4.44 swap party

[Subaru_Newbie]

ok i am as everyone knows in iraq right now. my wife is taking care of the suby. i will return sometime beginning of next year. would anyone be interested in a meet in Georgia and could help me out with my 4.44 swap. i figure we can cookout go on a scenic drive of pine mountain GA, and go to the local shop to use equipment... i really want to have a little mini meet and i figured i might as well ask the experts about my 4.44 swap so thats my plan. i know there arent many people in my area with svxs so maybe i could drive to a more central area as long as they have workspace we could use... anyway lemme know if this is a good idea or im just barkin up the wrong tree

[n00b on demand]

Hmm my cousin anish was in ft benning in 2003 for boot camp. He was in iraq for about 3 months and now is currently stationed in germany. I wonder if ya know him.

[svxfiles]

When you have your swap party, feel free to call me. :)
I won't be able to make it cause I'll be working. I'm allways working. :rolleyes:
I've got three 4.44 swaps so far, one scheduled for this weekend, one for my pearly, did a 4.11 with Rufus and friends...
If you get three qualified people, and a shop with a lift, you can finish the same day you start. :)

Good luck, and come home safe. Tom

[NeedForSpeed]

Hey SVXfiles!

Don't forget to count our 4.44 on your list. It's in the car, just little details left. But without help from the 4.44 KING, we could not have done this. Could swear you were here helping.


When you have your swap party, feel free to call me. :)
I won't be able to make it cause I'll be working. I'm allways working. :rolleyes:
I've got three 4.44 swaps so far, one scheduled for this weekend, one for my pearly, did a 4.11 with Rufus and friends...
If you get three qualified people, and a shop with a lift, you can finish the same day you start. :)

Good luck, and come home safe. Tom

[immortal_suby]

I was in pine mountain last week on business. We golfed at Callaway. I might be able to make it to something like this.

[Chiketkd]

ok i am as everyone knows in iraq right now. my wife is taking care of the suby. i will return sometime beginning of next year. would anyone be interested in a meet in Georgia and could help me out with my 4.44 swap. i figure we can cookout go on a scenic drive of pine mountain GA, and go to the local shop to use equipment... i really want to have a little mini meet and i figured i might as well ask the experts about my 4.44 swap so thats my plan. i know there arent many people in my area with svxs so maybe i could drive to a more central area as long as they have workspace we could use... anyway lemme know if this is a good idea or im just barkin up the wrong tree
Hey PM Svxhunter. He lives in GA and a little while back mentioned that he had a garage (possibly with a lift???) available for use by SVXers.

Glad you're going with 4.44's! Your SVX will be much faster afterwards... :cool:

-Chike

[Subaru_Newbie]

thanks for replying... i wont be home till beginning of next year so this could be a while. i live close to fort benning and they have a full shop open to us for $3 an hour plus waste disposal. lifts air tools paint booth everyhting you can imagine. im actually going there to borrow the welder to delete my cats on my exhaust. but anyway i would like 3 people to help i wish more svxers lived around here. does anyone know exactly what year i need to get tranny/etc from... and also does the 4.44 king have a parts list lol. i think i could handle this on my own but i need extra hands and the knowledge of someone who has already done this would help... because we all know what is simple on other cars can be insane on ours (stereo/speaker install) <--- that was a pain. anyway a write up would help also, i'm stuck out here in the desert and my laptop is overflowing with pictures of svxs and writeups for different mods (stage2/nos install coming soon) anyway thanks for the help!!! do i sound real needy? hehe

[Subaru_Newbie]

ok now im actually looking at some pictures of the swap... maybe i cant handle it on my own... anyway i hate to just pay some transmission shop to do it... (i doubt they would) maybe when i come home i can make it to a meet or maybe meet up with someone on here who has done it and we can knock it out... got any numbers as far as what the top speed drops to and how 0-60/ 1/4 times are in comparison... anyway hopefully some one can help me out with the swap. keep in mind im overseas and all my money is being poured into my car so im willing to go just about anywhere within 24 hours of driving (maybe further) to do this swap

[svxfiles]

For a 4.44 4EAT swap, A Legacy Outback from 1996-1998 have the correct gears and electrical connections.
The rear end MUST have five bolt side plates.
A rear from a 1996-1999 Forester, Legacy Outback or (I am told)an Impreza RS 1998-2003 can be made to work.
The rear is easier if you find a limited slip, but you can swap the limited slip from the SVX into the doner rear.
You MUST use the SVX electronic speed sensor, and you must remove the rubber shift cable mount off of the Outback trans.
You re-use your SVX axles, driveshaft, transmission crossmember, but use the outback trans mount.
When the rubber bushing shreads at the end of the shifter cable, just make one out of a short piece of fuel line.
The biggest thing to watch out for is getting the torque converter FULLY seated into the transmission. Check boxer6's locker, and my locker for pictures.
Read and re-read the how to, and then just do it.
This gave me the biggest bang for the buck with the no downside. Tom.

[svxfiles]

ok now im actually looking at some pictures of the swap... maybe i cant handle it on my own... anyway i hate to just pay some transmission shop to do it... (i doubt they would) maybe when i come home i can make it to a meet or maybe meet up with someone on here who has done it and we can knock it out... got any numbers as far as what the top speed drops to and how 0-60/ 1/4 times are in comparison... anyway hopefully some one can help me out with the swap. keep in mind im overseas and all my money is being poured into my car so im willing to go just about anywhere within 24 hours of driving (maybe further) to do this swap

Top speed is about 166 mph at redline :D , not the 200 mph theoretical and unatainable top speed that the 3.545s have :rolleyes: .
Our shop can do the swap for 9.5 hours labor.
Our labor rate is now $35.00 an hour.
Plus a filter, pan gasket, trans oil, and anything else that needs replaced.
If you got a limited rear end it would be about an hour and a half less labor. :)

[svxfiles]

P.s. Mapquest says you are 796.82 miles away, and that it takes 13 hours and 21 minutes to get here.......





Going back would take less time ;) :D

[NeedForSpeed]

That's a great price. My Subaru guy in California wanted $800. So, we did it ourselves. But for $300+, believe me, they earned it the hard way.

Top speed is about 166 mph at redline :D , not the 200 mph theoretical and unatainable top speed that the 3.545s have :rolleyes: .
Our shop can do the swap for 9.5 hours labor.
Our labor rate is now $35.00 an hour.
Plus a filter, pan gasket, trans oil, and anything else that needs replaced.
If you got a limited rear end it would be about an hour and a half less labor. :)

[Subaru_Newbie]

700 miles huh... wow i guess i'll have to roll up my sleeves... i just really dont want to screw anything up... i'll keep studying like i have been. my wife checked it out and of course no tranny shops are willing to touch this. mainly because swapping the limited slip

[Subaru_Newbie]

theres no way i can do this on my own. ive never dropped a tranny before. i have no clue how to make sure the torque converter is seated. well in a year when i get out of the army im going to school to be a mechanic. planned on getting ASE master certification eventually. maybe i should start with drivetrain. i just need someone how has done it b4 and knows what to watch out for and also just some more hands. i have a fully furnished shop availible 7 days a week. maybe i can convince someone to come down to georgia beginning of next year... hell i'll pay labor parts food housing i dont care. i just want to learn. anyway i regret joining the army more and more everyday. could be elbow deep in brake fluid doing my SS lines right now but no. i'm in this hell hole trying not to get blown up. anyway enough of my griping just frustrated (long day) anyway is there anyone nearer to georgia who has done a 4.44 swap and could help?

(man i sure can be whiny)

[dieingSVX]

don't let dropping the tranny sound harder then it really is. it's really a piece of cake, i just pulled the motor and tranny out of my svx last weekend, took about 7-8 hours, only because i didnt have a lift and i was taking my time labeling and making sure i kept the bolts in order. on my mustang though i can pull the tranny put in a clutch, bolt everything back together, and in about two hours it's on the ground running again.

next year huh? i could use another vacation, besides my svx should be done by then. look me up and i'll come help you if you still plan on doing it.

[svxfiles]

I just did my pearl 92 this past weekend.
I was going to do Chi ke's, but the thought of doing one in a light constant rain in a gravel driveway, while I'm still sick was too depressing for words.

I started with the car on a lift, about noon on Saturday, worked till 9:00 Sat night, and from Noon till 4:00 on Sunday. My son David spent about 11.5 hours helping me, and Diana was there for about 5.5 :) .
It is MUCH easier with a lift, and indoors!



This makes three of our five nice SVXi 4,44s :D :D :D :) :)