steamin53

OHHHHHHHHHHHHH JEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ! I went out this afternoon and checked for ignition with a spark tester light and the danged thing started right up. Runs Great. I HATE INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS!!! "I can't fix it if it aint broke!" Thanks everyone for your replies.

Thanks for the reply imdew. What you say is true. I would have expected a report from the driver and/or passenger that there would have been some other noises if the belt broke wouldn't you? Also, the report is that the engine never fired during the cranking. (I wish it had happened to me then I'd be certain). I'm not sure that if it had broken and valve/piston impact occurred that perhaps it would have locked the engine as I sort of doubt that the starter would have enough torque to continue to turn it over under that condition. What's your take? Can those covers be removed without removing the AC Compressor/Alternator, etc? Oh yeah... I wish I still had my Guzzi 850 Eldorado...

The wife has a 96 Legacy Outback 2.5 engine. Last night she could not get it to fire while cranking the engine. A passenger standing along side the vehicle while she attempted to start it states they heard a bang sound (later further detailed to perhaps be a snap like a stick breaking) while the wife was cranking the starter. The vehicle will not start but will crank under the starter power and the cranking seems to sound as normal (not compression free) with no unusual sounds. Could the timing belt have broken while the starter was cranking the engine? If so, what's the likely extent of damage since it never started? I haven't checked the ignition or anything other than cranking it under starter power yet as it's been raining outside like the great flood but will do so this afternoon.

96 Legacy Outback. I'll ask this stupid question before I break the plastic panel to access the top of the rear struts on my wife's car. I get that there are clips aound the permiter of the panel which I got loose yesterday. But, there appears to be a bolt or screw holding it too which may have some sort of cap cover on it. HELP! (It is so much better to look stupid here than to break her part and put up will all the hassle that would bring.) Steve

1996 Legacy Outback. The air ducts door controls are not enabling the system to switch to the top vents. All other functions work. When the vent button is pushed the motor must try but fails to move the door(s) to the correct position and a clicking sound is heard behind the instrument cluster. I presume the system is electo-mechanical and not vacuum operated. Anyone have any experience here? Steve

Problem Solved! Just to close this as I hate threads that have no ending... happy or otherwise. As it turns out two of the flex plate to converter bolts were not completely torqued down by the shop that did the trans R&R. I torqued them down and presto noise and vibration gone. (Mom always said "keep it simple stupid"!) Steve

Thanks for the information grossgary. I've read the information at that link previously. Unfortunately it just doesn't answer the questions. Are you aware that the first link you provided is of the transaxle and not the torque converter? I'm hoping to see what bearings might exist inside the torque converter. Steve

Deleted as double post of same message/

The bushing that was replaced lies immediately behind the wiper seal for the torque converter shaft. It is referred to in one parts list at the CONVERTER HOUSING BUSHING and in another list as the BELL HOUSING TO CONVERTER HUB BUSHING. The bushing in the illustration you attached would lie immediately behind the seal which is called out as item 15. I too find no reference anywhere to noise that goes away when the converter locks up. Am I correct in the presumtion that the converter only locks in 4th gear? Steve

Thanks for your reply grossgary; it's all good advice. The bushing that failed is the brass bushing in the front of the transaxle. I have considered installing the original trans and swapping the rear sections but of course there is uncertainty in it too as that tranny has been stored on a pallet out doors for a couple of years now. I'm praying that it's a bearing in the torque converter and attempting to logically isolate to the converter. That would be my best case scenario. What do you make of the fact that the noise stops once the converter locks? Am I correct in my understanding of lock-up occuring in 4th gear only? It seems to me that if that is the case then at lock-up converter bearings would be inactive and explain the noise stopping. I'm speculating, but it seems that a change in torque loading at 2nd to 3rd shift might also make the bearing talk. What's your take on these theories? Steve

I'm hoping for a response from someone really knowledgeable about the 1996 version 4EAT transmission and/or torque converters. Our 96 Legacy Outback has 250,500 miles on it. The transmission in our car is one that I obtained at about 200,000 from a donor vehicle with 70,000 miles on it in replacement of the original which had a torque bind issue only. (I figured at 200,000 miles I should go ahead and replace it). We recently had a front torque converter seal fail in the donor tranny due to a worn bushing on the transmission input shaft. After replacement of the bushing and seal the seal still leaked. Removal of the torque converter again indicated that the shaft was worn sufficiently to cause the new seal to also fail. We also replaced the bushing a second time as a preventive measure and I replaced the torque converter in the donor transmission with the converter from our original transmission which I had kept for parts. Once installed, the transmission would produce a slight high frequency (not pitch) ratching sound in 4th gear only when accelerating and coming out of lock-up which would stop as soon as the torque converter locked up again. The sound was almost so subtle that one could not hear it and actually sounded like an air leak on a faulty window seal. No other performance issues existed. The transmission now produces the ratching sound at shift from 2nd to 3rd just at the shift point and then the noise stops. It still present in 4rd gear at all speeds when under load (i.e. not when coasting). It still stops completely once the torque converter locks up in 4th and returns once the converter is unlocked as in passing a vehicle. It is never present in 1st or 2nd gear. I stored the donor torque converter now in the transmission installed in my original tranny and tarped on a pallet out of doors. Prior to installation in my current transmission I drained it to ensure no moisture had accumulated in it and no moisture or particulate was found. Ok, now for the question. I'm uncertain as to whether storing the convertor installed in the old tranny may have compromised some bearing inside it. I guess I'm wondering what is your take on the noise as described might be... could it be the torque converter? I'm thinking maby so since the noise always stops when the converter locks up in 4th gear. I read somewhere that the converter is locked in all gears but I don't think so as once at highway speed in 4th gear I can feel it lock and the RPM decrease about 100 RPM. I really need some comfort here because it's getting pricey to keep pulling this thing out and I don't want to buy a new (reman) converter only to thrown my money down the rat hole. Steve

Grossgary, you haven't met MY son-in-law. He get's Patriot missiles to shoot down scuds and more but drove his 280Z for years with a screw driver in the throttle to keep the choke plate open. I'm just glad he found it. Steve