eagleb Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Greetings, Currently, my 96 OBW AT with 122k miles is in the shop. I had them replace my AT with a 98OBW AT with ~70k as my trans had a leak between the front diff and trans, and was having some shifting issues. I am unsure of the vehicle history, the donor car had been sitting uncovered without an engine or front body panels/hood for about a year. Person with the car bought it from the owner who had crashed it in a ditch. Supposedly the front end damage would have been easily repaired, but the owner wanted the 2.5 for his sandrail project. The instrument cluster had been sold on ebay before I got to the car, so I'm trusting that the seller is telling the truth about mileage. Torque converter and driveline were still attached to the trans. Next time I talk to my mechanic, I'll ask if the at temp light is flashing and if they've put a fuse in the fwd holder. Final drive ratios are the same for the 96 and 98 OBWs I took a risk with this trans, as I was unsure of its history. but for $150, I couldn't pass it up. The Problem- Mechanic says the transmission is binding up real bad, evidently it seems worse than just the clutch packs to him (experienced soob mechanic and USMBer). I'm hoping my risk doesn't end up being a money pit. I seem to have bad luck in the drivetrain arena. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Sometimes with used automtaics, you have to bite the bullit and rebuild the clutch pack while its on the bnech. The same way that with a used engine you re seal it and replace the timing belts while its on the bench. This is because you just don't know its history. good luck nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 hgave you or your mechanioc check to make sure the final drive ratios are the same. there is an endwrench article describing how to check for matching front and rear diffs. something like: unplug the connector to the trans, jack up one side of the car, (both wheels) put the trans in neutral with hand brake off start the car now when you turn the rear tire by hand the front tire should match it turn for turn. this procedure locks the trans in 4WD so the wheels front and rear will turn exactly the same. it may not work on a limited slip differential. if this rules out the front and rear diffs being different, it has to be the clutch packs/ duty c problem. try the FWD fuse under the hood, pass. side between the fire wall and the strut tower. the duty c part online is less trhan 90$ (besure to get 2 gaskets) i'm not sure of the cost of the clutch discs. you are very close , don't give up now.!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 get those questions answered and we'll be more help: did they flush the fluid? does the AT Light flash 16 times on start up? does the binding go away with the FWD fuse? are the final drives FOR SURE the same. forget part numbers, you need to manually check, subaru trans interchange stuff is just too confusing and indeterminate sometimes. if the binding goes away with the FWD fuse, i would personally install a switch so i can selectively alternate between FWD and fully locked 4WD for snow/off road driving. it's actually BETTER that way, you'll have true 4WD on demand anyway. actually that is what i do to my subaru's, what am i talking about!?!? it would be super easy and not cost more than $10 for a switch and some wiring. if the FWD fuse works you have the option of just driving it in FWD. you could disconnect the rear driveshaft and at least for now drive it in FWD. at least you know it's completely driveable for now if you need it. you may have an alternate option: if you still have your old transmission (hopefully they didn't junk it?) you can install the entire rear transfer parts onto your new transmission without even removing the new transmission (the mechanic will like to hear that). clutches and duty C should have been good in your old one - you only mentioned shifting and leaks, nothing related to the clutches or torque bind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagleb Posted March 18, 2008 Author Share Posted March 18, 2008 I'll try to get some more input from the shop before they close this evening. I definitely will not give up on bloobaru. He's finally got leathers, a sweet sound system, and new HGs. After the trans issue is figured out, I'll have an almost brand new car (to me). Thanks for the quick replies, I'll report back asap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagleb Posted March 19, 2008 Author Share Posted March 19, 2008 It seems as though the clutch pack is the culprit. No at temp light, and the rear diffs match. It could just be a matter of re-breaking in the clutch pack, or swapping rear extension housings with the original trans which was in good enough shape. They said the trans was shifting well, so that's good news. A couple transmissions they had installed previously that were sitting in a yard for some time just needed to be driven 100 miles or so to get the clutch pack back in working order. My fingers are crossed. Thanks again for the help, I'll know tomorrow whether or not I'm going to need to have the rear extension housings swapped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 i assume they drained the old and filled with new fluid? did they try the FWD fuse? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagleb Posted March 20, 2008 Author Share Posted March 20, 2008 Well, I'll be going to get my car shortly. The binding didn't cure itself, so the rear extension housings were swapped, and binding is gone. boo-ya. I'm excited to try out my 'new' transmission Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagleb Posted March 21, 2008 Author Share Posted March 21, 2008 Well, it shifts better! However, before I start harassing the mechanic again... There is a vibration/shudder when I accelerate slowly from 1k - 1.5k rpm (most noticeable at about 1.25k rpm). The car doesn't stumble, and I can accelerate through it without a problem. Most noticeable when slowly starting from a stoplight/sign. Any thoughts? Also, the car didn't bind at all on on the way home, but did bind a bit this morning. However, the car, and weather, were quite cold, so I won't dwell on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Blu, who had a new clutch pack installed 40K ago, has a bit of torque bund on the first few turns in the morning, and when backing out of a parking space. I pay him no mind, since it goes away relativly quickly as he warms up. I wouldnt worry about it. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 as for the stumble i'm with nipper i wouldn't worry unless it gets work. it could even be non-transmission related - like the front CV inner joint (DOJ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagleb Posted March 21, 2008 Author Share Posted March 21, 2008 It's not too bothersome, might just be a new 'quirk' that comes along with a new transmission. Since it's RPM related, I'm assuming something's just slightly out of balance, and it's not an internal trans problem. Will definitely watch it for the next few weeks to see if it gets better/worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagleb Posted March 24, 2008 Author Share Posted March 24, 2008 On startup in the morning, the torque bind is accompanied by a popping type of sound. I've never heard this sound coming from my car before. It goes away once the car is warmed up, but I still don't like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Check your universal joints in the drive shaft, I wonder if one is in the process of seizing. Check your tranny mount, and your CV joints too. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagleb Posted March 24, 2008 Author Share Posted March 24, 2008 Wouldn't that problem be present more frequently? The issue feels like torque bind, with a popping sound, and goes away within a couple minutes of driving. What should I be checking for in the driveshaft ujoints and CVs? Tranny mount seemed like it was in good shape before the install. Thanks for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Arthritis doesnt happen over night either, it creeps up on you. Ever wake up stiff in the morning (your joints people ... to many filthy minds), then feel better as the day goes on? So does rust in universal joints. Check them out. nipprt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagleb Posted April 2, 2008 Author Share Posted April 2, 2008 The binding/popping seems to have worked itself out I guess sitting for over a year didn't keep the trans in prime condition. All it needed was some spirited driving to wake up. There is still a shudder at ~1500 rpm, but that'll be figured out soon enough. Thanks again for all the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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