Legback

I read somewhere that even tire pressure was critical in keeping the 4wd diffs from suffering. I had crappy tires on for four years that I was always pumping and they were wrong more than they were right. When I did my oil separator cover, I noticed a silverish ooze coming out of the bottom of the circular cover around the drives on the sides of the front diff. Connecting the dots....prolonged bad tire pressure and low diff fluid leads to that whining noise.... what next? Start tranny shopping?

Ok. Check air intake and vacuum hoses for leaks? Check exhaust for leaks as well.

It seems like since I did the oil separator I get this whistle a high rpm. Only when she downshifts and jumps to 5000rpm and then the whistle goes away the second it upshifts again and the rpms drop. Never heard that noise before. The transmission fluid is at the proper level. Front diff is a touch high.

I used the handles of a pair of channel locks to grip the t handle on the plug boot and made a fulcrum with a screw driver handle to pry against. Wasn't pretty but it worked. Removed the battery and washer reservoir for right side and air filter box for passenger side ease of access. A foot of 3/8 rubber hose is a must for starting in your new plugs within the week. Impossible without it.

My front diff started whining a year or so ago and that along with a bad plug wire\plug made me think I'd better jump on the chance to aquire a backup tranny. Turns out I do not need a tranny at all. I needed to fill\change my front diff oil and replace plugs and wires. I moved\replaced the knock sensor too. It's a new car besides the quieter but still present front diff whine which I suspect over time will give way to front diff malfunction.

No external filters on mine! Doesn't the front diff. have to match the rear diff.? I'll keep the used one for diff parts if they'll fit. Thanks everyone!!--JCE esp.

I bought it through my mechanic and he said it should fit so I paid 200$ for it. The engine blew in the car with 160,000 on it. TZ102ZACAA-DR is the code on it. I have a 98 Outback Legacy 2.5 automatic.

I replaced one semi siezed caliper and it felt sooo good that I replaced the other one for the sake of symetry. I wish I'd taken the time to paint them! Mine from Napa were an oily natural finish when I got them. The oil wore off and now they're a shade of rust. Should have painted. Woulda, shoulda, coulda, maybe I still can.

160,000 on the engine. I did put the black screw where the arrow was pointing. Purple power better than engine brite?

It's the 2.5. Ok, there's hope.

Yes, RTV gray. I laid a bead around the holes and along the proper surface. They gave me used screws for mounting..including the black one which he said was different because it left more clearance. I picked up on that screw being black cause it has locktite on it so I put some loctite on that screw only cause it had been in and out of something already. How long does that rtv take to set up? It had 6hrs.

Next time I will pull the engine fo sho. Good experience but I'm not sure the leak is fixed as there are still a mess of drips on the jack plate. Could be the oil pan I guess? Heads are leaking lightly and passenger side (cam?) leaks out of timing belt cover. May be chasing leaks for ever!! Can anyone recommend a gasket set?

It only took me 18 hrs! 10 hrs to get the tranny out...ouch. Really got hung up on the front end. Changed tranny and front diff fluids. New left tie rod end, new ex.manifold gaskets. Ever try to buy just the spring pin for the cv axle?...what a pain! Used a motorcycle\atv jack as a tranny jack.

For what it's worth...I replaced my starter and had the same issue. Intermittent failures. It's a knuckle job right? It occurred to me that maybe I quit a little early on the starter mounting bolts. I went back in and re-tightened the bolts and never had problem since...(rata tat tat on my simulated wood desk). I mean...dug deep... from the aXX.... tight. Like you wanna kill it. Fixed it. Longer ratchet? Got change for a nickle? -T

Found my front diff was off the dip stick. Put in a pint of 85-90. Still howls a bit. Might have saved it?

Wow- THanks!. You got a good price on that part. Mine was 37$. Just ordered from subaru dealer along with RMS and screws. Any tips on procedure? Is there a tranny removal thread on here with pics? Gonna search for one. Thanks,Trev

Do I replace the oil separator and the cover or just the cover or what? Does the separator have to be metal or just the cover? Great stuff, thank you!!

My 98 has a bad rear main seal. It has been heavily leaking for over a year. Could this have led to a whining output bearing? It's causes vibration around my automatic shift lever in the cabin. There is also a distinct 'roller coatster' noise a lot of the time. It often sounds like something's rattling aroung when accelerating. Any ideas??:-\ Trev

I can hear the motor pumping however a once weak stream has ceased completely. Is there a crack in the line somewhere??? Thanks!