2004 Forester.  Previous owner was hard on the tranny and it was rebuilt with a 1 year 12,000 mile guarantee which I'm not sure is transferable.  I talked to the tranny guy and he told me that the kid that was driving it had to be rough on it, although I forgot to ask what the actual problem was.  But there were parts for 1st and 2nd on the bill.

 

Anyway everything seemed fine, maybe a little hard to go into 1st and 2nd when cold, then yesterday I drove it early when it was colder overnight.  It was hard to get out of 1st and 2nd and hard to go into them also, even when I sort of matched the rps's with the speed if you know what I mean.  In the first few miles it slowly got better as it warmed up until it got "normal".

 

So do you think it's a real problem or just the way they are?  And by cold I mean it was only down to about freezing.  I hate to think of how it will work when REALLY cold.

 

I can stop by the transmission shop and ask/tell him, but of course then it will be warm and shift easy.  I'm trying to be positive and thinking that the new parts will get "broken in" and it will get better.  Or is that foolish and it will only get worse?  It's supposed to get cold later next week so that would be a good time to leave it there.  Subaru doesn't happen to use a special kind of gear lube do they?  The main part that was changed is a 32219AA320  1-2 gear and hub.

Start with changing the gear oil to Subaru HPGO. 

 

GD

When cold I have to double clutch my 03 to get it into first when stopped.  Once warmed up no issue.  Wonder if the gear oil may have an impact?

Edited March 10, 20188 yr by Mike104

Motul Gear 300 is nice also. But kind of like wiping your a$$ with silk scarves for this application. 

 

GD

You need thinner gear oil.

I once had one that took 2 hands to shift unless you idled in neutral for a while to warm up the oil.

 

I bet your guy used thicker than stock gear oil.

I did.

The bill says he put 75/90 GLF in it.  The Subaru Hi Po is the same weight from what I see?

Edited March 10, 20188 yr by Souperoo

The bill says he put 75/90 GLF in it.  The Subaru Hi Po is the same weight from what I see?

 

 

He wrote it down,but,may have used something else.

Been a while,but I think it was 85/140 that gave me cold weather trouble.

 

Might be worth draining and refilling.

Not all gear oils produce the same feel regardless of their weight.

 

GD

Come to think of it, the transaxle is limited slip I believe?  Those in most vehicles take a different oil, or a little bottle of additive.  Not that that and my problem are directly related, but if could be the problem.  The additive makes the posi clutches slip easier, so maybe it would make the gears slide easier?  Like said, worth a try to put in the REAL stuff.  Especially since I read the repair bill better and only the parts have about a 1 month warranty left, not the labor.  (the labor was just over $1300)  Probably should take a peak at the rear also, that may have 200,000 miles on it's lube.  I'm assuming the manual trans axle it the same lube as the rear?  Anyone know the size of that plug in the tranny?  I think it was hex shaped when I saw it?

 

Oh, the front takes 4 quarts I believe, how much does the rear hold?

 

Happy daylight savings time (if you play that game).

Edited March 11, 20188 yr by Souperoo

Hmm, I guess limited slip is NOT what I should use.  Unless an 04 is different.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/146861-slight-grind-in-gears-after-changing-manual-transmission-fluid/

If you have the owners manual for this vehicle - check it and use what it recommends.

Just use Subaru HPGO. You don't need any additives.

 

GD

If you have the owners manual for this vehicle - check it and use what it recommends.

 

The manual just calls for GL-5 75W/90 or some other single viscosity grades depending on climate.

In my old '01 Forester I put in 80W90 Supertech from walmart and it shifted fine. Cheap car got cheap oil, but it worked fine.

 

My Suzuki mini truck I had to track down GL-4 75w90 and $60/ gal Redline was the cheapest

In my old '01 Forester I put in 80W90 Supertech from walmart and it shifted fine. Cheap car got cheap oil, but it worked fine.

 

My Suzuki mini truck I had to track down GL-4 75w90 and $60/ gal Redline was the cheapest

Nowadays even all the cheap walmart lube is GL-4, GL-5

Nowadays even all the cheap walmart lube is GL-4, GL-5

 

Yes, and no. It is rated for GL-4/ GL-5 when used in differentials, but only GL-5 when used in transmissions when you read the fine print on the bottle.. My mini truck has bronze synchro's so it must be GL-4 rated for transmissions, which will be only a GL-4 rating. Anything that has a GL-5 rating will eat yellow metals.

Yes, and no. It is rated for GL-4/ GL-5 when used in differentials, but only GL-5 when used in transmissions when you read the fine print on the bottle.. My mini truck has bronze synchro's so it must be GL-4 rated for transmissions, which will be only a GL-4 rating. Anything that has a GL-5 rating will eat yellow metals.

I did not know that.  Now I do!

no question GD's recommendation would be a no brainer.

 

I have also read the Walmart synthetic BLEND stuff is good - also cheap.

 

I had to have my trans rebuilt when it ate 2nd gear. Local tuner guys put amsoil severe gear in it - seems OK. In the past, Redline Lightweight Shockproof worked well.

 

many people swear by the Motul GD mentioned, $$$

 

many people report the synchros don't like most full synthetic lubes.

Hey Tex, are you in an area that gets below freezing temps?  And have you driven it when it was that cold?

Hey Tex, are you in an area that gets below freezing temps?  And have you driven it when it was that cold?

we have 2-3 instances every winter that get below 25* or so for 2-3 mornings (as a kid, we called them 'blue northers' - a term that seems to confuse youngsters lol!), sometimes the upper teens. Doesn't stay really cold for more than a few days, but my car sits outside, no issues on cold mornings. It may feel just slightly 'sluggish' for a block or 2, but it shifts fine. Even typical 'balkiness' going into first when rolling feels about the same. Coldest morning I recall was around 13*F, slow to crank but shifting and even my StopTech brake pads were fine from first use.

 

maybe you have some shifter bushings going bad? - not sure why the temperature would affect those severely....

Edited March 12, 20188 yr by 1 Lucky Texan

This morning it was almost as cold as when it shifted hard, but today it was fine.  I think in the following days it's supposed to get colder so I'll check it each day.

could a clutch be affected by the cold?

Not intending to hi jack here, but my bmw actually does a lot better in the cold with atf. This was recommended by a very experienced time bmw mechanic for my 88 ix. 100% atf in a manual trans sounds odd but works well and quiets her down a lot in cold weather.

Do subaru manual transmissions do well with atf? I have seen some home made formulas for the older sube 5 speeds, which included some atf, but was hesitant to try.

To the op, spring is here in CO at least it is warming up...if she shifts fine in warmer weather just stick with gear oil until fall is what I would do, then you have all spring and summer to research what is best for your trans. My GL hates going into second below freezing, so i take a couple trips around the block in first and try second but when she won't go into that gear, she goes into 3rd just fine. I do have the ej22 in there so I can skip shift and it's not too hard on the engine, but the trans warms up and operates normally after about 10 mins of driving for me. Rev matching and double clutching help a lot in my case as well.

I recall some older Chrysler or maybe Mitsubishi-Chrysler imports ? using ATF in their manuals so, not surprising.

 

The reason Subarus can be picky about the man trans lube is, they share a case with the front diff - so a compromise must be made to protect/lube both components.

 

it really isn't so tricky if OEM fluid is used or fluids as suggested by the manual. Some synthetics are problematic because the synchros don't decelerate enough.

 

LOTS of reading here about experiments with different fluids and fluid 'cocktails' if you need some help sleeping lol!; (might also be useful to 'search' that thread to find info about specific brands)

 

https://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=920674

Edited March 12, 20188 yr by 1 Lucky Texan

Sparkboy, the big difference here is that rev matching didn't help at all.  I haven't seen this tranny open so I don't know exactly how it works, but it has a 1-2 gear or something on the bill and often there will be a gear that simply slides on a shaft disengaging with 1st and engaging to 2nd.  To me it felt like it wasn't even getting to the synchronizer.  It felt like the gear that should be sliding on the shaft wasn't easily sliding, I say that because in the driveway with the parking brake on and the clutch in all the way, it wasn't only hard to put into 1st or 2nd, but it was hard to pull it OUT of either gear to the neutral position.  And that was true after a few times in and out.  But hey, I think tomorrow morning may be the coldest day to what's left of winter so waiting is an excellent idea.  See how it acts all summer long.