07 forester 4EAT> 5mt swap

[hankosolder2]

I have an 07 Forester (non turbo) with a dubious 4EAT, I'm thinking about doing a 5MT swap instead of fixing the automatic. 

 

I suspect the days of "ground this pin on the ECM to let it know not to look for a TCU" are long gone. 

 

Aside from the obvious (Trans, diff, clutch, clutch hydraulics, pedals, shift linkage) what would I need? ECM reflash? 

 

Are the exhaust systems the same between the 5MT and the 4EAT? Driveshaft? 

 

Nathan 

[Fairtax4me]

Getting into an area with much more complicated electronics on that one.

 

The ECU has to keep track of gears because of the electronic throttle body and the VVT system. I don't see any easy way to make a swap work because of the complexity of the relationship between TCU and ECU on the newer cars. They also started using the CAN network stuff which further complicates thins.

 

If you had a whole donor car, you could probably make it work but I think it would involve swapping the whole wiring harness. Including the dash harness.

[idosubaru]

Cheaper and quicker to repair, sell, then buy the 5MT you want.

 

Create a 4EAT simulator and then install the MT?!

 

If someone were bent on this - start comparing FSM wiring diagrams and delineate wiring differences?

[hankosolder2]

OK, that swap sounds like a whole lot of work (in mostly uncharted territory.) I think I'll either go with the fix and sell, fix and keep, drive it till it fails, or just sell as-is with a disclosure. 

[Fairtax4me]

Is this the one with only like 50k miles?

How much did you pay for it?

[hankosolder2]

Yeah, it's got under 50K miles, with stacks of paperwork for spare-no-expense dealer maintenance since day 1. I found a receipt for a trans and diff service from the dealer from about 3 years ago.  Turns out the PO was doing the "severe service" maint schedule due to city driving. That sure doesn't look like 3 year old trans fluid to me! They billed him for the HP fluid, so they used the right stuff- at least according to the paperwork. 

 

I contacted the previous owner (we're friends)- he was really upset to learn about the issue and offered to take it up with the dealer on my behalf. He's also concerned that the dealer may have billed him for work which was not done.  It's kind of hard to prove, as I would guess it's a chicken-and-egg type thing- dirty fluid can ruin the trans, but a failing trans can soil the fluid, right? 

[Fairtax4me]

Fluid doesn't get that dirty in 50k miles, especially if it has been changed at some point.

Was he towing with this car?

Its hard to imagine that someone drove the car hard enough to cause damage to the trans in such a short time, but I have seen it before.

[1 Lucky Texan]

suppose some new kid at the dealership screwed-up and put some diff fluid in the trans?

 

anyway - what makes the trans "dubious' ? maybe just start with 3 drain/fill cycles ?

[hankosolder2]

Did multiple fluid changes. No dice. There was another thread I had going about the trans issues (when cold, flare during shifts and slamming when TC locks up) ... this was just a trans swap thread and the conversation I was having with Fairtax in the prior thread drifted over here. 

 

I don't believe the PO was a particularly abusive driver. Mostly city driving with his kid in the car, not fiercely contending for the second slowest 1/4 mile time at the local dragstrip. :-) No towing, no hauling heavy loads. Overall, the car drives like new... except for the trans. 

 

The old fluid DID smell like gear oil, so maybe you're on to something. I don't know that it could have made it three years since the last fluid service with that kind of gear oil contamination, though. 

 

Nathan