Hello All,

My 1993 SS, 5-speed has a whine coming from the front diff - it is speed related, not rpm. It also appears to be heating up (trans/diff area) as I smell hot from the engine bay; engine is fine, temp gauge right in the middle.

 

I suspect I need a new trans, but this is an EJ22T 5-speed, so it's gonna be a rare find. My gears are fine, shift great, and very quiet, only 113K miles on vehicle. I would prefer to replace just the diff, not the trans, so my questions:

 

1. Has anyone swapped out a front diff unit as a whole, without worrying about lash, etc versus replacing trans?

 

2. Are Subaru diffs standard lego parts, and I just need to find a matching 3.90?

 

Thanks in advance, PK

I doubt I'll be much help on this car and problem but, does the whine sound the same (same freq.) at - say - 20mph in 1st as it does at 20mph in 2nd ?

 

do you have any fluid dripping from the diff at the axle stubs?

Yep, same sound no matter what gear. Whine gets more prominent as speed increases, but again doesn't matter if in 3rd, 4th, or 5th when going 50 mph either - same sound. No leaks, gear fluid at proper level. thnx

wonder if you could CAREFULLY run the car while up on 4 stands? Then, maybe you could narrow the sound down to left or right side of the diff or ??? Might need a very long screwdriver or piece of hose or mechanics stethoscope.

 

might be worth pulling the drain plug to look for excessive metal on the magnet.

Probably just some bearings. Open the trans and replace them. Not an uncommon problem.

 

GD