You can use the auto ECU, although, the tuning is a little different. It doesn't like to idle down always, this can make it a real annoyance driving in traffic. Or trying to get revs to match right when shifting. It keeps the IACV open more often (I think...) than the manual ECU. I just know the tuning is different. I put an auto ECU in my manual car once just to test it out.

But yes, the auto ECU will work fine. I've swapped them either way.

 

I believe you have to connect the two big wires coming out of the shifter assy, can't remember exactly though. It's for the NSS so it will start. Just put a meter on them and see if the connection closes in N and P, and no other gear. Then you have the right wires.

 

And just hook up the two wires for reverse from the transmission, not really a big deal. If you want to get fancy, hook up a clutch switch.

You can use the auto ECU, although, the tuning is a little different. It doesn't like to idle down always, this can make it a real annoyance driving in traffic. Or trying to get revs to match right when shifting. It keeps the IACV open more often (I think...) than the manual ECU. I just know the tuning is different. I put an auto ECU in my manual car once just to test it out.

But yes, the auto ECU will work fine. I've swapped them either way.

 

I believe you have to connect the two big wires coming out of the shifter assy, can't remember exactly though. It's for the NSS so it will start. Just put a meter on them and see if the connection closes in N and P, and no other gear. Then you have the right wires.

 

And just hook up the two wires for reverse from the transmission, not really a big deal. If you want to get fancy, hook up a clutch switch.

 

Okay that makes things a little more clear. I swapped my SVX once, and it had a high idle, I hated that. I may try my manual one then if it works I couldn't get any injector pulse out of it so I'll try and see if I can find another or get this one to work again... The rest of the wiring i have figured out now. I found some great info on this swap on another forum (more specific to the turbos) but it had some great info. Going to be doing the swap this Monday/Tuesday!!!

There's a thread on, I think rs25 that details the wiring. Really simple.

I can post pics and a guide on here when I do it.

 

You'll be able to run with the auto ECU till you find a manual, I'd start with it. That way if it doesn't start or something you at least know the ECU is good.

That's my plan. The one I have now is a known good one, I have been driving the car around the last few weeks, just I could never get the parts car started. Thanks for the tips! I'll post pics and such as I go along!

BAM!

The wiring diagrams and other stuff I used in my swap.

This is courtesy of Legacy777 aka Josh.

Some of his plug diagrams are backwards and/or upside down, but if you

follow the wiring diagram more closely than the picture diagrams, you should

be able to get it swapped over just fine.

I clipped the plug off the wiring harness from the manual and the plug off the

auto transmission and made an adapter.

I can tell you what colors go where if you want me to, as that is probably the

most confusing part of the instructions.

Also, you might want to make sure you don't have a speed sensor on the

tranny rather than a speedo cable.

And if you do have a speed sensor, see if you can just leave it in the tranny

and run a speedo cable into the tranny for speed reading.

 

Now, being that your transmission is an OBDII, some of this info may not be accurate, just a reminder.

 

Twitch

Thanks for the link!!!!!

 

Just wondering why I would Have to make an adaptor, I can't just plug in a standard ECU? Could I just change some of the pinouts on my current plug?

 

I have dealt with the speedo stuff before, but the other way around. My SVX had a speed sensor and the trans I put in had a cable, the two were interchangeable, so for this one I pulled the sensor out, and just have get a new speedometer drive to put in it's place because I couldn't get one out of the cable trans.

Lol, I was referring to the plugs on the transmission, not the ecu.

I made an adapter to plug the auto plug from the car side into the manual plug on the tranny side.

 

I believe it's just one wire that needs to be an open circuit or a closed, I don't remember which.

But that one wire is what tells the computer if it's got an auto or a manual.

 

Twitch

Ahh that makes a lot more sense, I was not awake at all when I read that this morning, and that's a really good idea. I have a couple of harnesses around I can hack up too! Thanks for the input, I'll PM you if I have any questions later on. Also I went through my garage today and found 4 OBDI computers!!!! They were used when my dad was swapping his 914 so I may be in luck there!!

They were used when my dad was swapping his 914 so I may be in luck there!!

 

That's a swap I dream about.

It's a beast. I'll put up some pics when it gets out of it's shed. Using a DOHC 2.5 with a FWD impreza trans. It's scary fast, I frightened one of my friends to the point where he couldn't talk once.....

It's a beast. I'll put up some pics when it gets out of it's shed. Using a DOHC 2.5 with a FWD impreza trans. It's scary fast, I frightened one of my friends to the point where he couldn't talk once.....

 

That's awesome.

So if it's using a subaru transmission, it must have a reverse cut ring an pinion, right? Shift linkage would be fun to set up for that too.

I can Pm you with more details, I don't need to Hijack my own thread

Stupid driveshafts being too short or too long. I think I have the right one now. it held me up last night so I had to come home from work and flip a car over to get it out of the parts car.

Auto driveshafts are shorter.

Impreza and legacy driveshafts are different.

So you have get a 5speed driveshaft out of a legacy if you're swapping a legacy.

I did it was too long. It was out of a second gen though. I got one out of my parts car now so it's good. I just need to get the wiring right now....

It lives! I got it together tonight, runs and drives great! Has some slight idle issues right now as it still thinks it's an auto, but it's so nice to have a five speed!

Nice! That's awesome. I can't wait till I get my tranny, I have most of the other parts!

Yeah I'm psyched! Tomorrow I'll post some pics and some swap info as soon as I get my camera (It's on a tool box at work)