Fairtax4me

Awesome! Now to get the money to buy one... :-\ might take a while.

By the powers, you're right! A couple bolts and an axle nut and the whole bearing and hub come out as one piece. All of a sudden that seems like alot more than it should be. Anybody know off hand what labor guides recommend for a rear bearing change on this model? I would think 2 hours should be plenty for a simple unbolt and swap. The part lists at only $140 from a dealer. It can be bought at Autozone for less. They have a Timken bearing for $120. A cheaper one for under $100. Does your mechanic buddy friend have a torque wrench? This job's one I'd do for a case of beer and a home cooked meal.

Part numbers help! It's number 6 http://opposedforces.com/parts/legacy/us_b12/type_8/engine/cylinder_block/illustration_2/ They go on some of the bolts that hold the block halves together. And they use them in EVERY engine. http://opposedforces.com/parts/info/11034AA000/

There is a clip in there that has to be hooked in a certain way. Did you get that seated properly?

You need to ground one of the pins on the ECU to make it stop looking for the TCU. There's no difference between AT and MT ECUs. It looks like it's supposed to be Pin 81. I can't find the ECU pinout for 97, but that's what it looks like from the wire diagrams. That should get rid of the IAC code if you have it. The Neutral switch code can be cleared by either grounding pin 82, or by hooking up the wire on pin1 of the inhibitor switch connector to the neutral switch. and making sure the other wire on the neutral switch is connected to ground on the engine or transmission case. The neutral switch just tells the ECU when the trans is in gear. It changes the way the idle control valve reacts when throttle is applied. Otherwise it thinks it's in neutral all the time. Or something like that. I'm too tired to explain it the right way.

Did you make sure the torque converter was seated properly before bolting the engine and trans together? If you removed the torque converter there are a few things that have to be done when it's re-installed. Even if you didn't remove the converter, it's always smart to check it before putting it in to make sure nothings out of whack.

It's possible they removed the knuckle from the car in the parking lot and took the assembly inside rather than the put the car on a lift. Shouldn't be hard to tell if they did or did not do the work. Look for hand prints on the wheel, tool marks on the bolts. You can also remove the brake rotor and look at the bearing and see if it looks new. If it's tarnished and covered in brake dust, then you know they didn't replace it. Which dealer did you go to? Did they try to charge you for the work?

Could be worse. That's about normal for dealer pricing. Might be able to get it done a bit cheaper by an independent shop, but the dealer will have the tools to do the job properly, so it shouldn't fail again anytime soon.

I did look on Rockauto and saw there are a few companies that do sell bearings with the hub. I suppose there is some way to replace the bearing/hub together but unless the hub you have is damaged there is no need. Either way, the bearing has to be pressed out of the knuckle, then the hub pressed out of the bearing. Take the whole knuckle, bearing, and hub to a shop and have them press the old bearing out and the new bearing in.

I'm blind. The bearing has to be pressed into the knuckle and there is no way to do that with the hub already installed with this style of bearing. At least not as far as I know.

The Outbacks always had kind of a smooth ride, but there are options for stiffer springs and shocks if you wanna pony up the $$$$. Turbo. CHANGE THE OIL!!! Doesn't really matter what you use, as long as it's new and the correct weight, just change it, then change it again, and keep changing it. You can not keep the oil clean enough in a turbo engine. Engrave a reminder note in the dash board if you have to, DO NOT go over the recommended oil change interval. If you really get into the throttle heavy on a regular basis and work the turbo, change it sooner than the recommended interval. If you only drive the car 5 miles at a time, change it sooner. The turbo will thank you with many years of happy spinning and boost. If you neglect the oil changes, the turbo will suffer, and in the end so will your wallet when the bearings go bad and the turbo chews itself to bits. Other than that, Happy motoring! And congrats and/or sorry on going through the big D.

Knock sensor is bad. All too common on these. Just a coincidence that it happened after you cleaned the MAF. Here's some help on replacement: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=120610

John where did you find the info about that trans number? I don't see anywhere that says an Outback would/could have come with a 3.90 ratio. The parts usage info links above clearly show that trans number as being for an Outback.

I've always used the purolator 14460, never had any trouble with leaks around the filter. I spin it on until it stops then give it another half turn or so. I don't really pay attention to how far it turns, I just know how tight it needs to be for me to be able to remove it by hand.

I don't really have to ask, every time I go to Harrisonburg it's either cold or windy! And this time of year it probably smells like chicken poo, so hopefully you're upwind! Is your power train warranty the factory warranty? I just kind of assumed it was. I'll also ask what's the current mileage on the car?

Depends on if it even has one. Somewhere in the mid late 90's they started using external filters that are either in line with the trans cooler, or a spin on type similar to the oil filter on the engine. Both would be on the drivers side of the transmission, the spin on directly on the side of the trans, the inline type is mounted under the frame rail separate from the trans more towards the front of the car IIRC. Either way, it does tend to enhance performance and extend transmission life to change the filter if it has one. If there is no external filter, there is an internal "filter" which is merely a wide guage mesh screen type filter, and it doesn't usually help anything to change that. Though it doesn't usually hurt to remove the pan and clean the goo off of the bottom, getting the pan to reseal properly can sometimes be an issue.

Certainly not normal in my (limited) experience with newer Subarus. Transmission fluid level could be low. Check it warm in park with the engine running. It should be a nice bright clear red. If its dark/murky and smells bad ( worse than normal) it needs to be changed. Having warranty left, it needs to go to the dealer anyway and have the issue documented. They can do a diagnosis, check for tsbs, and record that there is a complaint if nothing else. Then if it takes a turn for the worse 3k miles after the warranty is up, it is much more likely to be repaired/replaced under warranty. How's the weather in H- town?

Did you try using a bolt extractor after drilling the hole? Have a machine shop drill the block and install a Time-sert thread repair. They make thread insert kits for specific applications, such as spark plugs and cylinder head bolts. Determine the thread size you need and required thread depth with some simple measurements. http://www.timesert.com/html/universalheadbolt.html Half block replacement isn't a great idea if these are anything like the old VW and Porsche blocks. They machined the castings joined together, so bearing journals are offset from one block to another. The oil pump mating surfaces were usually offset as well, so the chance of getting the bearing journals lined up perfectly, and the oil pump to seal properly was slim to none.

I'm just as confused now as you. No more guessing. We's gonna get to de bottom uh dis. From Opposedforces.com Subaru parts listings: http://opposedforces.com/parts/legacy/us_b11/type_44/manual_transmission/transmission_assembly/illustration_1/ 1 Manual transmission assembly 1 32000AD610 TY752VABCA Usage info by build date: http://opposedforces.com/parts/info/32000AD610/ And the transmission specification page from the 1996MY FSM. Looks to me like your transmission code was available in the MY1996 Legacy Outback w/ 2200cc engine produced between June, 1995, and May, 1996. MY1996 FSM says Outback model ( * ) w/ 2200cc engine and manual transmission, has Front and Rear reduction gear (differential) ratios of 4.111. Now we all know.

95 might have had the 3.90 ratio because it wasn't a true Outback yet. It was a glorified L model with some stickers. 96 was the first year for the true Outback it got the bigger wheels and tires, lift kit, taller struts, and it got the 4.11 Fdr to help the 2.2 engine get all that extra weight moving.

96 manual trans Outback would have a 4.111 final drive ratio. For future reference http://www.northursalia.com/techdocs/trannychart/trannychart.html

Knock sensor is P0325. And they can go bad and cause trouble without setting a code. Plenty of things can cause loss of power and a P0420 code. Air leaks in the exhaust, vacuum leaks, a bad oxygen sensor, a dirty MAF sensor, clogged air filter, misfiring. Any of these could cause an issue where the engine struggles for air or fuel and causes lack of power under load. Start with some simple stuff first. Not saying you should go tossing parts at it, but make sure a squirrel or mouse hasn't filled the air filter with acorns. Check under the hood for loose vacuum hoses, breather hoses, make sure the clamps on the intake tube are tight. There's not an easy way to check the fuel filter, but if it hasn't been replaced within the last year or so, that could be suspect as well.

Does the engine feel shaky or sluggish? Does it feel like it bogs down at higher rpms? This could be a misfire or power issue causing you to apply more throttle than normal, and will cause the transmission to shift harder. Check the fluid condition and level as well. Is it red? Dark? Black? Smell like burnt toast? The 4EAT trans is not known for being a particularly smooth shifting transmission, but there are additives that can help, and clean fluid always makes a difference.

Got an engine hoist? You could just lift it up a few inches so the plugs clear the frame rails.

In my experience oil leaks into the spark plug wells are very slow, usually taking thousands of miles to fill the holes up. Overfilled oil could contribute to that, but it would mean being overfilled by a quart or more I would guess. Half of a quart won't make much difference. Another thing that can contribute to oil leaks is the PCV valve. If the PCV gets plugged up pressure in the crankcase rises and will push oil out of seals and large amounts of oil up through the breather hoses from the valve covers into the intake tube/box near the throttle body. Glad the brake light was an easy fix!