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  #1  
Old 02-24-2015, 07:28 PM
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elninoalex elninoalex is offline
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Uh-oh! Which part(s) need replacing?

Hey, I just finished my 4.44 swap on my 6th SVX and I have an issue. Hoping someone could help me out. The car is behaving exactly like a manual tranny car with a slipping clutch. The car drives normal until I get on it a little bit and then the revs climb without moving the car any faster. I'm pretty sure there is a Torque Converter seal that's bad or blown off or something. I notice that when I check the ATF level cold, it is high. And then when I check it with the car running and flipping it through all the gears, it is right on the mark. So i think that the TC is not holding the line pressure for whatever reason and the ATF drains right out of the TC after shutting off the car.

My question would be: What needs to be replaced?

Here is more background info which may be irrelevant. It's a 94 SVX that I bought with a broken ring gear in the front diff. I got a tranny and rear end from a 98 Outback. The tranny was missing the TC because the lazy/ignorant person that parted it out just pulled trans off the motor without undoing the TC to flex plate bolts. They also pulled out the stub axles from the front diff as well instead of undoing the spring pins. I would have walked away when I saw it, but I got the trans, rear diff, drive shaft, rear half shafts and rear crossmember for only $100. Worth about that in scrap value. I tried to fit the SVX TC onto the Outback input shaft, but it wouldn't fit, of course. So I swapped over the input shafts and then popped on the TC and it seated right up. Input shaft O-ring and "end plug" were in place when I installed. I've had to swap TCs and corresponding input shafts four times when using Outback trannies. I did accidentally lose some fluid out of the TC in the process and forgot to re-fill it, but I'm sure it wasn't dry. I didn't do anything different from any of my other dozen or so 4eat swaps. The only thing I know about the trans donor Outback is that it had 200K and was t-boned. I bypassed the radiator ATF hoses with a loop so I can eliminate that as a blockage of line pressure. I'll check the internal screen filter next. I'd like to try get an idea of how much to change when I go back in for the next trans drop.

Any thoughts?
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  #2  
Old 02-24-2015, 09:20 PM
Tapani Tapani is offline
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Re: Uh-oh! Which part(s) need replacing?

Does the tranny slip in all gears?

/T
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  #3  
Old 02-24-2015, 10:14 PM
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Re: Uh-oh! Which part(s) need replacing?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tapani View Post
Does the tranny slip in all gears?

/T
Yes it does slip the same at any rpm in any gear when I get on it.
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  #4  
Old 02-26-2015, 04:10 PM
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Re: Uh-oh! Which part(s) need replacing?

I called the dealer's service writer and their tech says there us a bushing inside the TC that's bad. And also the valve body is bad. But I'm not convinced the valve body is bad. This is an over-the-phone diagnosis. I'm going to swap a junkyard TC on there with new seals on the input shaft and see. I have a couple extra valve bodies just in case.

Are the valve bodies interchangeable from 94 SVX to 98 Outback to 95 Impreza?
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  #5  
Old 02-28-2015, 11:05 AM
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Re: Uh-oh! Which part(s) need replacing?

Well, I was shut out at the junkyard. One of the possible donors(97 Outback) had the motor removed already, but the TC was gone too. The weird thing was that the input shaft was different than the one from my 98 Outback tranny. The 97 was just like the SVX shaft and 95 Impreza that's also in my garage. I'm thinking I might just put the Impreza TC in there, even though it's smaller. I might buy an Outback parts car(4eat or 5spd) or just end up selling this SVX. I have such limited time to work on cars, I'm passing up good golf weather here on the West Coast.
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92 Teal - painted yellow/4.11 5spd/n2o SOLD
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  #6  
Old 02-28-2015, 07:37 PM
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Re: Uh-oh! Which part(s) need replacing?

Well, I had a couple hours and went back out and pulled my tranny again. This time, I got it out in 75 mins. Beat my previous best by 15 mins. I pulled the TC and immediately noticed that the oil pump shaft seal on the tranny side was missing. Oops. I've never had one of those come off before, so I never thought to look for it. Plus, I test-fitted three different ones before installing one. And it was dark. And the sun was in my eyes.....I guess that would cause both of my symptoms. I hope Subaru sells just the o-ring and not the whole shaft. Don't need anymore extra parts laying around.
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92 Teal - painted yellow/4.11 5spd/n2o SOLD
92 Claret - 4.44 SOLD
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  #7  
Old 02-28-2015, 10:02 PM
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Re: Uh-oh! Which part(s) need replacing?

here is the bugger

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  #8  
Old 03-01-2015, 02:14 PM
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Re: Uh-oh! Which part(s) need replacing?

Well, I got it all back together with the proper seal from a spare that I had and it's the same as before. So I'm done with it as an automatic. May convert it to 5spd or just sell it whole or in parts. This what happens when you use unknown parts.
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92 Claret - 4.44 SOLD
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94 Laguna ROLLING w/4.44s/Ecutune ECU +TCU/STI springs/Infiniti M45 rims
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  #9  
Old 03-05-2015, 08:14 AM
gearheadE30 gearheadE30 is offline
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Re: Uh-oh! Which part(s) need replacing?

Yeah, as soon as you said 200k junkyard transmission, I got worried... torque converters don't fail all that often, as there really isn't a whole lot going on in there, for whatever that's worth. Not to say it can't happen, but also not all that likely. Sounds like a good excuse to do a manual swap to me.
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  #10  
Old 03-05-2015, 10:07 AM
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Re: Uh-oh! Which part(s) need replacing?

Quote:
Originally Posted by gearheadE30 View Post
Yeah, as soon as you said 200k junkyard transmission, I got worried... torque converters don't fail all that often, as there really isn't a whole lot going on in there, for whatever that's worth. Not to say it can't happen, but also not all that likely. Sounds like a good excuse to do a manual swap to me.
Yeah, that would also be a nice way to raise the front back up about 1/2" after dropping it 2" with STI springs.
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92 Teal - painted yellow/4.11 5spd/n2o SOLD
92 Claret - 4.44 SOLD
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92 Ebony - 3.90 SOLD
94 Laguna ROLLING w/4.44s/Ecutune ECU +TCU/STI springs/Infiniti M45 rims
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  #11  
Old 03-05-2015, 08:11 PM
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Re: Uh-oh! Which part(s) need replacing?

If you run with a 4.44 PLEASE don't use anything less than an SVX or 4.44 TQ. A smaller TQ will cause transmission overheating.
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  #12  
Old 03-06-2015, 11:24 PM
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elninoalex elninoalex is offline
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Re: Uh-oh! Which part(s) need replacing?

Quote:
Originally Posted by svxfiles View Post
If you run with a 4.44 PLEASE don't use anything less than an SVX or 4.44 TQ. A smaller TQ will cause transmission overheating.
Well, it's about time you showed up.
If I do keep it auto I will get a running Outback and change everything at once.
It'd be nice to get my stupid tax returns so I can actually do something with it.
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92 Ebony - Level 10/n2o REAR-ENDED
92 Teal - painted yellow/4.11 5spd/n2o SOLD
92 Claret - 4.44 SOLD
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  #13  
Old 03-15-2015, 11:42 PM
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elninoalex elninoalex is offline
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Re: Uh-oh! Which part(s) need replacing?

Well, I decided to go the "sure-thing" route and buy an 97 Outback w/157K with a working AT that I drove and checked out. So the next time I swap trannies will be the last.
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92 Claret - 4.44 SOLD
94 Barcelona - FWD SOLD
92 Ebony - 3.90 SOLD
94 Laguna ROLLING w/4.44s/Ecutune ECU +TCU/STI springs/Infiniti M45 rims
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  #14  
Old 03-22-2015, 09:25 AM
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elninoalex elninoalex is offline
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Re: Uh-oh! Which part(s) need replacing?

GOOD TO GO!

I got the Outback tranny and TC in there from my parts car and all seems well. After ten weeks, I finally got to drive the car more than just around the block, and it runs and drives very well. However, there may be a wheel bearing starting to go out.

Now I can focus on making the hood pop up when I pull the release so I can put the grille back in.
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92 Teal - painted yellow/4.11 5spd/n2o SOLD
92 Claret - 4.44 SOLD
94 Barcelona - FWD SOLD
92 Ebony - 3.90 SOLD
94 Laguna ROLLING w/4.44s/Ecutune ECU +TCU/STI springs/Infiniti M45 rims
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