nithinmike Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 I recently bought a 98 Legacy with the 5 speed manual. Every time I shift into 2nd, the whole car shakes. I've tried to smooth out my clutch release between 1st and 2nd, taking an extra long time to avoid the bucking, but this is extremely inconvenient on public roads, as the delay allows the car to slow down too much during the shift and I get honked at by some drivers. Is this just the way the transmission is, or is there an issue with my car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 (edited) did it do this on the test drive? did you put synthetic gl-5 in the trans? any issues with other gears? (I had to experiment with slight seat adjustments when I first got my WRX to smooth out shifting.) Edited July 16, 2015 by 1 Lucky Texan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nithinmike Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 did it do this on the test drive? did you put synthetic gl-5 in the trans? any issues with other gears? (I had to experiment with slight seat adjustments when I first got my WRX to smooth out shifting.) It did this on the test drive. Not sure what fluid is in the transmission as the previous owner did the service. The other gears are generally pretty easy to shift into smoothly (relative to the 1-2 shift), however as a whole it is not as smooth shifting as I would like it to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxgap Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 had this problem with a 96 also. We had the clutch changed and it turned out the springs on the pressure plate were bad. Put a new Exedy clutch in, never had a shudder after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86 Wonder Wedge Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 When you say shudder, like you're driving over washboard? or is it more like bucking and kangarooing? It sounds more like a "washboard" feel, which could be more of a slipping clutch disc.. but it only happens during the 1-2 shift? While the shifter is travelling between gears or after you've shifted and start to let the clutch back out? Does the shifter shake/jump/kick at all during this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 well,, fluid won't repair a bad gear or clutch - but many people have had bad experiences with gears clashing when using synthetic GL-5 in the trans. It's too slick to get the right speed on the synchros. But, it DOES seem more like you have a clutch problem so, maybe the above suggestion is worth pursuing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nithinmike Posted July 22, 2015 Author Share Posted July 22, 2015 (edited) When you say shudder, like you're driving over washboard? or is it more like bucking and kangarooing? It sounds more like a "washboard" feel, which could be more of a slipping clutch disc.. but it only happens during the 1-2 shift? While the shifter is travelling between gears or after you've shifted and start to let the clutch back out? Does the shifter shake/jump/kick at all during this? Yeah, it almost shakes the car back and forth like a spring, and slowly dissapates. It happens when I release the clutch. Nothing much from the shifter, however I have noticed that at high RPMs the transmission makes a loud vibrating noise that can be felt through the shifter. I've been starting the car in 2nd for the past few days, and every other shift can be done perfectly smoothly with some degree of consistency. I'm wary of how this may affect the clutch and the engine as I can hear the car bogging down until I reach ~10mph. Edited July 22, 2015 by nithinmike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 It's the Subaru jerk-and-lurch. You'll get the same with even the most minor changes in throttle in first and second gear if trying to maintain a low speed (such as in traffic). Eventually you get the hang of it and you can shift 1-2 with no trouble, but it takes practice. And being in traffic is almost impossible to shift in a manner that avoids the lurch. Not much you can do about the lurch. There are a dozen places in the drivetrain where a little bit of wear creates a little bit of slack, and all those little slack places add up to one big change in momentum by the time the motion from the engine finally takes up all the slack and gets to the wheels. If you've ever been on (or near) a train when the engineer had to slam on the brakes, and felt the cars crash together in succession as the slack in all the couplers gets taken up. (Sucks if you're on a car near the end of the train) Same idea going on in the Subaru drivetrain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 (edited) I don't get that from 1-2 but, I DID have to futz around with seat position for a week or 2 after i got my WRX. One notch changes in seat position I guess made big differences on the smoothness of clutch use. try shifting the seat bottom for best clutch performance, then adjust the seat back for best steering wheel reach. Then, repeat if necessary. Edited July 22, 2015 by 1 Lucky Texan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Sounds like the shutter is typical clutch slippage of a worn out clutch. Only way to fix this is to replace the pressure plate, and anything else on the clutch assembly that is worn out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonsofmike Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 I have a similar issue on my '98. Shudders like crazy on launch and 1-2 unless I really feather out the release. I haven't replaced the clutch yet, but all of my research agrees with what others have posted here. It could be the clutch disk, the pressure plate, the flywheel, or engine oil leaking on any of the above. You could get the real root cause by tearing it down and investigating all the clutch components, but by that time you're probably invested enough to replace them all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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