Hi. I have a 2002 Subaru Outback wagon manual trans. I have read on other sites that a 2WD trans from a mid 90's Subaru will work in this car. Has anyone here actually done this or know if it will work? I'm trying to convert the car to 2WD so any other advice is welcome. Thanks.

Your biggest problem is going to be the clutch actuation system. The 2002 is going to be a hydro clutch and all the FWD transmissions had cable actuated clutches. This means they use a completely different fork as well as a different pivot point on the transmission itself. Since none of the FWD transmissions were ever used with a hydraulic clutch they most probably will not have the additional threaded boss that would be required to use a hydro clutch fork. With the hydro's they moved the fork pivot point because the hydraulic slave can apply more pressure but can't move as far as the cable's did....

 

You could try to mount a pedal assembly from an early (95/96) Legacy but I doubt it would bolt right up being a different generation chassis. But you could try. To my knowledge no one has tried....

 

What's your purpose for wanting FWD? There's plenty of FWD cars out there....

 

GD

You could try to mount a pedal assembly from an early (95/96) Legacy but I doubt it would bolt right up being a different generation chassis. But you could try. To my knowledge no one has tried....

 

I bet it will. I've seen numerous early EJs converted to hydraulic using WRX pedal boxes and such, and it all bolts right up.

You can also use a SubaSpool from these guys to replace the center diff. It makes your existing AWD 5spd a FWD transmission. http://www.subarugears.com/index_files/Products.html

 

You will need to take apart your rear axles to see any mpg gains. The outer CV cups need to stay in the hubs, the nut on the end of the axle is what holds the bearings together.

My car has a bad viscous coupling. If I have to work on the car I mite as well make it a two wheel drive. That way I shouldnt have to deal with this problem again.

Well, it's more work to swap the transmission and pedal box to put in a weaker FWD transmission than it is to fix the center diff. Installing the SubaSpool is the exact same amount of work and dissasembly as replacing the center diff, both of which can be done with the transmission still in the car. Either put in a new center diff or the FWD spool. If you go FWD, remove the axles from the rear wheels, leaving the CV cup still bolted into the hub. Removing the rear axles stops the rear differential and driveshaft from spinning which would eat up most of your MPG gain from going FWD.

I've done it before - but with an automatic.

 

why bother swapping trans? once the viscous coupling fails you can simply remove the rear axles, differential and driveshaft and run it. the rear output will be spinning it just won't be connected to anything. you'll have to work on a way to seal the rear output shaft, that's all.

 

and disassemble the rear axles and install the outer CV's into the hubs like mentioned earlier.

you'll have to work on a way to seal the rear output shaft, that's all.

 

just leave in the font half of the driveshat from the output to the carrier bearing.

VC is an easy replacement. Don't even have to remove the transmission. Just get a used center diff and be down the road. They don't fail often enough to worry about it happening again.

 

Replacing the transmission for that reason is just plain foolishness. You are going to do a lot more work and incur a lot more expense - losing AWD in the process - to put in a used transmission from a '95 or older?

 

Plain silly.

 

GD

VC is an easy replacement. Don't even have to remove the transmission. Just get a used center diff and be down the road. They don't fail often enough to worry about it happening again.

 

Replacing the transmission for that reason is just plain foolishness. You are going to do a lot more work and incur a lot more expense - losing AWD in the process - to put in a used transmission from a '95 or older?

 

Plain silly.

 

GD

 

This is what I was thinking too. Seems like you're turning a pretty simple fix into an extensive project. And losing AWD isn't worth it at all, even for the 1-2 mpg's you may gain.

I've done it before - but with an automatic.

 

why bother swapping trans? once the viscous coupling fails you can simply remove the rear axles, differential and driveshaft and run it. the rear output will be spinning it just won't be connected to anything. you'll have to work on a way to seal the rear output shaft, that's all.

 

Fail to locked yes. In that case the OP just needs to pull the rear part of driveline and drive.

 

If it failed to open......it would suck in snow or mud, but otherwise drive fine, in that case again, the OP just needs to keep driving.

 

If the car is undriveable right now, the problem is beyond just the center diff.

 

DoubleDuh, what is it that the car is doing excactly that makes you think the diff is failed and it needs to be worked on?