4EAT is dead in my 95' Legacy Outback, replace or do a 5MT swap?

[lockmedic]

Try to pick up a 4EAT, then decide if you want to do that on your back underneath the car while trying to line it up on the engine studs.

 

Other than that, it's pretty straightforward.

 

I do a lot of stuff in my driveway, but when it comes time to change a Subaru AT, I farm it out to the trans shop across the street. They're just too damn heavy.

 

But if you do wanna tackle it, it goes a little something like this:

 

Topside:

 

-Disconnect battery.

-Pull all bolts/nuts on RH side of trans.

-Remove top starter bolt and disconnect electrical connections from starter.

-Unhook electrical connections to trans and front O2 sensor

-Remove pitch stopper bolt and swing pitch stopper out of the bracket on trans.

-remove any superfluous brackets for airbox, etc.

-Remove ground strap to trans

 

Fun bit:

 

-Unbolt converter from flexplate. Only place you can do it is through the little black plug at the back of the engine near the throttle body. It's a tight fit with the manifold in place. I do it with a flex head ratchet wrench. If you don't have one, you will hate your life unless you pull the manifold. There are 4 12mm bolts, they come out easy once you break them loose. Small blessing, I suppose.

 

Underneath:

 

-Jack car up, place securely on stands

-Drain trans, and diff if you're feeling froggy.

-Remove y-pipe.

-Disconnect axles. You decide how you wanna unhook the outboard end. . .I always do the pinch bolt on the ball joint but I don't live in the rust belt. I get chastised for doing it that way.

-Remove exhaust shield so you can access driveshaft.

-unbolt driveshaft flange from rear diff

-Unbolt driveshaft carrier bearing and remove driveshaft. Have a pan ready at the tail end of the trans to catch any ATF that will no doubt try to soak your head once you remove the driveshaft.

-Remove remaining bolts on left side of trans and starter nut.

-Disconnect fluid lines to cooler at trans.

 

Get your trans jack ready. Don't have one? I would hate to be you.

 

-Support the trans, remove rear trans crossmember.

-Slide (wrestle) trans backward to slide off studs on block. Might have to go topside to break it off the dowel pins first.

- Lower trans down

- Realize the trans is too tall even with the jack all the way down to roll it out from under the car. Curse your life, then try to:

a: slide the 200 lb trans off the jack without damaging it, or

b: raise the car up high enough to clear the trans. Hope you've got some really tall jack stands, or temporarily lift the whole front of the car with an engine crane. . . that's how I do it, when I'm a glutton for punishment.

 

Made it this far?

 

Do all of that in reverse.

 

Actually, the reassembly typically goes faster than removal because you don't waste time trying to break fasteners loose.

[johnegg]

+10, what he said.

 

two things to note;

 

1/ read up on how to seat your torque converter.

if it is not fully seated you will destroy your ''new'' trans.

you may not need to do it,

and it is not hard to do.

but if you do not know it has to be done you can miss it.

 

2/ DO NOT dent the trans oil pan.

if you do, you will pinch some wiring inside the pan.

and you'll just have to open it and un-dent it .

not an impossible job,

but easy to avoid.

 

good luck.

 

ps: there is not a filter inside the pan,

so no need to open it and do anything in side before the install.

 

when you drain the trans pan,

there will still be about 6 qts of fluid still inside.

and it WILL pour out the rear output opening when you lower that end.

[Kwiatkowski]

Okay, so I may pull the engine and trans together, I saw somewhere that it's easier to pull both together when swapping replacing the trans. Unfortunately I can't find the link anywhere so hoping one of you knows! In the mean time I'm gonna keep looking.

[lockmedic]

Not unless you're taking the crossmember loose and dropping them both out the bottom. . .

 

It's tough to get the trans to clear the crossmember even when the engine is out first. That diff pumpkin adds a lot of height to the trans and there's barely room for it to clear.

 

Have you priced what it would cost to have it done at a local shop? What's your time worth?

[Kwiatkowski]

I haven't priced it at a shop yet, I can get a trans for 75 from pull a part but have to get it out. So that'll be a trial for my car. I think I'll see if I can use a lift at a local shop to do the job. I don't know what they would charge for work but it'll probably be more than I can invest. Just want to get my subaru driving so that I can prep if for winter in the mountains. And hey, just noticed that you aren't that far from me (boone, NC).