4.11 4.44 swap

Getting ready to go shopping for a new tranny and differential for my 94 SVX. I'd like to hear from those of you who've already done it... Anyone wish they'd done the 4.11 over the 4.44 or vice versa? Thanks

[svxfiles]

As far as I know, my son Nick, and I have the only 4.44 geared svxi automatics.
His is totally stock,except for the trans, a 2000 43.4 psi fuel pressure regulator, and 245/45/16 tires. It is very quiet with more torque EVERYWHERE! 36% more in first, 31% more in second and 25% more in third and fourth. On the level in drive 3000 rpm gives 75 mph. It still gives good gas milage, and to me, these are the gears that Subaru SHOULD have installed.
Mine is a rolling test bed with lots of mods, and for the way I drive they are the best mod I hade ever done to my svx!

Thank you for that, helped me make up my mind. BTW, I live in Rocky Point Mexico, 3 1/2 hours South of Phoenix, my business partner bought an SVX about 10 days after driving mine, we'd love to have a few more SVXs drop by for some fun one of these days. One last thing, I'm putting a mod on my car that I don't think anyone else has yet, a night vision system. A camera mounted on the hood, two IR lights built into the front of the car and a 12 inch flip down flat screen monitor that mounts Where the sunvisor is now. It's a safety feature as so many of the roads here don't have lights or markers on them (its a toy too).

[JeffN]

Originally posted by svxfiles
As far as I know, my son Nick, and I have the only 4.44 geared svxi automatics.
His is totally stock,except for the trans, a 2000 43.4 psi fuel pressure regulator, and 245/45/16 tires. It is very quiet with more torque EVERYWHERE! 36% more in first, 31% more in second and 25% more in third and fourth. On the level in drive 3000 rpm gives 75 mph. It still gives good gas milage, and to me, these are the gears that Subaru SHOULD have installed.
Mine is a rolling test bed with lots of mods, and for the way I drive they are the best mod I hade ever done to my svx!

How tough was the dear swap? Did you have someone do the ring/pinion?

[lee]

depends on what you're looking for...I can't say as to which is best as I've only driven mine as an OEM vehicle and as a 4.11 equiped.

I have run through a couple of tanks of gas and find the 4.11 geared car gets the same gas mileage and better acceleration (who knows about top speed as I don't live near Bonneville). I like my car lots better now.

IMO the easiest ring & pinion swap only needs a grinder to take off a couple of bumps in the Legacy housing (so the SVX limited-slip section can replace the LEgacy part). Otherwise, if you use the SVX housing, you get into pinion pre-load issues that I personally was glad to avoid.

[Chiketkd]

Originally posted by lee
depends on what you're looking for...I can't say as to which is best as I've only driven mine as an OEM vehicle and as a 4.11 equiped.

I have run through a couple of tanks of gas and find the 4.11 geared car gets the same gas mileage and better acceleration (who knows about top speed as I don't live near Bonneville). I like my car lots better now.

I have 4.11's in my SVX and I'd have to agree with Lee about noticing no real change in fuel consumption. On my last 90% highway trip, I got 25.2 mpg. During my weekly driving to and from work with 60% city driving, I get between 21.5-22mpg.

4.11's have 16% more torque in each gear over a stock 3.55 geared SVX. Highway cruising is still relatively quiet and at 65mph, the engine is turning over at about 2500rpms.

4.11's offer the best trade-off IMHO between all out performance and every day liveability....

-Chike

[svxfiles]

Originally posted by JeffN


How tough was the dear swap? Did you have someone do the ring/pinion?

The "book" says five hours for the transmission, figure a weekend, for you and a friend. It would be best to have a professional shop do the rear end, (although the three I did were an easy on bench procedure, pix in boxer6, and my lockers.)

[JeffN]

Man, that's some rad piping on the claret! Any problems with it aside from no cat that I can see(you allergic to cats?)?

And any other mods to take advantage of the open breathing? 6 into 1 wow, dounds like an old Benelli bike...

[svxfiles]

Originally posted by JeffN
Man, that's some rad piping on the claret! Any problems with it aside from no cat that I can see(you allergic to cats?)?

And any other mods to take advantage of the open breathing? 6 into 1 wow, dounds like an old Benelli bike...

Glad you liked it . Just this past weekend I changed it again , the 3" was way too big and I knew it when I did it. Right now I've got the stock headers back on, 2" od piping for 48" coming into a custom made (I did it) Hooker Aero Chamber, then into 44" of 2.5 od tubing and back into the 3" tailpipe and second( Afterburner brand) muffler.
And yes, it did sound sweet at song. Tom