September 30, 200718 yr Since I don't have an owner's manual I don't know. I've driven it in 4wd on dry pavement a few times and I didn't notice anything unusual, but I still don't know..
September 30, 200718 yr Author Ah, well what I meant to ask was, is the 4wd system on my Loyale a full-time or part-time system? I know on trucks with a part-time 4wd it's not recommended to drive in 4wd on pavement as there's a risk of severe driveline damage (seen it happen, not pretty) but trucks have a seperate transfer case, does that make a difference?
September 30, 200718 yr If its a single range pushbutton, then no its not safe to drive on dry pavement in 4wd. If its the full time 4wd single range, then yes it is which is an early AWD setup. Short and blunt, no, not a good idea unless you wanna ruin the tranny.
September 30, 200718 yr NO! You should not drive on dry pavement. Your Subaru is part-time, and you risk damaging your transmission if you continue. The Full Time 4WD Subaru's, and the AWD Subaru's (pretty much the same exact thing) have a differential built into the transmission to allow the front & rear differentials to travel at different speeds, allowing you to drive on Pavement. Your Single Range 4WD Transmission, and the Dual Range Transmissions do not have a differential at all. They use a solid rod to connect the front and rear differentials, so they spin at the same speed at all times, and if you make a turn you bind the transmission and things start to lock up. It helps if all your tires are identical, but its still not safe. -Brian
September 30, 200718 yr Author NO! You should not drive on dry pavement. Your Subaru is part-time, and you risk damaging your transmission if you continue. -Brian O crap!! Well luckily the few times I have driven in 4wd on pavement I didn't go too far or too fast. Ooo, hope my gearbox whine doesn't mean I broke something..
September 30, 200718 yr Not sure what the whine would be. If you broke something, you would know for sure, as gears would stop working or 4WD would stop working. Ive done it on a few occasions. One time i was dumb enough to do it with a donut spare on the car... i didnt make it through the intersection before the tires locked up and the car refused to move. I had to lift the front of the car to releave the stress put on the axles and shift back into 2WD. A tranny flush would most likely take care of your whine. -Brian
September 30, 200718 yr Author I was worried about the driveline, so I went outside and took it for a little spin...and promptly got it stuck! I was going between two ridges on a ATV trail and I crossed at too sharp of an angle so my right rear wheel got lifted off the ground by about 4 inches. I got out and shoved the car back on the the RR wheel which lifted the LF wheel off by about 4 inches. After a few minutes of spinning and swearing, I got out and jammed a few rocks under the LF wheel and stuffed my donut spare under the RR wheel and it drove right out! I know now that the 4wd still works just as it should. I also determined the gearbox whine occurs only in 1st gear. A tranny fluid and rear diff fluid change is in order.
October 1, 200718 yr It's good you dident do it too long. And it's good no damage accured. Now since the subject came up. Do i really need to change the tranny filter wehni change the tranny fluid? And i can't get the plug loose on the rear dif.. What to do? I want to check/change the rear dif fluid....
October 1, 200718 yr I do not believe the transmission has an oil filter on it. And the rear diff plug should have a square input for a standard 1/2 ratchet or breaker bar. I usually use a breaker bar because they have more leverage. -Brian
October 1, 200718 yr It's good you dident do it too long. And it's good no damage accured. Now since the subject came up. Do i really need to change the tranny filter wehni change the tranny fluid? And i can't get the plug loose on the rear dif.. What to do? I want to check/change the rear dif fluid.... Make sure you can loosen the filler plug before you drain the diff, if you are having difficulty removing the drain plug... It wouldn't be good to drain the oil, only to discover that the filler plug (which has NOT been submerged in oil on one side for X years, as the drain plug has) is even more firmly seized than the drain plug!!
October 1, 200718 yr Everyones going to go "boo who, rahh rahh, blahdy blah" but that won't stop me saying this. I drove my Brat many a time in 4WD on dry black top. I probably clocked up 1000km like that. And I'm not light footed. The good old 4sp still felt the same after it, sounded the same, and went on living in my brothers wagon for a few months. Its still a good box, its just the wagon lost its engine and lift kit so no the box isn't used. No weird noises, no clunks. Not saying its a good thing to do, just letting you know that these gearboxes can take it (in most cases.) Only problem it caused was the opening up of my rear DOJ cups. Which wasn't bad until I welded the rear diff.. And that probably would of been alrightish except I then drove it down the road a couple of times in 4WD with the axle in the rear.. But the gearbox and diff and propshaft all survived.. Just the axles that didn't.. Ok, ok... Doing this is a bad idea and no one should follow in my foot steps.. Happy now? But it was fun having "AWD" in a stockish Brat... Now I have real AWD and its just as good only doesn't bend and stretch things.
October 1, 200718 yr Make sure you can loosen the filler plug before you drain the diff, if you are having difficulty removing the drain plug... It wouldn't be good to drain the oil, only to discover that the filler plug (which has NOT been submerged in oil on one side for X years, as the drain plug has) is even more firmly seized than the drain plug!! I don't really know either if there is an oil filter in the tranny? From what i've see you need to remove the tranny oil pan and it's in there. It's flat like a Air filter... Anyhoo yeah i can't get the filler plug to loosin? And yeah i was useing a 1/2" BIG ratchet and really sooked it with WD-40 but i'm affride if i go to hard i might brake it? Not that it's rusty/coroted. So should i just keep going on it with a Braker bar? Will it strip the aluminum dif cover plug hole?
October 1, 200718 yr I don't really know either if there is an oil filter in the tranny? From what i've see you need to remove the tranny oil pan and it's in there. It's flat like a Air filter... Anyhoo yeah i can't get the filler plug to loosin? And yeah i was useing a 1/2" BIG ratchet and really sooked it with WD-40 but i'm affride if i go to hard i might brake it? Not that it's rusty/coroted. So should i just keep going on it with a Braker bar? Will it strip the aluminum dif cover plug hole? I know nothing about the trans filter, so I cant help you... but, worst case scenario.. you either don't change your diff oil, or you get a breaker bar and a big pipe and shear things to bits, and need to go to a junkyard and get a new rear cover plate for the diff. They cant charge TOO much for it...
October 1, 200718 yr Sh1t i don't want to brake it...... Hummm maybe if i keep puttng WD on it it might loosen up... See i got this car July 2006 and i don't know how it was take'en care of.. Well i have a pretty good idea it was not treated good. Well will see what happens. I'll go throw some more WD on it and maybe this weekend it will come loose:) Sorry for thread stealing........
October 1, 200718 yr PS: It does unscrue like a ragular bolt right?? Lefty loosey, Righty tighty Right???
October 1, 200718 yr Head on down to a parts store and get yourself some PB Blaster... give that a shot instead of the WD40... PB's a better penetrant than the WD and should get it loose for ya
October 1, 200718 yr Yeah you know i keep hearing about PB blaster around the site but never knew what it was... Alright i'll give that a try.. Thank's bro.
October 1, 200718 yr And remember... drilling and retapping a filler/drain hole isn't so bad... And I have seen simple plugs to replace stripped oil pan plugs. They look kinda like a boat plug... A screw mech. that draws up on a rubber plug to fill the hole. Never used one for hot oil, but they sell them for it!
October 1, 200718 yr PB B'Laster makes WD-40 look like water, and Sea Foam Deep Creep makes PB B'Laster look like WD-40. there is no reason in the world it wouldnt be right hand thread (lefty loosey) but I can't say that with certainty, because ive never taken it off. It would be the single stupidest thing on the entire car if that plug is left hand thread, I will say that much.
October 1, 200718 yr Alright. I just wanted to get another person to agree that it would be right hand thread. Because i don't want to wast time and effert going the wrong way Hahahahaah:lol: Thank's
October 1, 200718 yr Both my Loyale and GL wagons are lefty loosey for both the drain and filler plugs as they should be. Would be very annoying if it were otherwise. I usually have to get a long breaker bar when I'm first taking them out after years of neglect. Once it starts turning it should be fine. Beware though, that oil is nasty stuff. Smells bad too
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