Torque Bind?

[smokey12]

96 OBW 2.5 Auto 300K miles

Two transmissions both had low speed chatter and binding of clutch plates.

 

Last summer installed new Costco Michelin tires.

Last fall had clutch pack rebuilt. Mechanic said to drive it awhile because the new plates needed time to seat and stop chattering.

Last Christmas mechanic said the new plates were burned up and the tranny had a worn seat where the shaft was riding causing the clutch pack to misalign and wear out. He said the tranny was junk.

I bought a used wrecking yard tranny through my mechanic and he installed it. It also chattered.

February mechanic rebuilt the clutch pack in the "new" tranny it worked fine except that it had no AWD and front tires slipped in the snow. He found a seal that had been cut on reassembly. He fixed seal and AWD worked but it now chattered again just like the original tranny. He said to drive it to break in the new clutch plates. He said that this clutch pack was "REALLY TIGHT" on reasembly.

I think I need a new mechanic. :-\

I have done some research and have discovered the term "Torque Bind", I am no Subaru mechanic but I think I have torque bind and the new Costco Michelin tires may be the culprit. I plan on checking their diameter this week.

Now my question is this, Outside of tire sizeing are there any other culprits which may be affecting the AWD clutch pack and be causeing it to bind?

How about the computer? or any other control mechanism?

So far I have replaced the entire transmission, the clutch packs twice (once per tranny), and the solenoid once, flushed both trannies twice.

When you install the fuse in the FWD the binding goes away.

Help!

[RallyKeith]

96 OBW 2.5 Auto 300K miles

 

Last Christmas mechanic said the new plates were burned up and the tranny had a worn seat where the shaft was riding causing the clutch pack to misalign and wear out. He said the tranny was junk.

 

Up until I think it was 98 there was no sleeve bearing in the tailshaft housing and that in fact is one of the ways that you get torque bind. However, for a fairly small amount of money (compared to a new trans) you can get a replacement tailshaft housing from subaru that fixes this. So your Mechanic was right about the worn seat thing, but I think wrong on the tranny being trash.

 

As for other things, there have been a few reports of people having success with just having the transmission fluid FLUSHED. Not just "drained and replaced," but completely flushed. I think most Subaru Dealers have a special on that right now for about $70.

 

Keith

[nipper]

exaclty how did he rebuild the clutch pack. After 1997 1/2 the design fault was fixed in the car, and the complete housing is replaced along with clutch packs.

Yes you need a new mechanic. He knows nothing of the issues with the clucth pack. In all fairness unless the mechnaic really knows it well, its a dealer repair (and its usually fixed the first time). There is no such thing as a really tight clutch pack. At that point he should the tranny shold have been deemed a failed unit.

As long as all 4 tires match and are properly inflated you can rule that out. Since the car drives normally with the fuse in you can rule out the duty c solenoid. You have a bad clutch pack or tranny or both. The system itself is very simple, all the complication is in the computer. The computer works or it doesnt, and in your case, it sounds just fine.

It sounds like the 2nd tranny was fried to begin with, and your mechanic didnt do his homework.

 

nipper