mcbrat Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 I don't really have time to do a tranny swap, and I might just drive it 'til it gives up...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Hard to say. As they chew themselves up, more metal gets in the oil, then they chew themselves up some more. I wouldnt go on any long trips. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Hard to say. As they chew themselves up, more metal gets in the oil, then they chew themselves up some more. I wouldnt go on any long trips. nipper nipper, i was really expecting a little more from you like..... how long will bad front diff bearings last? until it fails. on a more serious note, how do you know it's the front diff bearings?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 i would imagine you drive a manual, but if it was an automatic you could try running it RWD which would lessen the rate of failure possibly and might not even matter depending how/what is failing. for a manual if you can find a way to "cause" torque bind you could do the same. if the trans is trashed anyway. i know it's repairable but EJ trans are so cheap and easy to find i can't imagine you'll be repairing the front diff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 nipper, i was really expecting a little more from you like..... until it fails. on a more serious note, how do you know it's the front diff bearings?? Well if hes asking, technuically they have already failed. I think the better question is something along the lines of "how long before the differntial falls out of the car", or "chews itself up into isty bitsy bits". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbrat Posted April 11, 2008 Author Share Posted April 11, 2008 wheel bearings checked out okay. and I found this.... I can grab the DOJ, with only 2 fingers and move it as shown in the diagram. it moves probably a quarter inch in each direction (I didn't measure, but it was the largest movement I've ever seen at a diff stub) even my dying ea d/r tranny didn't have that much slop..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 oh wow, that's interesting. run that bad boy RWD for another couple years! ah..i see it's as i suspected - 5MT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbrat Posted April 11, 2008 Author Share Posted April 11, 2008 Well if hes asking, technuically they have already failed. I think the better question is something along the lines of "how long before the differntial falls out of the car", or "chews itself up into isty bitsy bits". that's about right..... I've offroaded and driven on the highway 400 miles with a trans that was losing internal parts (syncro keys are what came out of the drain plug, 3 in total over time) it still got me home but was noisy (really bad) and was replaced after that... obviously this is a different failure. I've also had a front diff lose a couple of teeth on the ring gear going 65 on the highway.... sounded like a helicopter was trying to land on top of the car that one was ugly.... had to have it towed. the car would have shaken itself apart otherwise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbrat Posted April 11, 2008 Author Share Posted April 11, 2008 oh wow, that's interesting. run that bad boy RWD for another couple years! ah..i see it's as i suspected - 5MT. and the last 14,000 miles have been seeing how this tranny holds up to the Turbo engine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbrat Posted April 11, 2008 Author Share Posted April 11, 2008 run that bad boy RWD for another couple years! ah..i see it's as i suspected - 5MT. hmmm. now there's a thought........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Well if anything, a differential is a big tough peice or metal. Its the main pinon gear that tends to take the beating. They usually die long painful deaths (noisey) when the bearings are in good shape, but for instance, they run out of lube. Now the bearings are what keep everything true. THats why its hard to predict whats going to go on. I dont think youll get much warning when it finally does let go aside from maybe a bang, or some gear grinding noise. It may be quiter in reverse then forward. nipper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbrat Posted April 15, 2008 Author Share Posted April 15, 2008 oh wow, that's interesting. run that bad boy RWD for another couple years! ah..i see it's as i suspected - 5MT. I just turn the music up I'm on the lookout for a replacement trans... but may also go down the path of putting a 80k 5 speed D/R in I thought initially, it might be an axle, because if I turn to the right, it stops making noise, but it's got the whump whump whump of bearings and it's definitely coming from the front end. it's not a sound I associate with the DOJ going bad.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 wheel bearings checked out okay. and I found this.... I can grab the DOJ, with only 2 fingers and move it as shown in the diagram. it moves probably a quarter inch in each direction (I didn't measure, but it was the largest movement I've ever seen at a diff stub) even my dying ea d/r tranny didn't have that much slop..... I've seen slop like that on manys Subaru front diffs. It worried me at first. But recently I opened up one of the those diffs and all was fine. Seems MOST of the slop I was feeling was actually the stub moving in the splined portion of the diff. Autos are more prone to this as they are held by spring clips. IDK, but You may be worrying too much. You could try tightening the retaining plates a notch or 2 in on both sides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i_c_the_light Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Depends on how hard you beat the car. When I replaced the gearbox in my turbo Legacy with a V2 STi 'box I noticed the "WHUMP WHUMP WHUMP" straight away. I ignored it for ages, but now after doing a track day and moving across the country it's gotten to the point where cranking up the sounds makes it go away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbrat Posted July 31, 2008 Author Share Posted July 31, 2008 I've seen slop like that on manys Subaru front diffs. It worried me at first. But recently I opened up one of the those diffs and all was fine. Seems MOST of the slop I was feeling was actually the stub moving in the splined portion of the diff. Autos are more prone to this as they are held by spring clips. IDK, but You may be worrying too much. You could try tightening the retaining plates a notch or 2 in on both sides. We have a Winner... since I was trying to sell it, I took it into the dealer for diagnosis. Wheel Bearing. so Mr. Zap sent me a spare OBS knuckle he had, and when I went to install it, the axle would not come out of it, and while yanking beating on it, the CV fell apart. so now, a new axle, and used knuckle later, the noise is gone..... ABS is also non-Op now until a OBW knuckle (ABS) goes back in it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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