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Old 07-03-2005, 06:40 AM
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Manarius Manarius is offline
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Transmission Question

Well, I was looking at a white '92 SVX (I think it was a '92; it had no wing), with about 128k miles. I thought about it, and asked myself this question; which I'm posing to the people here to see a reponse.

Now, as I recall, the SVX has te 4EAT tranny, which likes to overheat. Now, I have a '91 Legacy, which has a tranny, I think, is very similar to, if not exactly the same as the one in the SVX. Am I wrong on this thinking? If not, then how come I hear stories of people losing their trannies, while the one in my Legacy has over 140k on and *we think* the regulator valve is shot on (It's sluggish to get out of 2nd when it's cold and is a little rocky in the winter)?

In another note, this SVX has been sitting a while in a lot (although, I think the car is unclaimed, it hasn't been state inspected in a year), any way I could go about claiming the car from its owner?

Last edited by Manarius; 07-03-2005 at 06:43 AM.
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Old 07-03-2005, 07:09 AM
lee lee is offline
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there are a few potential reasons for the SVX failure rate (IMO).

1. Gearing - the Impreza and Legacy had ratio typically of 4.1 vice 3.5 in the SVX - smaller numbers means more strain

2. Weight - greater weight means more strain

1 & 2 above create heat - the greatest threat to an auto tranny

3. A screen/filter found inside the radiator that was too fine and clogged with wearing clutch material - which in turn reduced flow inside the tranny - that then induced another failure mode (worsened by #1 and 2 above).

And so, several of us on the forum have gone over to 4.11 or 4.44 auto trannys - which (IMO) improves the daily driving experience and little or no effect on gas mileage.
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Old 07-04-2005, 01:17 AM
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Beav Beav is offline
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Add to the above list that '92 & '93 had a paper front pump gasket that likes to tear and create a leak on the suction side of the pump, aerating the fluid and causing pressure issues.
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Old 07-04-2005, 03:01 AM
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Khalil Khalil is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lee
3. A screen/filter found inside the radiator that was too fine and clogged with wearing clutch material - which in turn reduced flow inside the tranny - that then induced another failure mode (worsened by #1 and 2 above).
How bad is that? I have a tranny that was rebuilt about 4k miles ago, and im about to install an B&M tranny cooler. Should i just bypass the radiator completly?
I was going to put it in series because winter can be tough here, and i want the radiator to help warm up the ATF...
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Old 07-04-2005, 06:28 AM
lee lee is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Khalil
How bad is that? I have a tranny that was rebuilt about 4k miles ago, and im about to install an B&M tranny cooler. Should i just bypass the radiator completly?
I was going to put it in series because winter can be tough here, and i want the radiator to help warm up the ATF...
if it was properly rebuilt, the radiator cooler should have been back-flushed, and cleaned out any material that might clog. I believe (but might be wrong here) that the newer clutch material is less troublesome. If you want the tranny to last, the fluids should be changed out regularly - say 25K miles - and it's simple to pull the radiator cooler hoses and flush with each change.
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