Tranny Removal

[Stevebsy]

So, has anyone (I'm sure Eddy has) removed the tranny from the car?

I have been reviewing the directions in the service manual and it looks fairly clear, yet involved. Are there any 'secrets' that I should be aware of to prevent hours of loud swearing?

Thanks for the info.

[eddycat2000]

Originally posted by Stevebsy
So, has anyone (I'm sure Eddy has) removed the tranny from the car?

I have been reviewing the directions in the service manual and it looks fairly clear, yet involved. Are there any 'secrets' that I should be aware of to prevent hours of loud swearing?

Thanks for the info.

Yes, it's involved, (much more so that the Legacy), but it's not something that takes a great deal of thinking. One caveat though, the SVX has a cross brace on it that you have to remove. You can get it installed after you've forgotten about it and installed the exhaust, but *that's* a major puzzle. Every tech I know that has replaced a tranny in an SVX has done this at least once.

The torque convertor bolts are fairly tough to get to, what I used was a 1/4" breaker bar with an extra bar on the handle for more leverage. The socket required is a 12mm.

And you're going to want to have something holding up the engine in the front...very front heavy with the tranny removed.

I hope you aren't going to attempt this in a driveway or something, it's really not that kind of job.

Hope this helps.

[huck369]

Make sure you get the correct punch size to knock out the dowel pins in the axles as I spent 2 hours on my first Subie Tranny, before I finally went out and bought one, the took about 5 minutes. as for the rest of it take your time, and pay attension to where every thing goes(because unless you have one sitting there to immediatelly<sp?> replace, things get foggy(in my head anyway!) oh yeah I unbolted the throttle body to access the Torque Converter bolts.

[Stevebsy]

Actually I have a punch set so it was no prob. I am still at step 20/25 to get it removed, but it has only taken about 8 hours total so far, most of those dedicated to breaking/sawing the exhaust bolts off.

Which brings me to a different question: Why do they even bother using bolts and nuts to hold the exhaust on??? Unless you are going to remove them in the first week after the car is made they are always so rusty that they break off. Rivets would be better, at least there would be no pretense of actually removing them without cutting

Anyhow, I've taken a few pictures of the process and will post in full detail when I've got it out (tonite). The 2 worst things have been the exhaust and ball joints, everything else has gone pretty well, much to my pleasant surprise.

[Stevebsy]

Hmmm.... all the bolts are removed, yet the car is aparently unhappy that I have decided to remove one of its major parts and is holding on to it rather tightly. I suppose after 8+ years they have developed quite a relationship



So.. what's the secret to getting the tranny and engine to separate? I removed all the TC to flywheel bolts (I know because I can spin the TC by hand) and the 4 nuts/bolts that hold the tranny to the engine (1 bolt on the upper right, 2 nuts on the bottom, and the fourth bolt which is part of the starter removal) and the rear crossmember is detached.

I've got the tranny jack under it now holding it up, and a strap from the ceiling holding the front of the engine up (cheap sub for special tool) yet it will not slide apart.

Wisdom please!

[eddycat2000]

Originally posted by Stevebsy

Wisdom please!

You're going to need a real big pry bar. You're right when you say that they become really attached. I guess I should have warned you about that too. I have in the past had to use about an 8 foot peice of pipe to bust one or two loose. Like I said, I hope you aren't doing this on yer back, it's going to be hard to get a big enough bar in there to do the job.

[huck369]

Try letting the trans. jack down some to help start the separation, then pry some from the top.
I didn't have any problems with rusty bolts even though my car has 145K on it, But the farther north you go the worse rust problems you run into. I was thinking there was 6 tranny bolts, but might be thinking of all the GM trannies I've taken out, did you remove the throttle body to be sure there isn't anything holding it under there? Just some thoughts, Good luck,

[Stevebsy]

Where should I pry? There is no seperation at all right now.

Yes, of course I'm doing this on my back, so it will be a real hoot I'm sure At least it's indoors though.

All I need to do is put a big crack in the case now

[eddycat2000]

Originally posted by Stevebsy
Where should I pry? There is no seperation at all right now.

Yes, of course I'm doing this on my back, so it will be a real hoot I'm sure At least it's indoors though.

All I need to do is put a big crack in the case now

Well, I just used to put it between the crossmember and the front diff housing and give it a few good whacks, never broke a case that way.

Where does this stuff about pulling the throttle body come from? In the hundreds or maybe even thousands of Subaru trannies I have pulled, I have never had to remove a throttle body! And yes until the 2000 MY Subaru's they only had four bell housing bolts.

[Stevebsy]

You mean the 'performance bar' right?

The crossmember is way towards the back of the tranny, at least that is the 'official' name for it in the manual.

Kinda funny how they never include those kind of hints in the book, but I suppose when they write it, they have a nice new shiny car to work with, not one that has been suffering in the winterland.

What is your cats' address? I'll have to send them a big can of Pounce treats for all this wisdom.

Well, I just used to put it between the crossmember and the front diff housing and give it a few good whacks, never broke a case that way.

[eddycat2000]

Originally posted by Stevebsy
You mean the 'performance bar' right?

The crossmember is way towards the back of the tranny, at least that is the 'official' name for it in the manual.

Kinda funny how they never include those kind of hints in the book, but I suppose when they write it, they have a nice new shiny car to work with, not one that has been suffering in the winterland.

What is your cats' address? I'll have to send them a big can of Pounce treats for all this wisdom.

I've said it before and I'll say it agin, I ain't much on technical terms, I could show ya how to do it in a heartbeat, but explaining it is a whole different kettle of fish<G>.

What's pounce treats? My cats eat fancy feast and whiskas. I got Eddy to eat shredded nine lives chicken for awhile, but the wife made me stop, she couldn't stand to look at the stuff.

[Stevebsy]

I've said it before and I'll say it agin, I ain't much on technical terms, I could show ya how to do it in a heartbeat, but explaining it is a whole different kettle of fish<G>.

I hear ya there Eddy....

The performance bar is the bent tube piece that is up by the steering rack. I would call it a crossmember. I just want to make sure I'm prying on the right thing. These cars cost enough to fix without breaking anything extra

Pounce is a cat treat that comes in a small can, maybe you don't have them way out west. Any cat I've ever known likes them. How about a carton of catnip instead?

Thanks again for the help. You sure are pretty smart for a dumb a$$ mechanic

[svxxx26]

<<You sure are pretty smart for a dumb a$$ mechanic >>

Would that make Eddy a Smarta$$ Dumb Mechanic

[eddycat2000]

Originally posted by svxxx26
[B
Would that make Eddy a Smarta$$ Dumb Mechanic

Heyyyyyy! I resemble that remark!

[huck369]

Removing the throttle body on the SVX took all of maybe 4 minutes, and mad access to the torque converter bolt much easier. The Legacy's I've worked on, the Throttle Body really isn't in the way like it is on the SVX. Worked for me anyway.