Transmission options

[Ironhydroxide]

Hey, I recently acquired an '95 SVX with a grenaded front diff.

I'm wanting to stay Autotragic (lazy car)

what are the best options for transmissions? reasoning?

(yes I know I'll have to swap rear diffs to match transmission, and yes I know there could be various problems with CV Axle spline count/diameter, thus the question)

My main goal for this car is to have a lazy cruiser. Something that looks good, gets OK gas mileage, and is comfortable to drive in town, as well as cross country if i so desire.

I have heard good things about the 4.44 from the outback. but what is cruise RPM on them? detriments?

would going 3.9 instead be good?

or how about just splitting the case, fixing/replacing broken front diff, and r+r the stock trans with external filter and cooler?

Thanks for the input.

[Ironhydroxide]

me=fail

http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/showthread.php?t=55838

[Huskymaniac]

Originally Posted by Ironhydroxide

Hey, I recently acquired an '95 SVX with a grenaded front diff.

I'm wanting to stay Autotragic (lazy car)

what are the best options for transmissions? reasoning?

(yes I know I'll have to swap rear diffs to match transmission, and yes I know there could be various problems with CV Axle spline count/diameter, thus the question)

My main goal for this car is to have a lazy cruiser. Something that looks good, gets OK gas mileage, and is comfortable to drive in town, as well as cross country if i so desire.

I have heard good things about the 4.44 from the outback. but what is cruise RPM on them? detriments?

would going 3.9 instead be good?

or how about just splitting the case, fixing/replacing broken front diff, and r+r the stock trans with external filter and cooler?

Thanks for the input.

I would be as concerned with the 3.9 as I would be with the 4.11. Can a 4.44 or a later year 3.54 from an SVX be modified to be a 3.9? The 4.44 and the later year SVX trannies seem to have better clutch and other parts in them.

[Ironhydroxide]

as this is a 95.... would it have the "stronger" transmission? and that said.... it's only the diff thats shot... so. is replacing it fairly easy?

I would prefer to have the Stock gearing... just to be that way. BUT if it'll just go out whenever it damn well pleases... then thats no good.

maybe i'll have to bite the bullet and get these http://www.ecutune.com/4eat.htm

[icingdeath88]

The '95 I would just take the trans to a shop and have them change the front diff. You can change to a different ratio too if you like. The 4.44 one should be a lot stronger due to bigger teeth on the gears and therefore less likely to break and have this happen all over again. And changing the rear is supposed to be pretty easy too.

[benebob]

Originally Posted by Ironhydroxide

as this is a 95.... would it have the "stronger" transmission? and that said.... it's only the diff thats shot... so. is replacing it fairly easy?

I would prefer to have the Stock gearing... just to be that way. BUT if it'll just go out whenever it damn well pleases... then thats no good.

maybe i'll have to bite the bullet and get these http://www.ecutune.com/4eat.htm

Stronger, maybe, if you believe Subaru but when comparing the weakest man in the world to the second weakest man in the world the later may be stronger but he's still a wimp.

[Ironhydroxide]

I'm not really afraid of splitting transmissions. I've done my fair share (maybe more) of Manual transmissions... Automatic isn't really all that different when you get down to the logic of it. Maybe i'll just do it myself and hope the trans doesn't grenade.....

[oab_au]

Originally Posted by Ironhydroxide

I'm not really afraid of splitting transmissions. I've done my fair share (maybe more) of Manual transmissions... Automatic isn't really all that different when you get down to the logic of it. Maybe i'll just do it myself and hope the trans doesn't grenade.....

While you are repairing the front diff, you might fix the AWD.
That is probably why the front diff failed in the first place.

Harvey.

[huck369]

If you want the 3.90's, get one from an early Legacy Turbo, they have the extra clutches like the SVX tranny....
But that being said, get a 4.44 tranny, you won't regret it once you drive it....

[Huskymaniac]

Originally Posted by benebob

Stronger, maybe, if you believe Subaru but when comparing the weakest man in the world to the second weakest man in the world the later may be stronger but he's still a wimp.

I find it hard to take advice on reliability seriously from someone that drives cars made in England. For reliability I think I would drive a Hyundai before a British car.

[Ironhydroxide]

Originally Posted by huck369

If you want the 3.90's, get one from an early Legacy Turbo, they have the extra clutches like the SVX tranny....
But that being said, get a 4.44 tranny, you won't regret it once you drive it....

Problem is Huck, I want to have this as mostly a freeway cruiser... and just a lazy town car. Nothing extremely sporty (i have 2 other cars for that).

and I wouldn't mind having the best fuel mileage possible with this lazyness of a drive. so i am leaning towards getting LAN's Transmission, TCU and V1A1 Ecu (or whichever Stage 1 is the most recent)

Thoughts?

[Sean486]

Originally Posted by Ironhydroxide

Problem is Huck, I want to have this as mostly a freeway cruiser... and just a lazy town car. Nothing extremely sporty (i have 2 other cars for that).

and I wouldn't mind having the best fuel mileage possible with this lazyness of a drive. so i am leaning towards getting LAN's Transmission, TCU and V1A1 Ecu (or whichever Stage 1 is the most recent)

Thoughts?

I don't think you can go wrong with LAN's transmission and upgrades. If you've got the money go for it.

[Huskymaniac]

Originally Posted by Ironhydroxide

Problem is Huck, I want to have this as mostly a freeway cruiser... and just a lazy town car. Nothing extremely sporty (i have 2 other cars for that).

and I wouldn't mind having the best fuel mileage possible with this lazyness of a drive. so i am leaning towards getting LAN's Transmission, TCU and V1A1 Ecu (or whichever Stage 1 is the most recent)

Thoughts?

I once heard that, at a given speed, a car will get its best gas mileage if running at the peak of the torque curve. I have never been able to prove it mathematically and I have never seen hard data to back it up but I'll throw that out there. But, if it is true, you would want your typical cruising speed to correspond to the same RPMs as the peak of the torque curve.

Does anyone have the stock engine dyno curves? The closest link I have was with a stock engine running on the stage 1 ECU which may or may not have affected the data.

[Ironhydroxide]

Well finding Gear ratio's isn't hard. and calculating ratios and speed isn't hard either... SO. I guess i need that Dyno for the Stage 1.

[kwren]

Originally Posted by Huskymaniac

I find it hard to take advice on reliability seriously from someone that drives cars made in England. For reliability I think I would drive a Hyundai before a British car.

Ouch, Benebob! A personal Attack...

Keith