What's With This Tranny Business?

I'm looking to buy a 94 SVX and I don't get it. Every SVX site with a tech section describes the sheer crappiness of the 4EAT tranny. Looks like people have tried to stave off the inevitable with radiator aids, etc. I guess my question is, why would anyone buy a used SVX, or rather, why would *I* buy a used SVX if the tranny is doomed to fail early and expensively? In general I really like the SVX, especially for the price, but a(n inevitable) $4000 hit down the road is making me start to doubt the SVX. Someone tell me I'm overthinking this and that I should get the car inspected by a professional and just relax...please!

[Nemesis Destiny]

I knew what I was in for going into this: this car is far from perfect, particularly the 4(H)EAT, but it has personality, and, to quote Pulp Fiction, personality goes a long way...

Still, not everyone has had problems; there are many on this board with well over 100,000 miles on the OEM transmission and no modifications. Others, have had to modify theirs with auxilliary filters and coolers to keep it alive, while others have replaced theirs 3 or more times.

This car has a polarising effect; you either love it or you don't. You either want one bad enough to put up with (or work around) it's defects, or you walk away. I, myself, could not walk away...

Thanks for the concise reply. Well, in your opinion, and I know we're hitting technical material here, if the tranny is inspected and is good to go, should I then immediately put some type of aftermarket gizmo on the radiator? I'm totally new to SVXs...thanx

[mohrds]

Originally posted by harvurd
Thanks for the concise reply. Well, in your opinion, and I know we're hitting technical material here, if the tranny is inspected and is good to go, should I then immediately put some type of aftermarket gizmo on the radiator? I'm totally new to SVXs...thanx

YES. Install an aftermarket transmission cooler and replace or add the external filter below the battery tray. There are many threads on the subject and many more opinions as to whether or not you should go parallel, inline, or bypass with the stock cooler.

What part of Milwaukee are you in? I'm over in Brewers Hill.

I'm going to go look at a teal 92 on Friday. Wish me luck on it being in good condition.

Oh and welcome to the board! I think you'll like it here.

Doug

the simple answer for me is that even with a 2 grand trannie bill down the road with what the cars are selling for they can be one hell of a bargain for what you get in the car.

as for the after market coolers, i have to wonder if they really help. in my case the trannie lasted about 125,000 miles, all but the last 10,000 without an external cooler. so, if one can expect another 100,000 after a rebuild how much is gained. yes, i know this will ignite a s bit of a reaction as everybody recommedds and installs the additional coolers.

[Nemesis Destiny]

as for the after market coolers, i have to wonder if they really help.

If the coolers don't help then what else can we do? There has to be a way to fix it...

i guess what i'm suggesting is that perhaps the cooler would help if it were installed when the trannie was really new, but if the damage is significantly already done after 40,000 miles (just a supposition for arguments sake) and you can at that time expect to go 100,000 or more prior to failure just figure on the new trannie being an expense of the car. i admit if the cooler were to extend the life of a trannie an extra 40,000 miles which had 40,000 miles on it when installed it may be a differnt thing. i just wonder if that ever the case, that's all.

[thumper_svx]

There really isn't a way to fix the 4EAT... it's simply a matter of a transmission that doesn't really work that well in the car. Or at least... a transmission cooler in the stock radiator that just doesn't work!

The closest to a fix IS a tranny cooler and filter. That has seemed to work wonders for numerous members as far as getting their trannies to last a lot longer. I also like to take off the plastic shield under the engine during the warmer months... I really don't know for sure if it helps, but it does increase airflow around the tranny casing... I can only imagine it helps a little.

Oh... and use a good synthetic like RedLine (tranny fluid)... and maintain it well (like a drain and fill every 30,000 miles or so would do the trick).

Beyond that... there's a lot of discussion that's flown around for years about actually FLUSHING the tranny. I personally think that so long as you don't backflush it you'll be fine. Got mine flushed a few weeks ago when the fluid started to get a little "toasty"... tranny's been great ever since. Now all I got to do is get around to replacing that front main seal (grrrrrrr...)

[lee]

As a person who had to have his tranny rebuilt after owning the car only a month or two I'd like to render a few opinions:

First, the transmission isn't all that bad a box.

But (and there always has to be one, right?) there were bad choices made initially with regard to clutch material and cooling capacity needed.

Why do I say this? On the clutch material and other fixes implemented as production continued, well that speaks for itself. As to cooling, Subaru seems to have put a mesh in the cooler using an engineering analysis that correctly estimated that it would result in additional heat transfer and be sufficient to adequately cool the fluid. It just turned out to be a bad combination.

It's my belief that an external cooler coupled with a filter (OEM recall filter or aftermarket) addresses the problems. With that I think the box will be no more troublesome than most any other auto box.

Any automatic could use a cooler if subjected to heat inducing driving due to style, weather, or terrain - OEMs almost always budget to the middle ground - failing back on that "severe duty" section of the manual.

BTW, does anyone know if the radiator-based cooler in the later models (after they scrapped the mesh filter) had any increased cooling capacity over the earlier models?

[ensteele]

Good Luck Doug. Hope it is a good one.

[GreenMarine]

Originally posted by Nemesis Destiny
Still, not everyone has had problems; there are many on this board with well over 100,000 miles on the OEM transmission and no modifications. Others, have had to modify theirs with auxilliary filters and coolers to keep it alive, while others have replaced theirs 3 or more times.

Hell look at Immortal_Suby... His car has over 200,000 miles and is only on one tranny rebuild... Only thing he has done is a tranny cooler with a fan... And he drives the living piss outta that car... Look at Jason Porter's car... I don't thing I can speak of a car that represents Subaru's relialibility more than his car... He bangs that engine off the redline EVERY morning he goes to work... And does the same EVERY afternoon coming home from work... He runs away from highly modded WRX's on the Dragon and various other subaru events.... That car is still on the origional tranny and he has about 103,000 miles on it... So there are good cars out there, but eventually everything will fail, just get a tranny cooler or get a 5 speed... I personally would take the auto and change the final drive out to 4.44 and that should help alot... Then get a rebuild from Level 10... That Tranny would be awesome!!! It would probably be the fastest SVX around... It'd be faster than a 5 speed for sure!!!!!

[phoenix96]

Originally posted by Nemesis Destiny
Still, not everyone has had problems; there are many on this board with well over 100,000 miles on the OEM transmission and no modifications. Others, have had to modify theirs with auxilliary filters and coolers to keep it alive, while others have replaced theirs 3 or more times.

Definitely true, my SVX now has 131,000 miles on it and is on the original transmission with no external cooler, and no signs of imminent failure.

[Landshark]

Originally posted by lee
As a person who had to have his tranny rebuilt after owning the car only a month or two I'd like to render a few opinions:

First, the transmission isn't all that bad a box.

But (and there always has to be one, right?) there were bad choices made initially with regard to clutch material and cooling capacity needed.

Why do I say this? On the clutch material and other fixes implemented as production continued, well that speaks for itself. As to cooling, Subaru seems to have put a mesh in the cooler using an engineering analysis that correctly estimated that it would result in additional heat transfer and be sufficient to adequately cool the fluid. It just turned out to be a bad combination.

It's my belief that an external cooler coupled with a filter (OEM recall filter or aftermarket) addresses the problems. With that I think the box will be no more troublesome than most any other auto box.

Any automatic could use a cooler if subjected to heat inducing driving due to style, weather, or terrain - OEMs almost always budget to the middle ground - failing back on that "severe duty" section of the manual.

BTW, does anyone know if the radiator-based cooler in the later models (after they scrapped the mesh filter) had any increased cooling capacity over the earlier models?

that's why i bought a '97.

i don't know if later models offered any increased cooling, but i didn't feel lucky - i bypassed that sucker.

there is a general rule of thumb that if you decrease your transmission temperature by 20 degrees, you double the life of your transmission.

you're mostly going to hear horror stories on here, more than 'good reports'. remember, there were a hell of a lot more '92's made than model years, and those are the ones with the problems. even some '92's have gone well over 100,000 miles stock with no problems. take the usual precautionary measures (fluid/filter/cooler/gauge = less than $200) if you find a car with a transmission that feels good, and you'll be fine.
as someone said before, these cars are such a bargain, even the cost of a failed tranny still makes them a good buy, but no one really wants to deal with that. find a nice one, and enjoy!