Replaced the trans in the 2000 Legacy Outback last week. Took it on a maiden voyage to run some errands locally. Maybe 40 miles total. After first 25 it started revving on acceleration. trans seemed to be slipping. After a brief mental heart attack I checked the fluid. Low. Thought maybe it needed to work itself around a bit. Added fluid and everything returned to normal. 10 miles later, same thing. Added fluid again and again we're all set. Took it right home to figure out the leak.

 

Thought maybe the pan or external filter may have been jarred loose. Put the car on ramps, crawled underneath. It's leaking from the base of the dipstick. Just bubbles out in a slow trickle when the car is running.

 

 

I do remember that it bumped against the unibody as the trans went in. Not super hard, but apparently hard enough. What's the sort of fix for this? O ring? gasket? I have a good one on the old trans. And what's heavy on my mind, do I need to lower my trans to get at it?

There's probably an o-ring in there. Even just cleaned up and RTV smeared around it might be enough to stop it, though that's probably not the preferred fix.

 

Though I didn't think the fluid in the AT was high enough for it to leak out the dipstick tube hole like that. Are you sure it isn't coming from the banjo bolt for the cooler line or something like that maybe and just dribbling down to that spot?

There's probably an o-ring in there. Even just cleaned up and RTV smeared around it might be enough to stop it, though that's probably not the preferred fix.

 

Though I didn't think the fluid in the AT was high enough for it to leak out the dipstick tube hole like that. Are you sure it isn't coming from the banjo bolt for the cooler line or something like that maybe and just dribbling down to that spot?

 

It's possible, but I had to swap the cooler lines over from the old trans. (The lines on my trans were bent beyond repair.) I thought I was pretty diligent in snugging the bolts up for the coolant lines. I'll double check. If so, that should be a simple enough fix.

You were correct. I got under there with a bright light and it's bubbling it's way out of the front of the two banjo bolts. The rear one has a slow leak too, but nothing like the front which is more of a trickle. I had to replace these since the new trans had broken cooling lines. I swapped them over just as they came. (One washer on either side.) And I made sure those bolts were snug. I'll try and get under there and make them even tighter, but looks like the crush washers will need replacing.

 

Anyone able to give me a size on those washers? Looks like I have to order them through auto zone and it's all metric measurements.

Edited February 1, 201214 yr by AdventureSubaru

Autozone might have copper sealing washers that are that size, they seem to have a pretty good selection. Sometimes the sealing washers will do that if reused, though I've reused them before and not had a problem.

 

Another thing I saw, at least with the copper sealing washers, is someone showed putting them on a brick, and using a torch to heat them good and hot, then reusing them. Something about the torch anneals the copper once again so that it will seal.