this is a question i got in my e-mail from another subaru place i frequently visit..

 

[i have an 86 GL-10 turbo 4WD with automatic transmition, and the

transmittion will not shift out of 1st gear, ive replaced the

modulator and still have the problem. so for now i just drive it

arround town and manualy shift it into 2 geer so i can do about 25 to

30 MPH. Somone said it might be the govener shaft but it was just a

guess. Before i check that out does anyone know of another posability]

 

 

i figured i'd check here to see if anyone knows the prob.

it's an automatic is your problem not kidding

the 3 spd auto stinks and they suffer from a wide band of problems if it was me i would swap in a 5spd d/r

it will make it faster and they have much fewer problems plus way better gas milage

how does the fluid in it look? burned at all? It should be a bright red, not a dark red.

 

These trannies are very picky about the quality _and_ quantity of fluid in them.

i'll have to tell the guy to check his fluid

99% chance that the governor valve needs a little TLC. (The other 1% is low ATF level.)

 

The governor tells the 3AT when to shift while in "D", using a centrifugally actuated valve that is spun by the pinion shaft. The governor tends to gum up (sliding valve parts), and the driven gear on the governor shaft tends to wear out. (My personal belief is the gear problem is caused by rotational imbalance caused by the valve sticking.)

 

The governor valve can be easily removed and serviced. It is underneath the 3"-ish dome on the passenger side of the tranny, right above the axle shaft. There are instructions on how to do this on USMB, or I can tell you what to do. The main thing is that the sliding surfaces NEED to be deburred and sanded/polished so that they slide like a hot knife through butter.

 

Servicing the governor valve (and changing the ATF!!!) can make a huge difference in how the 3AT works.