ZRX Doug Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 Oh boy..a new forum to post in. A little background..I'm not a real Subaru fanatic, I just like my little beater wagon..had it for 12 years & 200,000+ miles, it gets me around when the weather is too crummy for a motorcycle. So I'm not an idiot when it comes to mechanical things, but i'm sorta in the dark when it comes to Subaru things. I've got an '89 GL 4x4 with a five speed D/R trans. I just replaced the tranny with a used unit that seems to be fine in most respects. However, it acts like the 4wd shift fork may be bent or something, as it will pop out of 4wd under load or during deceleration. I've seperated the D/R linkage and tried all sorts of hokey tricks to adjust it externally, it pops out whether the shift lever is connected or not so it's not a linkage issue, symptoms just seem to be typical of a bent fork to me. Here's my question: It LOOKS as if the whole tailshaft area is fairly easy to access without removing the tranny from the car (not something I wanna do again for a good long time). Is it possible to access the 4wd selector fork/synchro while the trans is installed? My non-factory service manual leaves a bit to be desired in this area, basically says "take it to the dealer or the sky will fall," yanno? Thanks in advance..great site you guys have going here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subaru_Mechanic Posted April 11, 2007 Share Posted April 11, 2007 mine does that too sometimes... im told its just worn out and 'bushing' need to be replaced.. i dunno yet tho. i have yet to rebuild a tranny:headbang: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZRX Doug Posted April 11, 2007 Author Share Posted April 11, 2007 Dang..anyone? I'm fairly sure that everything I need to get at is accessable by pulling the tailshaft housing..I just don't wanna crawl under there and get a face full of gear lube only to find the tranny needs to be removed & split. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZRX Doug Posted April 13, 2007 Author Share Posted April 13, 2007 One last bump..anyone? Bueller? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subaru_Mechanic Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 well some ones gotta know somthin.. if not how much is a rebuild? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86BRATMAN Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 Phizinza has done a big job on a d/r ej tranny over in australia. Hopefully he might have some insight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daeron Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 well i dont own a stick, but my guess would be a problem with the linkages, preventing it from properly and fully engaging fifth gear... Take things apart and find areas that wiggle more than you think is ideal. if you have an internal tranny issue, youre gonna have to take all that apart to some degree anyhow, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZRX Doug Posted April 13, 2007 Author Share Posted April 13, 2007 youre gonna have to take all that apart to some degree anyhow, right? That's sort of the question I'm asking, guys..what degree of disassembly is needed to get to the 4WD selector fork & synchro? I think that I can access everything by removing the tailshaft housing with the trans still in the car, but I'd like to have this confirmed before I go crawl under the car and get greasy.. Fifth gear is not the issue, in FWD mode, the tranny works just fine..the problem is that it pops out of 4WD under a load or on deceleration. It's not a linkage issue, as it does this whether the thing's actually connected or not..I can fully disconnect the 4x4 selector, crawl under the car and pop it into 4x4 mode, and it'll do the same thing as if I'd selected it with the lever inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyewdall Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 When it pops out of 4wd, the lever inside moves back to the 2wd position too? So, the linkages are all okay, but inside the tranny it is not sticking in 4wd, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZRX Doug Posted April 15, 2007 Author Share Posted April 15, 2007 Yeah..it acts just like a bent shift fork, it kicks the selector back when it pops out. I figure the previous owner of this tranny tried to force it into 4wd when the tranny wasn't having it, so now the fork is bent, preventing full engagement. Again, I'm pretty positive in my diagnosis..I just want to know if I can access and repair/replace this fork without removing the tranny..to be completely honest, if the trans has to come out this problem will just be ignored and Sue will have to live with being a FWD car. She's just my transportation when the weather is too fugly for my Kaw, not my dream car..so 4WD's not all that important to me, but if I can slam thru it in an afternoon I'd like to fix it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 Hi Doug, welcome aboard The man you need to talk to here has the screen name "Phizinza". Take a look at this post (has some good photo's that might help). click the link below Phiz's gearbox descript. Then use the PM (Private Message) system by clicking on his name, he will know the answer. Good luck and hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZRX Doug Posted April 15, 2007 Author Share Posted April 15, 2007 Hi Doug, welcome aboard The man you need to talk to here has the screen name "Phizinza". Take a look at this post (has some good photo's that might help). click the link below Phiz's gearbox descript. Then use the PM (Private Message) system by clicking on his name, he will know the answer. Good luck and hope this helps. THANK YOU! P/M sent, and I'll post his reply here if he doesn't himself, so's y'all can find out the exciting conclusion to this gripping drama.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phizinza Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 I've just got to this while I'm at a friends house about to leave for a offroad trip for the week, so if I don't reply to any other questions you'll know why. It sounds like maybe it's a detent spring not doing it's job, but it could be plenty of other things too. The "detent" spring pushes a ball bearing into a notch in the shift fork to prevent it from just sliding back out of gear (in this case, out of 4wd into fwd.) These are normally held in the case by a screw with a square nut on the end, but some of them are also internal, I don't remember off hand where the PT4WD 4WD selector forks detent is. But it would be near the top of the rear section of the case. Try looking around where the 4WD sensor switch is. If you do find it, and pull it, watch out because the spring sometimes like to pop out and hide in dark places where you won't be able to find them To get to the internal shifter, you will have to drop the trans, well, to some degree anyhow. You might be able to unbolt the exhuast and gearbox crossmember and then lower it down on a jack or something. Just watch those engine mounts and make sure you don't rip them. This may give access to the top of the box where you'll find a flat steel plate, under there is the shift fork. And a couple of rods to transfer the shift from the lever to the 4wd fork to the low range. Oh, and brings something else to mind, the detent and sensor switch are in the rear casing as well, so if you find one detent it may be the low range and not the 4wd. If you do have a bent shift fork or something in there is bent, you will have to remove the casing I'd bet to fix it. You should be able to do this under the car.... Remove all the bolts around the casing that attach the rear part to the front two halves. Then remove all the gear lever linkages, low range on the front, 4wd on the back, gear selector on the side. And then you *should* beable to pull the rear casing off. It will be tight as there is 2 or three bearings that push into the casing that are very close to interference fit. Good luck mate, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZRX Doug Posted April 16, 2007 Author Share Posted April 16, 2007 Cool! That's just what I wanted to hear..I'll see about tearing into it next weekend. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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