I have a 96 Legacy Outback 2.2l, 5spd. I don't need it but I can get a transmission from a 97 2.5l Outback with fairly low (120k) mileage pretty cheap and am considering getting it as a spare.

 

Question 1.

Is their any way to find out what the ratio in my transmission and the 97 transmission is? I can get the numbers off the plates from both of them if their is some way to determine through them. I know mine differs by one number.

 

Question 2.

The 97 has a hydrolic clutch and my 96 has a cable clutch. Are the bell housings the same where I can just pull off the clutch slave and fork and swap in the cable fork and bracket?

Compare the gear ratios here:

 

http://www.gearhack.com/myink/ViewPage.php?file=docs/Subaru%20Transmission%20Chart

 

Yes - you can swap the fork from one to the other and change the '97 to cable.

 

GD

96 - 99 outback (legacy) 5 speeds are all the same final drive ratios, 4.11.

The 97 outback transmission has the annoyingly short 5th gear. I wouldn't want that...

Thanks for the information. Ill check out the numbers when I get home. As far as a short 5th gear I'm around 3250rpm at 70, I doubt it can be any worse then that. The poor motor is screaming and I get terrible mileage if I try and cruise over 70.

Thanks for the information. Ill check out the numbers when I get home. As far as a short 5th gear I'm around 3250rpm at 70, I doubt it can be any worse then that. The poor motor is screaming and I get terrible mileage if I try and cruise over 70.

 

The 4EAT does the same thing. below 70 is the sweet spot. Remeber it doesnt take a lot of energy to move the car itself (level ground, no atmosphere) but it takes quite a lot to push it through the air, so for all that work you may not be able to get more then 2mpg gain and it really is not worth it.

 

I have had quite a few cars where the fuel consumption just started going down after 70, faster speed i more fuel consumption and wind resistance (the biggest thief) goes up exponentially with every mph increase in speed.

 

Odd concept, drive below 70 when you can, and if you can't just realize there is a price to pay for physiscs.

Compare the gear ratios here:

 

http://www.gearhack.com/myink/ViewPage.php?file=docs/Subaru%20Transmission%20Chart

 

Yes - you can swap the fork from one to the other and change the '97 to cable.

 

GD

If I'm not mistaken you'll also need to move the pivot ball to the other available spot on the bell housing.

96 - 99 outback (legacy) 5 speeds are all the same final drive ratios, 4.11.

If you check the gearhack post by GD, you'll find that the rear ratios vary from 3.900 to 4.111 for those years of USDM Legacy models.

If you check the gearhack post by GD, you'll find that the rear ratios vary from 3.900 to 4.111 for those years of USDM Legacy models.

 

yes, but all 2.5L 5 speeds (outback, GT, LSi) of those years have the same 4.11 ratio. the 3.9 ratio was only in the 2.2L cars, (impreza and legacy L, LS, brighton).

 

the one exception was the 96 outback 2.2L 5 speed, it had the same trans/ ratio as the other 2.5L cars, not the 2.2L cars.

yes, but all 2.5L 5 speeds (outback, GT, LSi) of those years have the same 4.11 ratio. the 3.9 ratio was only in the 2.2L cars, (impreza and legacy L, LS, brighton).

 

the one exception was the 96 outback 2.2L 5 speed, it had the same trans/ ratio as the other 2.5L cars, not the 2.2L cars.

I stand corrected. But my point was check the transmission number against the chart to check the ratio of the transmission. Fuji has been known to grab the wrong transmission, match it with the correct rear diff and send an "oddball" out the door. Also, there's no guarantee that the gearbox/rear diff in the car, were the ones that came with the model originally. My Impreza has seen the ratio sets change three times over its current lifetime (now at 213K and counting).

yes, but all 2.5L 5 speeds (outback, GT, LSi) of those years have the same 4.11 ratio. the 3.9 ratio was only in the 2.2L cars, (impreza and legacy L, LS, brighton).

 

the one exception was the 96 outback 2.2L 5 speed, it had the same trans/ ratio as the other 2.5L cars, not the 2.2L cars.

 

While it is correct that those cars had the 4.11 ratio, they also had the same gearset as the 3.9 transmissions. With the exception of the outback, which has a shorter 5th gear.

The 4EAT does the same thing. below 70 is the sweet spot.

 

Odd concept, drive below 70 when you can, and if you can't just realize there is a price to pay for physiscs.

Oddly our 98 Outback defy's that. Best mileage it's ever gotten was 29.7mpg doing 80-85 across Nebraska in the summer with the windows down, 3 people and all their gear in it. As we traveled west from New England, the speed limits increase on the interstates. The faster we went, the better the mpg's got.

 

The car also got worse mpg's with the windows shut and the a/c on while doing 75 vs windows open and a/c off at the same speed.

 

So pretty much every adage I've heard about keeping the speed down and the windows shut on the highway was found to not apply to the wagon.

 

I will admit the mpg's dropped off when doing 110+ for stretches in Wyoming.

 

Anyway, if you use a cable clutch trans in a hydro clutch car, you need to move the pivot ball to the other position in the bellhousing and use the hydro release fork. Other than that it's a direct swap.

My number is ty752vabca and is not listed in the chart. A quick search and it seems all 96 Outback 2.2l 5spds had that code. From what I can gather on here it should be a 4.11. I also found a website with that number on it saying the trans has 37 teeth on the ring and 9 on the pinion which would be 4.11.

The 97 is ty752vacca and is listed as 4.11. So I'm pretty sure it would work.

 

Are the transmissions stamped somewhere so I can make sure they're both original to the vehicle?

 

 

 

Oddly our 98 Outback defy's that. Best mileage it's ever gotten was 29.7mpg doing 80-85 across Nebraska in the summer with the windows down, 3 people and all their gear in it. As we traveled west from New England, the speed limits increase on the interstates. The faster we went, the better the mpg's got.

 

The car also got worse mpg's with the windows shut and the a/c on while doing 75 vs windows open and a/c off at the same speed.

 

So pretty much every adage I've heard about keeping the speed down and the windows shut on the highway was found to not apply to the wagon.

 

I will admit the mpg's dropped off when doing 110+ for stretches in Wyoming.

I'd love to know how you manage that. If I cruise at 60 with just myself and about 60lbs of tools in the car I get about 28 on the highway. If I cruise at 75 I'm down to about 24. This thing really needs a 6th gear.

Edited July 11, 201114 yr by Tmb9862

ok, 96 - 99 5 speed trans:

 

if it came out of an outback, GT, or LSi it has a 4.11 ratio.

 

if it came out of an impreza or legacy L, LS or brighton it has a 3. 9 ratio.

 

period.

Are the transmissions stamped somewhere so I can make sure they're both original to the vehicle?

 

 

 

Check the transmission number as posted on the bell housing against the VIN plate in the engine compartment. The transmission numbers should match if the transmission is the same as original.

Really odd, googling your transmission number didn't turn up much. But it did turn up one listing which gave the tooth count which indicates 4.111.

 

http://mmerlinn.com/catalog/mod_bonney/sb_lxl/sblxl010.htm