Horrible noise / tranny no longer hold gear

[kuoh]

You have checked the fluid level right? You can bypass the coolers all together if you just want a flow test.

KuoH

Originally posted by Mr. Pockets
Ironically, the whirring noise I hear after the car warms up sounds JUST LIKE a power steering pump under strain. So maybe the pump just isn't getting the volume it needs...

Grasping at straws?

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by kuoh
You have checked the fluid level right? You can bypass the coolers all together if you just want a flow test.

KuoH

Yeah, I have a little tubing laying around, so tonight I'll just bypass the cooler and hook the 'from' to the 'to' with a 6-inch piece of tubing.

[Stevebsy]

I'd suggest taking the hose off after the new cooler and doing a quick flow test. Possibly the cooler is bad from the factory, or some of your hoses got kinked up(?)

So you are saying the tranny works just fine until it gets warm right? It shifts properly through all the gears? That could be good news....

Originally posted by Mr. Pockets


I doubt that the cooler is plugged - I just installed a B&M cooler, taking the stock out of the loop entirely. If that cooler was going to cause something, I imagine it would have during the 300mi of commuting the week before my 1,000mi road trip.

Still, maybe I should just unplug the B&M, hook up the stock cooler, and see what happens when I run like that.

Ironically, the whirring noise I hear after the car warms up sounds JUST LIKE a power steering pump under strain. So maybe the pump just isn't getting the volume it needs...

Grasping at straws?

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by Stevebsy
I'd suggest taking the hose off after the new cooler and doing a quick flow test. Possibly the cooler is bad from the factory, or some of your hoses got kinked up(?)

So you are saying the tranny works just fine until it gets warm right? It shifts properly through all the gears? That could be good news....

That is exactly what I'm saying. After backing up and going forward about a dozen times, I started goosing the throttle. AWD works and everything. Then when I gout out on the road, I took it slow and it shifted fine through 3rd. I pulled over to turn around before it got to 4th. Then it started whirring and slipping.

It actually coasted to a halt in the middle of my driveway. I talked to Doug for about ten minutes. After that, I started it up and drove right into the garage before it started losing grip on first again.

[Mr. Pockets]

Okay, so this is the answer from the local Master Tech, Lou. Lou is the service manager at Ann Arbor Subaru, and he really seems to know his stuff.

I tried to talk to Lou on Tuesday, but the guy I got wouldn't let me. This time, getting the same guy, I was a little more forceful.

I explained the symptoms to Lou, and he ruled out any kind of clog or loss of pressure, apparently because he's seen this before. This is his explanation:

Apparently, the pump shaft is pretty long and it's designed to allow for a little bit of play. When I first start my car, the torque converter end is contacting just enough to drive the pump. As things heat up, since the shaft is designed to move when it expands, the teeth no longer catch. Hence, no pressure and no shifting.

Lou says that it's really up to me whether I want to have them try to replace just the pump. 'The transmission has a lot of miles on it,' he says. And I realize that, but him giving me the choice demonstrates to me that he's an honest guy. I call Aamco and they immediately want to just replace everything.

So it's down to replacing the entire tranny or just the pump. The former sounds easier than the latter, but is the tranny in the wrecked SVX viable? Is there time for all of this nonsense? Stay tuned.

[Stevebsy]

If you pull the tranny you should be able to see if this is the case. Just removing the Torque converter will show you if the shaft is broken. Attached is a picture of the shaft that goes from the TC to into the transmission:

If only this is broken, the one from the wreck should work, and you'll be on the road again.

ps, the pic is of item #14 here:
http://www.subaruparts.com/diag/?mod...category=156-A

Originally posted by Mr. Pockets
Apparently, the pump shaft is pretty long and it's designed to allow for a little bit of play. When I first start my car, the torque converter end is contacting just enough to drive the pump. As things heat up, since the shaft is designed to move when it expands, the teeth no longer catch. Hence, no pressure and no shifting.

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by Stevebsy
If you pull the tranny you should be able to see if this is the case. Just removing the Torque converter will show you if the shaft is broken. Attached is a picture of the shaft that goes from the TC to into the transmission:

If only this is broken, the one from the wreck should work, and you'll be on the road again.

ps, the pic is of item #14 here:
http://www.subaruparts.com/diag/?mod...category=156-A

Thanks, but Todd and I agreed that we simply don't have the time to get it all done. If it was just my car, maybe - but I'd still feel bad for taking so much of his time. He still has to reassemble his engine, from the head gaskets up, and then get it back in the car.

My car will be at Hodges Subaru (Todd vouches for them, and Jeff seems like a good guy) first thing Monday morning for them to tear into. Jeff was pretty optimistic that they could get it done this week. We'll see - I have my fingers crossed already.

I'll be sure to wash the car before it goes. First impressions are important.

[Aredubjay]

Originally posted by Mr. Pockets


Thanks, but Todd and I agreed that we simply don't have the time to get it all done. If it was just my car, maybe - but I'd still feel bad for taking so much of his time. He still has to reassemble his engine, from the head gaskets up, and then get it back in the car.

My car will be at Hodges Subaru (Todd vouches for them, and Jeff seems like a good guy) first thing Monday morning for them to tear into. Jeff was pretty optimistic that they could get it done this week. We'll see - I have my fingers crossed already.

I'll be sure to wash the car before it goes. First impressions are important.

Looks like you may be able to experience something that only "very few" of us have: "Straight from the shop to the meet." Of course, "some of us" have done it TWICE! Yikes. I'll be sending good vibes your way, Nick. Now I know how youse guys felt during my "dramas."

if your interested my uncle has a tranny that he will sell for $1200

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by EverclearAtMSU
if your interested my uncle has a tranny that he will sell for $1200

Thanks, but right now it looks like I'll just be replacing the pump or pump shaft, if I can get away with it.

To be quite honest, I'm glad to have the repair work taken off of my hands by taking it to a dealer. Yeah, there's the chance that they won't get it done, but better that than me breaking something really expensive by doing it myself.

How many miles are on your uncle's transmission? How long has it been out of the car? I'd consider buying it after the meet...

...being the stock nutjob that I am, I'm also thinking of just replacing my transmission's guts and keeping the case - you know, 'matching numbers' and all.

[Stevebsy]

Originally posted by Mr. Pockets

...being the stock nutjob that I am, I'm also thinking of just replacing my transmission's guts and keeping the case - you know, 'matching numbers' and all.

Too bad the 'matching numbers' don't match the car....and are on an adhesive sticker that is easily wiped off... That was my idea too, but now whatever numbers I had are gone after the rebuild Oh well......

[Mr. Pockets]

Well the car is at Hodges Subaru right now. What a trip. I am so glad my wife got us AAA memberships last year - 64mi of towing would have cost more than the initial membership fee!

What a tiny little dealership, too. I barely had room to park the Justy. Imagine a kid's lemonade stand on a street corner - Hodges is a little larger than that, but not by a lot. The service guys seem cool, though.

I wanted to have the car at the shop when they opened at 8AM, so I called AAA at 6:30AM. Unfortunately, the 45-60 minute wait turned in to nearly two hours. Oh, well.

Anyway, I've had my fingers crossed since last week. I hope Jeff (guy at Hodges) has good news for me later today - my hands are cramping up!

50somethin thousand on it. it's currently in the car, bad roll over so it's getting parted out

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by EverclearAtMSU
50somethin thousand on it. it's currently in the car, bad roll over so it's getting parted out

Thanks - I'll keep it in mind. How quickly can it be removed?

how soon can i have the money

lol no, less than a day really, depending on how much other stuff has to be pulled