In all my days of working on Subarus, and cars in general, I have never seen anything like this. Anyone have any explanation? It was drained from a 2008 WRX that i just bought. The car was very clean with 119K on the odometer and looked well maintained otherwise. The 5 speed was not sounding very good, whining noise and grinding synchros. 

Smurf Blood!

some folks use Redline Lightweight Shockproof, which is green-ish. Others might use a 'cocktail' with 2-3 fluids, one of which is the LW SP.

 

it's good stuff on its own in a manual trans with no pump, or in a diff, but, if it's in a mix, - what with?

https://www.redlineoil.com/lightweight-shockproof

 

Did that stuff at least feel like a lubricant ?  Cause it sure looks like  paint!

Yeah. it was oil. Guess it is the Redline Shockproof. Never heard of this stuff till now. It sure didn't do this transmission any favors though. Sounded and shifted like it had no oil at all. Guess I'm in the market for a transmission now.

someone may have put it in to try to SOLVE an abused trans. Or, try to quiet it to re-sell...?

might be an indication the car was being abused - any other signs of modifications?

 

how much sludge was on the magnet?

 

Edited September 4, 20187 yr by 1 Lucky Texan

shifter bushings might also be causing a problem.

don't use synthetic GL-5 in the trans - many folks report problems.

a cheap-ish fluid that some folks like, is the synthetic 'blend' sold at walmart. Subaru's gear oil is good, Motul is good but pricey, Amsoil Severe Gear is good. Any name brand conventional gl-5 should be OK. If you still seem to have problems, drain the oil into a clean container and save it for your replacement trans.

 

check car-part.com or maybe consider a JDM trans.

 

I bought the car because it was very clean inside and out. Looked like someone took good care of it. A Florida car with zero rust whatsoever. There are some mods that i have been trying to identify. Looks like a bigger turbo, inter cooler, GrimmSpeed boost solenoid  and full huge and obnoxious Perrin exhaust. My OBD2 tool says that it is hitting 20psi of boost. I"m not too upset about the trans. The car has 119k and I figured it would have a worn trans. The green oil just trough me for a loop. 

seems like a good indication someone was really zooming around. Might explain worn-out trans. My 5spd ate 2nd gear at under 70K miles and I have NO power mods.! You should probably consider a clutch fork upgrade too if the clutch is upgraded.

If at all possible, get a 6 spd swap. Talk to local tuners/shops about it. www.nasioc.com would be a good place to search/read/ask about options for the car going forward. Heck, someone   in this sub-forum ,  https://forums.nasioc.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=21      ,may even recognize the car!

Edited September 5, 20187 yr by 1 Lucky Texan