Hi!

I recently bought my first Subaru ever, surprised i didnt find this car sooner...

 

Now to the problem. I am going to do a full service on the car, change filters fluids and so on. Want to change oil in rear diff and tranny as well so I know everything is fresh.

 

In the manual i find where to empty and fill the rear but not the tranny. Where do i take the old oil out and where should the new be put in?

 

The car is a 2000 Legacy 2.0 manual transmission.

 

Happy driving to all!

 

/Bjornis

typically the front diff oil is added through the dipstick hole on manual trans vehicles.

Ouch, that seems like a really small hole... But where to get it out?

Welcome to the club!

 

Start by removing the dipstick - to let air get in as the oil drains.

 

Bottom of the gearbox, just ahead of the exhaust pipe there is a drain plug. I think it's a 22mm. It points straight down and it will SPLASH oil onto the exhaust when you drain it. Make sure you wipe off as much as possible, or it will STINK and smoke when the exhaust gets hot.

 

The plug has a magnet in it to catch metal bits, a thin layer is normal. A big lump of metal shavings means bad bearings.

 

Fit a new copper or alumiunium washer and tighten to 40Nm/ 32ftlbs.

 

For filling, I like to run a two foot length of hose into the dipstick hole and then add a funnel at the other end. This means you don't have to crawl into the engine room to refill. It will take patience, gear oil is thick and it'll burb the air out as you go.

 

Add three liters, drive let it cool for at least four hours and top-off if needed.

You might first toss a good-sized piece of aluminum foil over the exhaust pipe, so the gear oil doesn't gunk up your exhaust. Form it so it guides the exiting oil around the pipe and straight into your drain pan.

Yes, that's it! I always use a cloth and it ends up running EVERYWHERE!

 

Top class idea, next change will involve the foil ;-)

A big lump of metal shavings means bad bearings.

 

This is precisely what I found when I changed my MT fluid a few months ago. Can anyone suggest what I should do, if anything? The car has been shifting just fine. Thanks!

Thanks everybody!!!

Changed oil today and it was no problems at all. To bad I didnt se the advice

about the foil before I did it. Ended up whit a little oil on the exhaust but

not to bad, burnt of quickly.

 

Seems to me that Suburus are pretty easy to service, you can access most

things whit not to much trouble. So far i have changes oil/air-filter, oil in tranny

and rear and shifted spark plugs and all of those things went smoothly. That something i cant say about my last car, a wv passat.

 

Well, thanks again for your advice,might need more of them later .

Soobskier, how big a lump and how big were the particles?

 

A lump the size of the plug itself (composed of 2mm long shavings) was what I decided spelt doom for my old transmission: I had the bearings replaced.

 

Listen for abnormal noises during idle at standstill. With the clutch pedal down, they should dissappear. Abnormal means more than the standard "whrrrr". Worn bearings whrrr louder and also unevenly. If you get a consistent whrrr as you let the clutch up, you're probably OK for now.

 

Mine was going whrrrrhrhrhrhrhrhrhhhrrrrrr along with a rumble. Oh, did I mention we found nearly EIGHT millimeters of slack in the main input bearing?

we found nearly EIGHT millimeters of slack in the main input bearing?

And yet it was still taking you where you needed to go! Now THAT's a Subi for ya!

Setright - thanks for the reply.

 

like your situation, the lump was the size of the plug. I didn't look too closely at the size of the shavings at the time.

 

I haven't noticed any abnormal or irregular sounds during idle, but I WILL take a closer listen next time I start up. I wonder how much a bearing job will cost?!?!? Thanks again.

Well, it most a bundle, but that's Danish prices - think it was the equivalent of $1200!

 

You can still drive it, but it won't get any better. The "risk" is mainly a bearing dropping a ball into the cogs and blocking the rotation. Could lead to locked wheels and a skid. But that is far out and there will be plenty noise!

 

You could probably find a salvaged gearbox somewhere to swap in, instead of an expensive repair. I didn't do that because there are two few Subes over here and I couldn't find a used one.