Howdy,

 

I'm new to this board, came across a couple references that were similar but weren't quite clear whether they applied to the issue I'm dealing with.

 

The car is a 93 legacy with a whole bunch o' miles

 

issue:

 - reverse when cold will engage and has minimal power -- higher engine RPM's don't seem to make much difference

    - ie: barely a difference in movement from 1.5k to 3.5k RPM

 - reverse once warmed up will engage but has no power -- the slightest incline and it won't budge 

 - all forward gears engage and drive smooth

 

last year I replaced the transmission filter hadn't had any issues until recently

my wife checked and found the fluid was low, topped it off checked again levels are good

 

all of a sudden reverse is funky

 

reading up this is likely either solenoid or gear issue but I'm unsure which

 

figure soleniod is likely worth fixing (though I'm unfamiliar with how accessible) gears likely not due to the age of the vehicle -- it's a backup for us but has proven reliable and made me think I'm gonna want another once it's time to retire this one

 

I appreciate any suggestions for diagnosis, etc...

 

thank you

Edited March 25, 201412 yr by Alvin Mites

Reverse clutch pack is gone is very last part in bottom of trans when you take it apart

arg... that sounds like this subby is on it's last legs

 

probably over my head (I've rebuilt motors -- no internal auto trans experience) and with 270k+ miles not nearly worth hiring it out

if you have rebuilt motors then you can swap in a used trans.

 

 

Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market

put in your zip to see what is close to home.

Yes a tranny swap isnt that hard to do if you can rebuild a motor.

if the car is in otherwise good shape and runs well, then a tranny swap could be a worthwhile endeavor.

figure I'll make a call on it before too long, the engine has 270k+ miles on it and the body isn't very good

 

she has been reliable and may be worth a couple days this summer, I appreciate the help with diagnosis

Takes me two hrs to teardown and redo reverse clutch pack don't even have to pull the pan can remove whole internals in one large piece and get to the good stuff the nice thing is no fancy tools needed just flat screwdriver and 14 mm do have to back the band add off

hmm... wouldn't happen to be a guide for this one anywhere or a link to relative FSM pages?

 

sounding like it may be worth a shot but I wanna make sure I understand the process before trying and have the right parts / gaskets on hand

I can help with the FSM pages - http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/

 

90-94 are basically all the same mechanically - there may be minor differences in wiring colors however...

thanks, didn't see a listing in there tranny specific but probably just a matter of reading

 

sounding like she's gonna live -- yey!

ivans is an extremely talented and experienced suabru mechanic.

and i am very impressed that he can open and repair an auto trans.

i am one of those who thinks there is some kind of magic inside that is beyond my abilities.

 

i would just swap in a used trans.

less labor, R & R only, no dismantling,

more money ~$400, maybe.

 

there should be plenty of good used trans in the boulder area, or near by.

 

BTW, i drove my 95 lego for several months with no reverse.

you just have to be careful where and how you park.

yeah, I've been getting used to being careful in parking, and having a little reverse on flat land helps (I live above Boulder a few k ft -- not much flat here)

 

I've opened up 2 transmissions before on my saturn, once for a core going to the yard anyways to see how it went together and give it less "magic"

 

the 2nd was replacing a single nut that was prone to going loose and causing issues -- tend to find with mechanics that the trick for me is going very slow and documenting everything (pictures, labels, and baggies) then triple checking each section frequently with a torque wrench

 

but I try not to start anything until I have an understanding of the full process involved in tear down and put together, including having any part I "Might" need on hand before turning the first bolt for anything more complex than swapping an alternator or other easy to reach part

 

in the middle of a motor swap on a 4runner (from 2nd to 3rd gen) so not gonna tear into my legacy anytime real soon, so lots of time to gather insights, documents and parts

 

appreciate the concern though, when I was younger I got myself into trouble a couple times tearing into motors without knowing what I was doing and having to scrap them as a result

 

good lessons upon reflection -- better to learn from others mistakes