Looking for help opening up transmission

[Spc2125]

Hey everyone,

I have an 06 spec b and have been having trouble with the transmission. It started on the 29th of september when a bunch of lgt's went to go get dyno'ed.

I put mine on the dyno but i wasnt getting power to the rear wheels and it would make a loud grinding noise coming from the transmission. I thought bad center diff.

So i gave it to my mechanic to look at and also his colleague who replaces center diffs all day for work and they both concluded that based on the symptoms that the center diff wasnt the problem. Meanwhile my mechanic noticed i had a stuck left caliper. He fixed that and i went back to go dyno.... same thing happened again.

But it sounds fine while driving, although i think i hear a whining sound while driving. But i dont hear the grinding sound. So, the other day it snowed and I was driving up a really snowy steep hill and would think with the subie i would have no trouble. I start to go up it, but the car was sent to the left and then to the right and back to the left and to the right all while climbing the hill and WITHOUT me turning the steering wheel. So there is definitely somthing wrong with the awd system.

So then i go down the hill and end up sliding into a snow bank 4 inches from a fire hydrant thank god! So i put it in reverse and try to get out of the snow... but i hear the grinding noise for the first time besides on the dyno. The front wheels must have been spinning and the car was barely moving. So at that point i decided there is definitely somthing wrong and I need to address it before I crash in the snow.

Heres my situation. I dont have 2k to replace the transmission nor the money to waste to pay a mechanic $400 to open up the transfer case to see what the problem is.

So I was looking to see if anybody in the Central Mass area (Im from Worcester) that has experience doing this kind of thing, would lend a hand in helping me see whats going on in there?

Would happily supply beer

Thanks,

Steven

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[claythrow]

What hours are you talking?

[Spc2125]

Originally Posted by claythrow

What hours are you talking?

If your talking about availability, weekends whenever arr best best. But id be willing to try and work around my schedule anyone who is willing to help.

[Legatron02]

Maybe a tranfercase issue... you prolly don't get and grinding while driving it because all the wheels are moving at the same speed, once your stuck (or on a dyno) the car won't keep all the wheels at the same speed and it sound like the fronts are getting the power.

[Spc2125]

So when you say transfer case issue are you saying its sometjing inside the transfer case thats the problem, i.e. viscous coupling, center diff, transfer bearing ?

[Spc2125]

bump

[iamrazor]

If you can't afford to have your car out of commission for the time it takes to properly diagnose / repair the issue, one option is buy a replacement that's known to be good and just swap them. Swapping a tranny isnt bad. Diving into one head first adds a few degrees of difficulty.

[Spc2125]

Swapping tranny would be $900 for tranny and $650 for labor....

[iamrazor]

I meant you swap it. Its not too bad with 2 or 3 people.

[Spc2125]

I dont have the know how to do it nor do i know anybody who does.
Since you think swapping transmissions is so easy, dont you think opening up the tail end of the transmission would be a breeze for you? Thus helping me out

[sport6]

To really see anything wrong with the transmission you will have to take it out anyway to see whats going on.

When it was on the dyno was it coming from the center of the car or the rear? I guess what I mean is it possible the rear diff is bad?

[Spc2125]

It was coming from the transmission def. Sometjing was binding. And you can check the center diff without pulling the transmission. Just open up the case and pull the driveshaft... i think

[Legatron02]

Originally Posted by Spc2125

So when you say transfer case issue are you saying its sometjing inside the transfer case thats the problem, i.e. viscous coupling, center diff, transfer bearing ?

Likely the center diff... I believe you can pull transfer case without dropping the tranny. If that is the problem, your prolly better off getting another one instead of fixing the one you have

[Spc2125]

Why do you say that?
$500 part vs a $900 part. And $400 for labor vs $650.
But I am looking into getting a used tranny with low miles, but shipping is killing me

[dhsmithh]

looking for 5spd or auto trans?

[Spc2125]

5 speed

[iamrazor]

from my quick searching the spec B does not share the same ratios as the WRX of that year. I was thinking you could get a WRX tranny on the cheap, but that may not be the case. Did you source a spec B specific tranny?

[Spc2125]

Can be a 05-09 lgt 5 speed. Or a 08+ wrx trans

[555ideways]

Are you looking for someone to fix a center diff or just open it up for you?

Leaving it in the car and trying to pull it apart on jackstands is not how that is done. Remove, tear down, inspect. If you pull it and bring to to my garage I don't mind opening it up for you. My garage is around the corner in Shrewsbury.

If you don't have the $400 to diagnose it, how are you going to get the money to actually remove, replace broken bits, and reinstall the parts? Don't mean that in a dickish way... this is probably the biggest service you'll ever do on that subaru. Start planning/budgeting accordingly! Sucks but that's the deal.

-Paddy

[Spc2125]

Well i have some money, but not money i can waste. For examplr, i wouldnt waste $400 on somebody just opening it up and determining the problem...only to have to open it up and fix the problem. Do you know what i mean?

But i might have decided the safer play here would be to find a low mileage used tranny and swap them. Then maybe try and see what was wrong with the old one so i can recoup some of the money.
Looking at around $1k for tranny and $650 for labor...give or take a couple hundreds for unexpected costs.

Let the saving begin!

P.s. Whats your shop called Paddy?
And do you specialize in subaru aftermarket parts and stuff?

[555ideways]

That seems sensible! I service my cars and some friends cars out of a small space in Shrewsbury. I've done plenty of subaru work from engines to gearboxes. I've owned 3-4 of them but have since moved away from subaru with my personal cars.

FYI, if you have that gearbox on the bench and can't figure out what's wrong with it... go to Bill @ DSG. He is by far the most competent and experienced gearbox/differential tech on the northeast. Ironically probably the cheapest too.

[Spc2125]

Think i should bring my car down to him and see if he can determine the problem?
Might not hurt to meet the guy