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Changing Transmission Fluid and Rear Diff Fluid- Notes


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Um...are you guys talking about MT vehicles? I assume you must be since 2006Specb122 has got to be a MT.

 

Would you pay $131 for an oil change? $300 is beyond insane. Changing the diff oil & transmission oil on a MT is as easy as an oil change (it is an oil change) and it uses about the same amount of oil, which costs about the same as engine oil & there's no filters to change.

 

IMO - you're getting taken if you pay more than $50 for the whole 9 yards (ok, $80 if you're talking synthetic). Us AT folk are in a bit of a different position since it would take like 12 quarts of spendy ATF to "flush" the system, plus 3 qts of gear oil for 2 differentials, but all you have to do is drain & refill two gear boxes (tranny & rear diff) and you're done...?

 

 

Yeah you're right Jazzy! They're doing nothing but making money hand over fist. I was thinking that I'd want to have SOME service done at major intervals just to have the dealer inspect and see if there was anything I might miss.

 

I don't have a lift so it's hard to get under there to work. The more I think about it the more I think you're right. It is an OIL change. I don't have all the tools but those can be had for less than $300.

 

Do I have to "FLUSH" to change over to synthetic or should I just go with a long drain and refill with the GOOD stuff.

 

I guess I'll just take the car in for the brake and coolant flush and that's all I'll pay them for? How does that sound?

 

I still think the prices for the brake at 116 and the coolant at 129 is too high. So I guess I'll be having someone else do it.

 

Man...with these high of prices the dealer I bought my car from isn't going to get much of my business at all are they?

 

How about asking them to adjust their prices for me or I'll go somewhere else.

Think they will budge?

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Yea - I understand the sentiment - I've never done all this other "stuff" myself before either - preferring to have a "pro" look at my car at the same time, but after all the screwups at my dealership, I took on the 30k maint. myself & couldn't be less impressed with how easy most of it is...

 

Coolant change:

1) One plastic drain plug easily removed with a screwdriver.

2) $18 for one gallon of Subaru coolant, $1 for a gallon of distilled & $1.25 for a bottle of conditioner.

3) Done.

 

Front diff:

1) Drain oil

2) Fill oil

3) Done

 

Rear diff:

1) Rinse and repeat from front.

 

ATF change:

1) Rinse and repeat from rear

2) Run the engine a few minutes & do it again.

 

I haven't done the brake fluid yet - my pads were ok & I wanted to change the pads at the same time as bleeding + etc., but most of this other stuff really is a walk in the park. I don't see any issue with simply draining & refilling to change to synthetic. My rear diff oil was fairly black so I poured in a few teaspoons of the synthetic with the drain plug open to "shove" that little extra out, but it wasn't really necessary.

[CENTER][URL="http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18504"]Subaru Plug & Play Aux-in Mod[/URL][/CENTER] [CENTER][URL="http://www.jazzyengineering.com"]www.jazzyengineering.com[/URL][/CENTER]
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Yea - I understand the sentiment - I've never done all this other "stuff" myself before either - preferring to have a "pro" look at my car at the same time, but after all the screwups at my dealership, I took on the 30k maint. myself & couldn't be less impressed with how easy most of it is...

 

Coolant change:

1) One plastic drain plug easily removed with a screwdriver.

2) $18 for one gallon of Subaru coolant, $1 for a gallon of distilled & $1.25 for a bottle of conditioner.

3) Done.

 

Front diff:

1) Drain oil

2) Fill oil

3) Done

 

Rear diff:

1) Rinse and repeat from front.

 

ATF change:

1) Rinse and repeat from rear

2) Run the engine a few minutes & do it again.

 

I haven't done the brake fluid yet - my pads were ok & I wanted to change the pads at the same time as bleeding + etc., but most of this other stuff really is a walk in the park. I don't see any issue with simply draining & refilling to change to synthetic. My rear diff oil was fairly black so I poured in a few teaspoons of the synthetic with the drain plug open to "shove" that little extra out, but it wasn't really necessary.

 

 

WOW...

The coolant is really that easy?

IS there a walk through around here with pics or description of where that is?

 

I just did the in cabin air filter and it was super easy!

 

Man... I can save 129 by doing the coolant myself! I guess I'm getting closer to the 30k service being complete!

 

Especially since I really just want to run 50/50 watter wetter and water for the summer.

 

So my cost for the coolant change will be about $12 gucks for a bottle of watter wetter.

 

Should I used distilled water?

 

 

 

Thanks for all the info Jazzy...I should send you a gift certificate for dinner.... yeah brakes seem messy to me...I did them once A LONG time ago (10plus years) and its messy...maybe just leave that for the dealer and have them do some inspections.. less than $200 total to the dealer...and I do the rest...maybe that's a good solution.....

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The diameter of tubing I used was what came with the little pump that I had for the fluids, I just took it off and used that. If I had to guess I would say it is maybe 1/2" external diameter however.

 

2K miles since I did everything and it seems just fine.

 

Honestly if I had known where to refill from for the transmission, I think the whole job would have taken me about 20-30 minutes including letting everything drain.

 

I just had the coolant done at the dealership because I had to take it in for the fan recall anyway.

 

I don't like doing the coolant because in the past I have gotten air trapped in an engine before and killed stuff. However, I am going to add a bottle of water wetter, helpful down here in the heat.

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Well, I was going to do my Coolant fluid change....but Inigo Montoya has me worried.

 

I even installed a complete new radiator in one of my mustangs a few years back. Don't remember having any problems. I've never heard of this air trapped inside thing. This isn't one of those soap in the intercooler things is it?

 

RALLISPEC... I read a post earlier that someone contacted county and they said to flush it down the toilet. They said DO NOT put it in the storm drain.

 

They also recommend that you check with your local county.

 

Maybe, like oil, you can just take it to your local auto parts store.

 

 

I'm afraid of having any work done the car has ran flawless. And in 1.5 years and 30k miles NONE of the fluids have moved at all. Everything is SPOT on and NO leaks whatsoever. Added a tiny coolant maybe ONCE but other than that, brake fluid crystal clear, coolant looks good, etc etc etc....

 

Inigo, What happened to your car with AIR trapped in the system?

I would think the legacy would have that figured out....

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It was not a legacy that got the air trapped, it was a mid engined fiat (old) that had a horrible problem with getting air trapped in the hoses. I have just shyed away from doing coolant anymore.

 

I would say it is not too bad, but I have not personally done it on a subaru yet and will probably leave it to other folks. Plus I have pets, and pets plus spilled coolant = bad.

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There is a TSB on using a vacuum device to evacuate the cooling system first to refill with coolant, so it's not total BS. That said - I'm not too worried that the air won't simply be pushed out over time & replaced with coolant from the resevoir. That - and I have zero confidence that my dealership would fill it right anyway, so I'd rather do it my way and at least I know what was done. Maybe next time I will rig up a vacuum pump to do it "right", but for now, it seems to have drawn in the excess from the resevoir just fine.

 

As far as which water - you definitely want to use distilled - it's available at pretty much every supermarket for around $1 a gallon.

03 - Engine Coolant.pdf

[CENTER][URL="http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18504"]Subaru Plug & Play Aux-in Mod[/URL][/CENTER] [CENTER][URL="http://www.jazzyengineering.com"]www.jazzyengineering.com[/URL][/CENTER]
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Agreed, I just had my dealership doing it (they are mod friendly, and the tech who worked on my car is a member of the local awd club) so I was not worried about that, plus I handed them a bottle of water wetter and they added it to the system. It is almost a requirement down here with 115 degree temps coming soon.
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  • 2 weeks later...

going to walmart to get water and coolant.... wish me luck...

gallon of each?

that should do it....picked up my watter wetter at summit racing last week when I was in Reno... Yeah!!

(also picked up all my gear oil that day too) redline 7590

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  • 1 month later...
Guest Gitster

Question: I went to SummitRacing to research Redline.

 

I found Red Line products and selected 75W90NS for the Front Diff. I got Part Number RED-58304.

 

http://store.summitracing.com/egnsearch.asp?N=700+400236+4294872961+115+4294867205

 

Now for the rear I selected 75W90 .. I get several options. Plus there is a seperate search filter at the top that says "Limited Slip Additive Yes/No"

 

http://store.summitracing.com/egnsearch.asp?N=700+400236+4294872961+115+4294872849

 

Can anyone confirm the part number on the bottle of 75W90 they have used, limitied slip additive ? Or no ??

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ok 75W90NS is what you are supposed to use up front.

Good way to remember is this...

NS..NON SLIP....don't want the tranny/gears to slip to much...

gears need to catch...synchronize...

 

rear end... regular 75W90....it can slip more...

 

 

That's how I remember..

 

 

as for part nubmers...YES I have the same part number for 75W90NS...

RED-58304

 

None of my bottles have a label on them except the NS.

 

I just bought the bottle that I read that was correct...no part number...

plus I was IN THE STORE...non online. :)

 

I just looked up my sales receipt for you.....

Part number on my receipt was...

RED-57904

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Guest Gitster

http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/prod/small/red-57904_w_s.jpg RED-57904 Red Line Synthetic Gear Oils

Gear Lube, Transmission Fluid and Gear Oil, 75W90, Limited Slip, Synthetic, 1 qt., Each

Today $8.95 http://store.summitracing.com/global/images/1105/r_add_wishlist_btn.gif

http://store.summitracing.com/global/images/1105/icon_small_info.gif Additional Info (3,4 )

http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/prod/small/red-58204_w_s.jpg RED-58204 Red Line Heavy ShockProof Gear Oil

Gear Lube, Shockproof Heavy Gear Oil, 75W90, Limited Slip, Synthetic, 1 qt., Each

Today $9.75

 

 

WTF is shockproof oil ????

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Coolant change:

1) One plastic drain plug easily removed with a screwdriver.

2) $18 for one gallon of Subaru coolant, $1 for a gallon of distilled & $1.25 for a bottle of conditioner.

3) Done.

 

Jazzy, hopefully you're still subscribed to this thread.

I want to do this really soon..like this upcoming weekend. I have a few questions.

I haven't done this before, and all I have done is add Subaru coolant to the reservoir when it has gotten low.

I don't know what do to with the Gallon of distilled and the bottle of conditioner.

I think you have to "prepare" a fluid mixture, but what proportions, etc...

Also, what conditioner to get. Conditioner from the dealer? The dealer actually sells something that costs $1.25? :)

 

I read the portion of the service manual you posted..., and I have some questions:

2. Filling of Engine Coolant

1. Remove the collector cover

(What is the collector cover?)

And where do you fill in the coolant. There are two orange caps that say don't remove when hot under the hood. The first one is right next to the coolant reservoir cap. I think this is the radiator cap, and the notes say to not confuse the coolant fill cap with this cap.

So is it the second cap? This cap is back on the turbo side of the car, almost halfway inbetween the bumper and the firewall.

 

If that is the cap? What do I put in there?

 

Sorry for the stupid questions, but I haven't done this before.

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