subsince77 Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 Hi All, The rear differential on my 97 OB seems to have disintegrated. I have not pulled it apart yet, but it went out on the road today. There is much play on the right axel. Anyway, this is a 97 Legacy OB with 194000 miles on it. It has been a great car with no HG issues, or anything else for that matter. It is still running very strong, and I plan to do the 100,000 mile work soon (for the second time) to see how long I can run it. Assuming it is the differential, would I be better off with a junkyard replacement, or a new or remanufactured one? Can anyone point me to a good source for a used or reman diff for this car? I am in Colorado. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 Hi. Sorry about the diff. Of course just make sure whatever rear diff you get has the same ratio as the one you have now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcspeer Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 If you have never used junk yard dog.com now would be a good time to try it. You just put your part request in and it goes out to many yards around the U.S. and the ones that have your part will contact you by e-mail. Their is a few yards that contact you every time and ask you to contact them but you will learn these after you use the service a while and be able to deal with the good ones. I really like this service when you find something you like check them out with the B.B.B. and make sure they are reliable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 i would buy a used one from the yards, they vary rarely fail. i'd guess yours ran out of gear oil...dripped out probably and the metal overheated and chewed it up over time. buying new or rebuilt would be insane. i have one from a 1997 Legacy LSi EJ25 DOHC sedan. the yards will likely be cheaper than me, but you can contact me if you're striking out elsewhere. also put start a thread in the "parts wanted" forum here, someone else may have one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 if it's an auto trans it's a 4.44 ratio and any rear diff from a 2.5L auto trans will work, 96 - 99. if manual it going to be a 4.11 ratio and you have your choice of 2.5L manuals 96-99 or 2.2L autos 95 - 99. these links should confirm. http://www.northursalia.com/techdocs/trannychart/trannychart.pdf http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?t=13500&sid=7add370daf15909c801cba58%20f69c2cbd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edrach Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Check the northursalia transmission post in the USRM as noted in the previous post to make sure you get a rear diff with the right ratio. My first choice would be a junkyard diff. My second choice (only for the money difference) would be to call CCRinc. I don't think they would steer you wrong. Good luck; I hope to make it to the third 100K service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svxpert Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 <<I Need A Read Diff For 97 OB >> I have a new 4:11 ratio rear diff. $150 shipped. pics below... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsince77 Posted October 25, 2007 Author Share Posted October 25, 2007 Thanks for all the info. I didn't know what gear ratio I needed. I'm not sure exactly what happened yet. It won't get torn down until Friday or Monday. I have never purchased anything from this forum. I wouldn't mind buying one from someone here, but how do you verify anything on this site? I will post in the parts wanted area too. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avk Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 If you do need a rear diff. and this one has the correct ratio, there's nothing you should fear about buying this one. Also, I'd like to be the next in line, to get it just in case, unless someone else needs a diff. urgently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edrach Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Thanks for all the info. I didn't know what gear ratio I needed. I'm not sure exactly what happened yet. It won't get torn down until Friday or Monday. I have never purchased anything from this forum. I wouldn't mind buying one from someone here, but how do you verify anything on this site? I will post in the parts wanted area too. Thanks again. Check the number on your transmission; it'll be on the bell housing near the starter; something like TY-752VXCA. You can also find the number on the VIN# plate on the driver's side fender inside the engine compartment. Then check the transmission chart found in the USRM and it'll tell you whether you have a 4.11 or 3.90 if you have a manual transmission. You do have a manual and not an automatic??? http://www.northursalia.com/techdocs/trannychart/trannychart.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 If you look at the top right of the poster's information bar, you will see an 'iTrader' indication. You can click there if there is a number to see feedback the user has received from previous transactions conducted on the board, sort of like eBay's feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 he still hasn't said if it's a manual or automatic. this will dictate the ratio of his diff. differential are heavy. shipping them acros the country will cost. closer may be cheaper. i personnaly would go with used. you don't need a 0k miles diff in your car if it's got 200k miles on it. a good used one with 75 - 100k wil work great and you can probably find one for 50$ -75$. if you have to have new / rebuilt, i see no reason not to buy the one pictured. i have never heard of any one here knowingly selling a bad part. if you are looking for used try here, sort your search by distance: http://www.car-part.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsince77 Posted October 25, 2007 Author Share Posted October 25, 2007 Thanks some more to everyone. yes this is a manual transmission, so it sounds like the 4.11 is the one right? I will go over and check the vin# later today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edrach Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 Thanks some more to everyone. yes this is a manual transmission, so it sounds like the 4.11 is the one right? I will go over and check the vin# later today.Check the vin# first; they will tell you which ratio is right. If I remember correctly, the 97 OBS uses a 3.900. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 i saw a junkyard was listing 97 OBW as having 3.9, but i've seen 4.11 suggested elsewhere for all manual EJ25's. this confusion comes up all the time. there's a comprehensive list for subaru manual transmissions though, just not sure where to find it. probably needs to be put in the USRM once we dig it up again, it's needed often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edrach Posted October 25, 2007 Share Posted October 25, 2007 i saw a junkyard was listing 97 OBW as having 3.9, but i've seen 4.11 suggested elsewhere for all manual EJ25's. this confusion comes up all the time. there's a comprehensive list for subaru manual transmissions though, just not sure where to find it. probably needs to be put in the USRM once we dig it up again, it's needed often.The list is in the USRM. Here's the link: http://www.northursalia.com/techdocs/trannychart/trannychart.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsince77 Posted October 26, 2007 Author Share Posted October 26, 2007 Yup. #Ty752VACCA shows 4.11. Maybe I should post this as a separate thread, but after looking at the parts, I can't figure out what happened. I was driving on the interstate at about 72 mph. I went over a very slight rough patch of pavement, no potholes or anything like that, and the rear end started a mild shudder like you would feel from an out of balance rear wheel. I slowed to below 65 and the shudder stopped. I accelerated and it started again. Thinking I might have a tire going flat or something, I pulled over. I yanked on the wheels and did notice a little play, so I thought I had better get off the highway and check it out better. When I would start out in first gear, it felt almost like the clutch was not engaging. I think the transaxle was trying to put all the power to the rear end because the one side was not engaged. Anyway, what had happened was that the left rear axle had pulled out of the differential. We have not disassembled the diff, but even after I drove it quite a ways, there does not appear to be a lot of damage to the carrier. The very end of the axle shaft, beyond the groove for the retaining ring is a bit scarred, but the rest looks fine. The CV’s feel fine. The ring itself was still in place in the diff. So my question is, why would the axle have pulled out like that? I was contemplating just putting it all back together, but I know I wouldn't trust it much. I think I will guy the diff from svxpert, and maybe replace the axle too. Any thoughts on why this would happen? Thanks as always. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edrach Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 Well, I'm glad we have the ratio nailed down! Anyway, my suspicion is the diff is okay. Check the axle on the side that pulled out. Outer joint doesn't move in and out more than an 1/8"---that's normal. Inner joint should move in and out about 1-1/2" total. I think if the inner joint seized in the shortest position, the axle would pull out given enough shaking like you experience on a rough stretch. If it's not a bad axle, I'm mystified. Let us know what you find. Lastly, I think you'll find the diff is okay. Do you have it out of the car? If so, there are a few obvious checks you could make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsince77 Posted October 26, 2007 Author Share Posted October 26, 2007 It will be out tomorrow. I'm not the one doing the work, but it is a good friend of mine. So far all we could see was a little wear on the outer edge of the carrier, the inside feels fine. We could do any checks that you suggest. I might as well ask at this point what anyone thinks of NAPA Axles. Subaru says they don't reman rear axles only fronts. That means that a NAPA is $66, and a Subaru $414.35. Guess which one I'm leaning toward. Also, if the left axle did seize, would it be prudent to replace both? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edrach Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 It will be out tomorrow. I'm not the one doing the work, but it is a good friend of mine. So far all we could see was a little wear on the outer edge of the carrier, the inside feels fine. We could do any checks that you suggest. I might as well ask at this point what anyone thinks of NAPA Axles. Subaru says they don't reman rear axles only fronts. That means that a NAPA is $66, and a Subaru $414.35. Guess which one I'm leaning toward. Also, if the left axle did seize, would it be prudent to replace both?If the rear axles on the car are the original and the left one is the culprit; I'd think that replacing both would be smart (200K! the axle doesn't owe you much). Do a search of MWE axles on this site; they share space with CCRinc (engine rebuilder in Denver). I've bought two front axles from MWE 5 months ago and used both (one each on my Legacy and Impreza) and both work just fine and workmanship and quality of the boots are excellent. Certainly worth a call from you. I don't know how close to Denver you are but I'm in the Seattle area and the $25 shipping per axle was a small price to pay in addition. My guess is the axle seized, but I think you need to investigate this further since there needs to be a pretty significant reason for an axle to pop out of the diff. Good luck with the repair. http://www.ccrengines.com/mwe/ Rear axles: http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/pts/458817396.html This might be worth exploring. Even with shipping you should be able to save some money if that's an issue. And 98K means there's 102K left! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 do the rear axle stubs pop out like the front axle stubs do? i read where front axle stubs have popped out of the trans just ot be popped back in and keep going. or this may be just be axle time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsince77 Posted October 26, 2007 Author Share Posted October 26, 2007 Thanks, I emailed MWE. I am 3 hours from Denver, over several passes, but that's a great place to have them shipped from. When I say it popped out, it popped loose past the clip and disengaged form the differential. It didn't fall to the ground or anything obviously. But yeah, that is my concern, why did this happen. I maintain my car well, and listen for unusual noises all the time. There was no warning that I could tell. I am inclined to just replace everything, but money is an issue, so if all I need is axles that's what I will do. What should I check on the differential? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheYeti Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 You might want to inquire about this one: http://denver.craigslist.org/pts/458553031.html It's been up there for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edrach Posted October 26, 2007 Share Posted October 26, 2007 You might want to inquire about this one: http://denver.craigslist.org/pts/458553031.html It's been up there for a while. Only problem here is whether this diff is a 3.900 or 4.11. If it's 4.11, this is a great price on a used diff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsince77 Posted October 26, 2007 Author Share Posted October 26, 2007 Only problem here is whether this diff is a 3.900 or 4.11. If it's 4.11, this is a great price on a used diff. I wrote and asked him, no response yet. How would you tell by looking at the differential which one it is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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