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  #1  
Old 04-22-2004, 09:32 PM
Snickers
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To filter or not to filter that is the...

I've had my '93 for almost two months now. Still smitten, astounded and concerned about avoiding big ticket repairs. It's great to have this board as a resource. The feeling of community here is really nice.

Just found out while installing the new tranny cooler that my car does not have an external trans filter. Mentioned this to a tech at the local ethical, competent trans shop. His opinion was that the car was better off without it. His reasoning being that he's seen lots of clogged filters as the cause of tranny damage and failures. I know the conventional wisdom of the group is to have the external filter installed. So, what's the greater risk? The 12 ounce canister filter(rough guess at size) filling with crud and starving the 4eat of the precious pink goo it needs to propel us on our way in all wheel loveliness or the grit suspended in three gallons of said goo?

Also looking for a place to do synthetic flush and fill.

Thanks
Dave
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  #2  
Old 04-23-2004, 04:34 AM
LarryIII LarryIII is offline
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Welcome to the SVX family, Snickers.

Buy and install the external ATF filter. Then change it once per year. I think it is $22-24 per year. It's cheap insurance. Better safe than sorry. Also switch to synth ATF. I did it with my '92 which had 86K on it when I got it. It is still going strong at 131K. It dripped for about 14 mos. then stopped. Newspaper in a cardboard box lid saves your garage floor.


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  #3  
Old 04-23-2004, 05:33 AM
lee lee is offline
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larry gave you good advice, your mechanic may not have (IMHO).

the add-on filter kits like perma-cool have a bypass valve set so that when the pressure differential gets above a certain value (read clogged up) they flow around the filter. Now if you're talking about one of the inline filters, they "may" not have the bypass - I don't know, never having taken one apart.
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  #4  
Old 04-23-2004, 01:48 PM
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I agree with Larry iii. I would suggest installing a filter. I would use the PermaCool filter which has the bypass instead of the inline filters which probably don't. The PermaCool filter also has a port for a temperatue gauge sensor. You can plug it, or put in the sensor when you want the temperature gauge.
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  #5  
Old 04-23-2004, 05:51 PM
Snickers
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Thanks for all the great advice. I thought the perma cool was inline, no? Subaruparts.com sent me an external filter kit from a Legacy because I thought I had a Subaru filter on the car already and that was the only way to get that part. So, the perma cool is safer than the subaru solution?
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  #6  
Old 04-23-2004, 07:28 PM
mark10t
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I'm not sure what filter they're recommending, but the one I installed mounts on a spin-on base and is about the size of an FL-1/PH-8 (full-size) filter. I can't imagine how many mile you'd have to go to actually gunk that sucker up, but I might change it out when I do a minor re-flush in a few weeks.

-Mark
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  #7  
Old 04-24-2004, 08:49 AM
red95svx
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Believe it or not, the Subaru tranny filter is a lifetime filter. Check your owners manual. There's no mention of changing it, and no time interval for replacement. Subaru intended for these to last the life of the tranny.




Dave
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  #8  
Old 04-24-2004, 09:30 AM
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Quote:
Originally posted by red95svx
Subaru intended for these to last the life of the tranny.
and how long did subaru plan for the tranny to live? not long.
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  #9  
Old 04-24-2004, 09:31 AM
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The suby filter was built to clean out sediment that could clog the trany loop screen, a Perma cool filter will clean more, but if you forget to change it, it will also try to utilize the filter bypass in an emergency.
Technically speaking you're safer going with the perma-cool/B$M external filter.

your techy may not know about the little screen in the trany loop, if it gets plugged, no more oil will flow.
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  #10  
Old 04-25-2004, 01:22 PM
Snickers
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Thanks again for the great advice. I'm ready to order the permacool. Is the temp gauge worth the extra price? It dosen't look that attractive in the pics. Anybody have one? Are there other choices for a gauge?
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  #11  
Old 04-25-2004, 04:32 PM
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I think that an AFT filter is a great idea. There are non metalic parts in the tranny that will not get trapped by the magnet in the pan. When the magnet fills up the metal will also just circulate. The filter takes all this junk out of the AFT fluid. I wonder why every transmission does not have one. Heck I got one on my 91 Legacy with 215K miles, original transmission.
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  #12  
Old 04-25-2004, 05:12 PM
oab_au oab_au is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by red95svx
Believe it or not, the Subaru tranny filter is a lifetime filter. Check your owners manual. There's no mention of changing it, and no time interval for replacement. Subaru intended for these to last the life of the tranny.




Dave
I don't suppose the owners manual, mentions anything about the lock-up clutch linings flaking, or the brake band adjustment, needing servicing either.

Or am I just expecting too much.

Harvey.
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