fixing the transfer clutch

mranderson · #1 04-07-2004, 02:11 PM

Ok, could someone walk me through or direct me to a place that would on how to check the transfer clutch to see if its broken. My experience has deffinatly not reached into this realm before. So is it something i should even attempt?

And also if it is something that I should not attempt how much money are we talking about to take it somewhere and have the pros go for it??

RSVX · #2 04-07-2004, 02:18 PM

cost me about $800 to get mine replaced, but thats on Jersey Labor

mranderson · #3 04-07-2004, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RSVX
cost me about $800 to get mine replaced, but thats on Jersey Labor

ok someone please walk me through it!!!

j/k that is a lot of money that i dont have right now, well actually i do but its going to get my rusting beast painted.

Mr. Pockets · #4 04-07-2004, 02:36 PM

Well, getting to the transfer clutch isn't that big of a deal, but I guess that's relative. Actualy replacing it I haven't done. I'm going to in the next week, and I don't see anything that should be difficult, but since I haven't actually successfully done it yet I won't say, 'it's a snap, kiddo!' Here's an outline of what I just did last night on my Legacy to get to the transfer clutch:

Remove the exhaust.
I removed the entire exhaust system in one piece rather than trying to disassemble it. On the SVX that's a little more difficult because the exhaust is so damned heavy.

Remove the prop shaft.
Again, not a big deal. But support with jackstands while you're removing bolts. It's heavy.

Remove the transmission cross-member.
Before you do, support the tranny with a jack of some sort. I also removed the pitching stopper first in case I needed to lower the tranny to access all the extension housing bolts. I did not.

Remove the extension housing.
To pop the seal between the extension and gearbox, I use a two-arm gear puller. I fit the bolt against the tailshaft and the arms around the tranny mount 'feet.' It doesn't take a lot of force to pull it off, but I don't know how else you'd apply such even force to pop the seal.

Be careful when removing the extension - the wire for duty solenoid C must be disconnected before you can remove it. There's some slack, but be careful.

Press clutch drum out of extension housing.
Not a big deal. I tap it lightly on the tailshaft with a rubber mallet.

Then you just have to pry out the snap ring and all the plates will be free to fall out. Make sure you know how they go back in there.

This is really just an outline, as I said. It'll help you gauge whether or not you want to attempt this yourself. As always, support the car well (and high) with jackstands before you crawl under there.

Oh, and you want to keep the internals absolutely clean. Any debris you introduce could be fatal to the tranny.

svx_commuter · #5 04-07-2004, 04:16 PM

That's is a nice summary Nick

I almost did the samething except I only had to change the duty solenoid C.

mranderson, Have you checked the transfer pressure yet?

mranderson · #6 04-07-2004, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by svx_commuter
That's is a nice summary Nick
I almost did the samething except I only had to change the duty solenoid C.

mranderson, Have you checked the transfer pressure yet?

how do i do that???

Mr. Pockets · #7 04-07-2004, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mranderson

how do i do that???

There's a test port that you can plug a pressure gauge into.

Look, I recommend (if you're planning on working on the car) getting a set of factory service manuals. It really comes down to a difference between working in the dark or working with the lights on.

mranderson · #8 04-07-2004, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr. Pockets

There's a test port that you can plug a pressure gauge into.

Look, I recommend (if you're planning on working on the car) getting a set of factory service manuals. It really comes down to a difference between working in the dark or working with the lights on.

Id love to get the manual but as far as i know ebay is the only place to buy them and 150 right now is a little steep. As soon as i get a job for the summer I will buy one. but right now i am worried that if this is broken my tranny may go with it if pieces are floating around.

could you expand upon this pressure gauge thing a little?

svx_commuter · #9 04-07-2004, 04:35 PM

There is a pressure port into the hydraulic passage of the transfer case. This will tell you if the transfer clutch is getting pressure or not. On my SVX it was not and the solenoid c was bad. When there is pressure and the RWD is not good it can be the clutches or the clutch basket thingy that holds the plates has broken welds and come loose.

mranderson · #10 04-07-2004, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by svx_commuter
There is a pressure port into the hydraulic passage of the transfer case. This will tell you if the transfer clutch is getting pressure or not. On my SVX it was not and the solenoid c was bad. When there is pressure and the RWD is not good it can be the clutches or the clutch basket thingy that holds the plates has broken welds and come loose.

Yeh i have been told that it is the basket.

Mr. Pockets · #11 04-07-2004, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mranderson
could you expand upon this pressure gauge thing a little?

As a matter of fact, today I can! I just happen to have sections 2 and 3 of the factory service manual with me at the office today.

Lucky me.

Without typing the entire procedure, with associated graphs, here's the gist. If you detect slippage in the transfer clutch, or detect problems with the shifting, there are two test ports in the transmission. You remove a little plug, hook up the gauge, and place the gauge itself in the car. Then you start teh car and put the transmission through its paces. Put the selector on different settings (P,R,D, etc), run it with fully closed or fully open throttle, and compare the readings o nthe gauge with what the graphs say are normal.

Obviously you need the appropriate gauge and the manual itself. You also need a pretty good understanding of how this transmission works so you can distinguish the difference between a bad reading and a misinterpreted one.

I'm going to be totally honest with you, here. The manual set is invaluable if you want to diagnose the car or do work on it yourself. If you don't have it, you really are operating blind. $150 may seem like a lot to spend on some reference material, but it's nothing compared to the damage you could cause by not having the correct torque values, dimensions, parts diagrams, diagnosis procedures, etc.

oab_au · #12 04-07-2004, 06:47 PM

Hi MrAnderson, If I remember your first post showed that the clutch was not working. You do need to know what you are going after before you pull it down.

It could be the clutch plates worn out, it could be the C solenoid not working, it could be the transfer valve stuck, it could be the basket broken off the gear.

If you put the car on grass and accellerate hard, the front wheels spin AND there is a noise from the transmission, then the basket has broken. If the front wheels spin but there is no noise then the basket is ok, just the clutch is not working. If you check the transfer pressure, it can show if it is the clutch plates or a stuck transfer valve, but it does not matter as you would replace both.

All you really need to do, is to do the check to see if the basket is broken or not. If it is not, then I would just plan on replacing the clutch plates, and the C solenoid, transfer valve assemble. If it is broken then plan a bigger job, I don't think it is.

Harvey.

mile-hi-bri · #13 04-08-2004, 12:54 AM

The Factory Service Manuals are available individually! You can buy just the one you need today from the dealer!
The trans manual is included w/ the engine manual as I remember. # 2&3 of the set. I would check for you, but it SNOWING here @ my house, and the manual is in the car, & it's covered w/ snow. SORRY!!
By the way, the dealer I buy from charges me $5 extra to overnite virtually anything. Might be worth the extra $5 to get it 'tomorrow'!! Godd luck!
mile-hi-bri - Brian!!

grnSVX96 · #14 06-23-2004, 09:40 AM

my 95 red car is in Subaru [overnight] and they are currently diagnosing my car [for the 2nd time] ..what sort of expense could be involved with transfer clutch problems [he's identified problem to here and will be testing solenoids etc]

- whats happening ...binding on slow lock turns forward and will actually stop in reverse in tight RH and LH turns..no error codes..gear changes no problems ..but clunk and jolt occurs after reverse back to Drive..when driving can hear a subtle wrring sound but this stops when brake is lightlly applied..ie ride the brake a few secs then release noise is back and as you tap the brakes you get a thump sound from the rear end [he says that he's identified this as the car engaging in and out of AWD, which he thought was odd..but it shouldn't be felt either way...loose/broken carriage thing ?]...

Your thoughts would be much appreciated ..and any one elses
Thanks
David in Brisbane

JDW-SVX · #15 06-23-2004, 06:21 PM

I could be wrong about this........

....but I thought that Australian, European, and JDM SVXs used the VTD AWD system, which does NOT contain a transfer clutch.

Rather than using a transfer clutch to transfer torque front to rear, a clutch controlled planetary gearset is used.

You can tell which system your SVX uses by checking the engine bay fuse box. If there is a fuse labelled "DIFF LOCK", you have VTD. If there is a fuse labelled "FWD", you have a transfer clutch.

........can anyone confirm this...?

Jason.