Twitch de la Brat

No oil scent in the tranny fluid. Ewwwww!!! Thanks, but I hope your aren't right, no offense. I just really, really don't want to have to do a tranny swap. Or even have the ____ing thing fixed. "Sigh" $#!+ !!! Anybody want to a legacy? JK. ---------------- Now playing: I-Kissed-a-Girl via FoxyTunes

OK, well I had put some "Bar's Transmission repair" in it when it started to work but I haven't tried anything else yet. And this morning it is almost double the cold level, but that all changes when I let it run for while and try to get it to go somewhere. Then after warming up and putting it into gear, it drops to regular or below the recommended amount. WTF!!! And my diff fluid smells like 85-W95. No sign of any tranny fluid whatsoever.

Will check the diff level. That's the dipstick on the passenger side of the engine compartment, right? I'll see if that has an atf smell or looks like it has been contaminated. I recently went through and changed the fluids, so i know exactly what's in it. And yes, yes, yes, I made sure the torque converter was seated properly. Because the thing still goes into gear on occasion, and stays in gear all the way up to as fast as I have gone. I cranked that thing up to 60 and never slipped the whole time. I turned it off and parked it for quite literally 5 minutes, and it refused to go into gear after that. ---------------- Now playing: HotNCold via FoxyTunes

Hmmm... Sounds like the infamous subaru automatic. I'm currently fighting off a problem with my AUTOMATIC legacy. For some reason subaru has never been very good at building a decent automatic tranny. I say, If you know how to drive a stick, trade it for one. Subaru's manuals are almost bullet proof. If you disagree come drive my brat. It has been tortured by many people. For one instance I bent the synchro for first and with a little pushing and grinding with the shifter i bent it back into shape. Last words, "Trade it for a manual!"

OK sorry for taking so long to reply, I've been busy trying to keep dug out. I ran my codes and nothing. I tried unplugging the tranny and the car wouldn't start or let me put it in park. It killed it when I did unplug it. I hope I was unplugging the tranny. I'm not sure which plugs they are. Anybody got some pics I could see? Just to make sure I've got the right ones. I've done everything suggested and still, this piece of crap won't go very far! I got it to go about 50 backwards in my driveway but that's it. Every once in while I can get it to move a little bit but when I got about 3-5 feet, the tranny cuts out. Any other help? And thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!! I can't tell you much help you guys have been! You guys help so much more than those stupid chilton/haynes books. Thank you! ---------------- Now playing: Because-Of-You via FoxyTunes Twitch

OK, sorry for the long time no reply, was working on the (insert expletive) car. I pulled the codes, or tried to pull codes anyway. I went through the gears like suggested and couldn't get anything. The power light was on through every gear. Does that mean anything? I looked it up on nipper's site but couldn't get any answers on whether or not that meant anything. Any answers from you guys? I've had the same result every time that try it. I'm almost to the point of parting the stupid thing out, but my attachment to it won't let me. Grrrr... It won't move!!! Help! I feel like I'm !!! Oh, btw its a 1990 subaru legacy with 280k+ miles with an engine replacement at 130k and and a rebuilt tranny at 150k. Not to mention my recent engine rebuild. Otherwise no history known. I replaced my alternator cuz when I bought it, the warning lights flickered on the dash. New alternator fixed that. Could that have any way affected my tranny? Any other questions please, please ask!!! I'll give any answer if you'll give me answer that helps!!! Thanks for all the patience, Twitch

To answer the first question, my fluid is fine and there is no burnt smell coming from it. But for some reason I can never get the same reading twice. Its either way over or on the low side. Its very weird, I've never had this happen to me before, but the last time I checked it, it was normal. As for the second question yes the power light turns on when I start the engine. It flashes 5 or 6 times. The torque converter was a pain, but I'm pretty sure that I seated the torque converter properly. I had to do it a couple times for the engine sit flush with the tranny case. Does anybody have any ideas on electronics? Because most of the time the only time that something is intermittent is if its electrical, and it has been happening off and on since I put the engine back in. Any plugs that I may have smashed or had come loose on me? Thanks you so much for all of your assistance. I am in need of my Subaru asap because if you have seen the news here in the northwest that we have well over 2 ft of snow. AWD is so incredibly nice in the snow, ya know? Thanks again, Twitch

I have a1990 legacy that has some transmission issues. I basically rebuilt the top end of the engine about 1 year ago. After I put the engine back in the tranny decided to stop functioning after probably 50 miles or so. I took it to an "expert" subaru mechanic and he told me I needed a new tranny. This is the same mechanic that told me to replace my head gaskets or get a new engine. I replaced my head gaskets and later came to find out that I had a bad fuel injector, not a blown head gasket. So I went there again since they were the only subie shop that I knew of. they told me to replace my tranny. So I brought it home and started twiddling with it because I know that transmissions don't go bad out overnight. I did the standard fluid check and found that I was low on tranny fluid and it had air bubbles. I filled it once, twice, three times and, ect. I kept putting more and more tranny fluid in and it kept saying it was low until after who knows how many times I filled it. Then I could drive it around without slippage or anything bad happening. I was just about to leave to get the plates transfered off my brat to it this morning when out of the blue, it quit working. So, anybody have any suggestions or clues on what I could do to get it to work again and hopefully permanently this time? Thanks, Twitch

I have the same issue, but mine has cut in and out since I bought it. Could it be the VSS? And do you know the resistance on the VSS and other sensors? Just so that I might check them to see if they're good.

Yeah, I wish those were the right ones but they don't look like the ones on my brat. Plus I need to fix the body first. Eh, but for a few bucks they'd be worth it. Unless anybody needs them I think I'll put in a bid on them. Waiting for a response within 24 hrs. If not I'll be bidding on them. :cool:

Thanks for all the support, but another bad thing happened this morning. I was turning onto a street this morning and hit a patch of ice. I curbed my poor brat. It bent the swing arm and jammed my tire into my fender. Tire and rim held even though the rim has one h*ll of a ding in it. I'll post more damage pics soon enough. :'( I'm posting on my phone so I can't upload pics yet. UPDATE!!! I was lucky enough to be able to crawl into a krispy kreme parking lot Unfortunately it ain't goin' any farther. And my gf and her dad are taking me to the pull and save wrecking yard so I may yet drive it home, Hoping I can get a swing arm cheap, maybe a new rim but since this one isn't leaking I doubt I'll need it. Just wanted to get some good news out there, esp. with all the bad news I've been sending out. Twitch.

Pictures of my baby before and the aftermath. And yes that is me in the drivers seat. http://www.flickr.com/photos/33361397@N08/?saved=1

Not more than 30 min's ago, I got rear ended in my 85 brat. :mad:Needless to say, I'm po'd! So, to make it easy, I'm sending out a help to all you brat lovers and owners out there to see what parts you could spare! I have money, it is no object. I need a left rear tail light assembly, a tailgate, and anybody know how to do bodywork on the left rear part of the bed? I'll be posting this in the classifieds as well. Thanks, Twitch PS: I'll be posting pics of my baby soon.

Well, it doesn't quite fit into the older gen soobies, but I once accidentally jumped my stock 1990 legacy wagon, with 4 people in the car plus tools and a floor jack in the back. And then another time I filled it to the hilt with basically my buddy's life. He had a bike a couple of lamps, some miscellaneous crap, and whole bunch of sports equipment. Had I had a roof rack on it there would have been a heck of a lot more. Sorry, no pics. Another time I was 4x4ing in my brat and almost dropped into a rut that could have swallowed my car but thankfully the skid plate held and bounced me back up onto the ridges I was riding. That's about all with my subies, anybody else got some "interesting" stories?

Anybody have any references to anyone that makes or distributes perfomance parts for the EA81 engine? For example, forged pistons, racing quality gaskets, seals and rings, high perf lifters, double barrel carb, anything to make my little brat a little higher quality. Any help is most appreciated. Ben, aka Twitch.

Anybody out there have a site or links for the seats or the wheel wells for an 85 brat? Also, I just bought an 80 brat and I don't know if I can take the wheel wells out of that and put them in the 85. Please I am a subie nut, but a certified noob when it comes to doing anything to them.