CNY_Dave

I will consider it time for a turbo muffler or one of the rockauto units when mine finally goes. It is one tough muffler though, what part of it failed? Cap to the bypass fell off?

On my '03 the input shaft seats into the converter with a clip. Not sure '00 and earlier is the same. trans- http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/index.php?app=core&module=attach§ion=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=7304 where the C clip seats on the converter http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/index.php?app=core&module=attach§ion=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=7294

Oops, that was 2...

I place a 2x4 against the rim/tire so it touches in 2 places, then beat on it with a hammer. I have found if you have the black/grey very-hard corrosion (that will not wire brush off) it will stick even with anti-seize. The hard black corrosion must literally be chipped off. I used a round metal rod and hit it with a hammer, the corrosion broke like glass. The 'ring' on the hub must be very clean and it does not really need a lot of anti-seize.

One question is- is the input shaft seated in the converter? Little snap ring in the right place?

And make sure the connector does not disappear into the trans pan after you unplug it...

Hail, cazenovia! I work in East Syracuse. There is a thread here on how to pull 4EAT trans codes, easiest thing to do is google subaru 4eat transmission codes Dave

Legacy H4 4EATs have 4.11, I'm pretty sure.

Just off the TCU would be easiest. That way the wires aren't exposed to the outside environment.

If it were the lock-up mechanism you could start it in N, push it to get it going, then drop it in D. Theoretically.

Maybe the gear on the starter is stuck out, and the starter just cooked from being horriffically over-reved? The gear should be retracted when the starter is not energized. That would damage the ring gear, and stall the car when the starter seized. And, the car would bump-start just fine.

Under the batt, but under the metal under the batt. Once you get the clips/screws undone that connect the fender liner to just behind the fog light, it peels back as mentioned.

Pressure Control Solenoid Electrical (Duty Sol. A)?

If you just pulled the (+) cable, waited, and then put it back on, that itself would not damage the ECU. No sparks, no drama, no crossed cables? If the immobilizer decided to do something bad, who knows. Can you disconnect the immobilizer?

If cars101 says they are the same length I'd bet so...

4 H6s w/in 100 mi of ventura CA on car-part.com, based on an '03.

Biggest question is- why did this one fail early? Or does the car have 200,000 miles on it?

But root point, the bearings are more prone to wear than on the non-VTD 4EAT, and it makes a noise similar to the worn center-diff bearings on the stick models.

A planetary gear set but without the external ring gear, just the sun gear and the planets with carrier. It's almost more like a differential where power comes in one axle, and goes out both the ring gear and the other axle. Looks like a smaller MPT clutch pack vs. what i thought it was, a single clutch. I could have just opened up the package I have that contains the darn thing, but it's wrapped so nicely...

? The VDC auto has a center differential (much as the standards) and a small clutch that is designed to spin free, or lock the diff completely. No clutch pack.

I think you should read up on the symptoms for failing center differential bearings, it is plausible they'd take damage from the rear wheels turning without the fronts turning, and it is not a terrible job to replace them. I'm not hearing anything that rules it out as a possibility. Google this just as is: subaru manual transmission center differential bearing and pay attention to threads on nasioc. The VDC center diff is similar to the manual diff center diff.

If you have never set up a differential with a dial indicator, i wouldn't make this your first. If it is the front diff, cheapest route is probably having a used trans put in- or doing that yourself. I found a trans for $800 for my H6. I had a very loud whining front differential. Pulling the trans apart to get to the pinion bearing is a bit of work. One thing I have learned on these boards, don't assume you know what it is until you have a firm diagnosis. There are a number of things to look at based on your description so far.

It could be a bad CV joint, bad driveshaft, or bad bearing on the center differential. With VDC there is a genuine center differential and a small lock-up clutchpack vs the large clutchpack on the other autos. This sounds like the bad center diff bearing symptoms reported on the manual transmission subarus when the bearing goes.

Pinion would get louder with speed and the sound would become higher pitched the faster you went. Could be the power steering pump, a belt tensioner pulley, a number of things. Does it vary with engine rev? Ever make the noise while stationary? While coasting in N? It could be the noise doesn't go away as you speed up, but becomes masked by other noises.

Maybe something came loose in the drum and whacked the sensor.