dirty_mech

No noise in the morning until the engine warmed up, then the chirping began. So I parked it and swapped out the new belt with the old once (since I like to keep the old one as a backup). Noise instantly gone. It was the belt, despite sounding so much like a bad pulley. Searched and it appears Bando may be the OEM supplier. Belt is also 1/3 the price of the AC Delco 6K864. Will run the Bando for the summer and see if it develops any noise. Perhaps I offroad it too much, and the dust messes with the belt, causing squeaking, and I'll have to replace it more frequently.

I've had a squeak on the front of this engine for half a year, and it's recently gotten worse. At first it only seemed to happen in cold or wet weather around idle RPMs, but now it's happening all the time. I know it can be either the belt or the pulleys, and that there's ways to check for both. I've already recently replaced the belt tensioner assembly and both idler pulleys. Belt was replaced almost a year ago with an AC Delco belt. I tried cleaning the pulleys with brake cleaner and the belt with paper towels. Scuffed the belt surface with a fine sandpaper, and put a fine crosshatch on the new idler pulleys. No apparent change in the the noise after doing this. Tried hitting each pulley in turn with WD-40 between startup tests, and it either stayed the same or got a little worse. I don't know, maybe I should be using a thicker lubricant for bearing testing. The squeak sounds closer to the right-hand side of the engine near the AC compressor. I'd like to suspect the aftermarket belt, but the noise didn't change at all after cleaning and scuffing. Really want to identify this squeak so I can fix it. Anyone recognize it? Any guesses or tests I can try? Video:

Well that answers a lot! Never heard of them until now. I've reviewed the technology and see there's no clutch to idle when it's off. Still, is it normal for the AC system to produce runoff constantly when the compressor is the variable displacement type? Perhaps when they get old? Update: Answered my own dumb questions. Guess I'm just too used to owning an older car. The AC in fact does run even when it's not activated. Someone online explains: " Does the AC Compressor run when the heat is on? Generally yes, as long as the outside temperature is above freezing and the more common settings are used. The compressor cycles on and off as its needed, the colder it is the less its needed. It serves to dry the air to keep the windows from fogging up. All air through the hvac system is passed through the a/c coils, the coils will be cooled to within a degree or so of freezing or the closest they can get depending on the outside temperature. This collects any excess water from the air, then is routed past a blend door that directs air to mix with the heater core in varying amounts depending on how much heat is called for, either full heat, no heat at all, or any amount in between. Although the lower limit for the a/c coils is about 33F (0.5C) the upper limit of the heater core is whatever the engines operating temperature is at. Which even in winter is 190F (88C) to 230F (110C), so this will be the temperature of the heater core as well once the engine warms up, so also due to the size of the heater core (its literally a mini radiator for the engine coolant) there is multiple times more heating ability available than a/c so assuming the engine is warm enough and everything functions properly full a/c and full heat at the same time will still result in very hot and also very dry air." So the AC doesn't even need to be turned on for the compressor to run and produce water. It's being used to dehumidify the car. No wonder my windows don't fog up so much!

I have a 2013 (Yaeger v.) Subaru Outback, M/T, 190k, of west coast origin that came to me with a minor amount of rust on all the pulleys at the front of the engine. I don't know if the rust is related, but my AC compressor clutch never seems to turn off. The AC produces runoff year round, even with the fan totally off. The AC works perfectly, and the fan doesn't seem to blow air conditioned air when the AC is off. However it does produce runoff constantly, and I'm never able to visually see the clutch disengaging at the front of the engine while it's running. It's a Denso TSE14F, which from preliminary research appears to be less common in Subarus of this model. Already tried adjusting the clutch but I can't seem to unscrew it from the compressor. Photos linked below. It seemingly has a large 20+ mm nut on the front, but it doesn't protrude enough to use a socket or wrench. Inside a dust cap in the center it has a very small, 8mm or less, hex head that might also be a screw. However it seems weak and I don't want to risk breaking it by using a lot of force. Is anyone familiar with how to loosen or remove the clutch on this AC compressor for adjustment and service? Also I considered the clutch solenoid might be stuck. I see two electrical connectors on possible compressor solenoids, but am not sure which one engages the clutch - the black or the blue-dot one. I'm also not clear on if the clutch solenoid is under pressure from the AC system. I read that at least one of the connected is in the refrigerant. There's also an intermittent squeak on the front of the engine that seems to occur most often in cold and/or wet weather, and only occurs at idle speed. I've replaced both idler pulleys and the tensioner pulley with no luck. I'm starting to think the AC compressor might be the culprit as it's running constantly whenever the car runs.s Perhaps I'm better just getting a new compressor? Any advice appreciated! Having it run all the time can't be good for my compressor or MPGs. https://imgur.com/a/yPBz4qf

Maybe in North Central Wisconsin. Not where I live. 😂

Solid advice Daskuppler. Thanks. I'll probably try to replace it if I can. However it's proving to have a compatibility issue. My transmission is the TY754VCAAA with an uncommon 3.90 final drive gear ratio. I've read in posts on this forum that the transmission and rear differential gear ratios need to match to be compatible. Found my Subaru transmission specs on this site: https://legacypic.uk/transmission/ It's the only 1 of 3 transmissions for the 2000 MY that has a 3.90 gear ratio; the other 2 have the 4.11 ratio which is more common for that era. I saw some comment suggesting any Subaru transmission with the same gear ratio might be compatible. I see there is a push clutch vs a pull clutch issue as well. The transmission I found has a 4.11 ratio so that's off the table. Looks like compatibility issues might make this a bigger headache than I want. Edit: Looked nearby and not many options in the junkyard. Maybe I can get lucky calling salvage up and find a compatible one, but even that would be hard. Repairing the existing transmission is starting to look more and more appealing. Or just selling as-is.

Hi there forum mates. To recap, my car started making a faint grinding / rumbling noise about 500 or so miles ago. I thought it was the engine at first because the oil was low at the time. Then I thought it was the clutch release bearing. After twisting the input shaft while replacing the bearing and consulting with you guys, I realized the actual problem is that one of the bearings on my transmission input shaft is going bad. Everything is back together and I'm driving it again. It drives great except for the faint, intermittent grinding / rumbling noise from the input shaft. I actually plan to sell this Subaru because I recently bought a 2013 Outback. I have 3 questions to ask regarding this 2000 Legacy's transmission issue before I sell it. 1. How long could I reasonably expect the transmission to last with a noisy input shaft bearing? The noise is most prominent when first starting the vehicle. If I drive enough, it gets more quieter and can go away almost completely. So I suspect perhaps it's not that bad yet. 2. Would changing the transmission gear oil help with the noise or reduce the time until failure? I'm due for a gear oil change anyways. I used 75W-90 and a healthy does of Lucas Oil Stabilizer last time. Perhaps using a lot of Lucas Oil could minimize the noise? 3. Should I bother fixing it before selling it or just sell it as-is at a reduced price? I was planning to get 4-5K without the transmission issue based on the current market conditions, detailed service record, and upgrades including Outback struts, performance clutch, dash cam, alarm system, GPS system, anti-carjacking system, and many recently replaced parts including the windshield, head gaskets, timing belt, and tires. In it's current condition I'm not sure what to ask for it. 3K maybe? The answer will depend on how long I can expect the transmission to last before it absolutely needs to be replaced. I see there is a good transmission for $300 about 300 miles away from me, so maybe double that with tax and shipping. Kind of tempting but not a job I actually want to do. What do you guys think?

Hi guys. Thanks for getting back to me Lucky Texan. Me neither! 😅 I'm always game to learn more about fixing these cars if necessary, but I'm getting to an age where I'm trying to avoid it. THANK YOU el_freddo for the very detailed guide on how to do this. That is excellent information. Even if I don't repair the transmission, that is an info will be helpful to anyone who might run into the same problem. I'll definitely be using it if I ever have to repair one of these transmissions. Hi Numbchux. Yeah, that's what I figured. I'm not even sure I want to go as far as replacing the transmission because I plan to sell this car. Not sure it's worth the time to fix. I'm going to start a new thread on this issue because I have some specific questions regarding my situation, now that I know the transmission is the issue. Thank you guys again.

So I watched the full 3-part series on this guy's Subaru transmission repair. I am confident that I could do the repair, but I wondering if it's more effort than just snagging a transmission from Pick n Pull, if possible, where they will only charge me about $200 if I pull it myself. I might try doing that, but it would be cool to fix the transmission on my own. Would love to hear your guys' opinions on what route I should take. The third part of his project (embedded below) shows that the input shaft made a click-click-click noise just like my input shaft, and that the noise was gone once he replaced a couple bearings and put it all back together. The video series has encouraged me to try and fix this myself. The only issue is I will need to disassemble the transmission and inspect the input shaft before figuring out which bearings have gone bad. Apparently there are several that can go bad, one for each of the gear sets, and not just the front bearing. In his pre-video on replacing the center differential, he mentioned that the 75W-90 gear oil these transmissions call for should NOT contain limited slip additive. Or at least on his 2012 transmission. Are you guys familiar on whether this also applies to the transmissions from 2000? I wasn't paying attention to such a requirement and may have used an oil with that additive on my last gear oil change. Is that something that could've caused this problem or a different problem? I also added Lucas Oil Stabilizer to the gear oil in my transmission and rear diff. Any opinions on whether that also could've potentially caused damage? I'm a bit keener on following OEM specs to the letter these days, so will plan to use what is strictly specified next time. Edit: Just wanted to say that I absolutely swear by putting Lucas Oil in the engine during oil changes. Only because my engine is so old and eats so much oil otherwise. My 235k, EJ251 engine will eat oil about 4x as fast without Lucas Oil, requiring half a quart or more every other fill-up, and that's when I'm using Mobil 1 High Mileage 10W-40. I would've probably had to rebuild my engine at this point without that stuff. Don't know if it's a problem in the transmission and rear diff however. I was so impressed by how it helped my engine that I didn't even think about it when putting it in my powertrain devices. Perhaps it could be a problem by increased viscosity allowing debris in the bottom of the case to be more easily picked up and run through the components during operation?

So I just watched a video video on replacing the input shaft bearing on a 2012 Subaru 5-speed transmission. Link at the bottom since I can't resize the embed. Not the right year but looks similar enough to give me an idea. In the video, the gentleman points out 2 different bearings on the input shaft that could go bad. So perhaps I will need to replace the larger rear bearing? I'm not even sure what is the part name of the second bearing. It also shows a paper gasket at one point that needs to be scraped and replaced. Might be RTV on my model but I'll have to figure that out as well. Here's a photo with the positions of the 2 bearings. I think the front input shaft bearing is the one on the left, but he says the larger one in the back went out on him before in the original transmission: Starting to look a bit involved, but I'm not discouraged yet! What do you guys think, can I do it?

Yes it is noisy in neutral with the foot off the clutch. I think you might be onto something Texan. Please help me out here. I just replaced the clutch release bearing and the noise is still present. Very unsatisfactory result but I was able to reboot the blown CV axle boots while I was at it, so not a total loss. Put some photos below. It appears the issues now must be my transmission. I'm very nervous about this because I know diddly-squat about transmissions, even the manual ones. I suppose I could try to hunt one down but this one seems to be working great except for the grinding noise. I would rather fix it if possible. An issue I noticed when the transmission was dropped was that while I turned the input shaft by hand while the axles and shaft were all uninstalled, there was a click-click-click noise. Some sort of unevenness in the rotation. This and the not-terrible condition of the old release bearing made me very nervous the transmission is having an issue. Is this likely to be the input shaft bearing? Because the transmission works fine other than for this disturbing faint grinding noise. Is this something I could perhaps fix at home or no? Looks like the input shaft bearing is around $40 from the dealer, but the schematic makes it look quite complicated (see photos below). I've got a lot of experience but this might test me. Let me know what you guys think.

Yeah I think you're right. Now the question is which part. Is it possible this is just the release bearing causing the noise? Because I already have a spare release bearing ready to go. I reused the old release bearing because (1) it only had 18 months on it to begin with, and (2) it was an oversized bearing that worked in conjunction with a quill repair sleeve. Perhaps the bearing and/or quill repair sleeve have gone bad and I can get away with just swapping out the bearing? I guess I would need to know what is the most likely component to cause all this noise. I'd like to avoid replacing the whole clutch kit over a glorified squeak. Edit: Based on this video, I think it is the throwout bearing: I think I'm going to try and just replace the bearing. What a pain...

Hi guys. This is my 2000 Legacy Wagon L M/T at 235K. A grinding / rubbing / scraping noise has started coming from my engine. It is most noticeable when first starting the car and running at idle, although it can still be noticed when running the car. Here are 3 behaviors that will probably allow someone to name the issue: - Pressing the clutch pedal to the floor makes the sound disappear completely. - Revving the engine with the pedal to the floor causes no sounds. - Revving the engine in neutral without pressing on the clutch pedal not only causes the noise, but the noise increases in frequency and pitch along with engine speed. Is this most likely some kind of clutch issue with the clutch plate, the pressure plate, or the release bearing? Or could it be engine damage? I'm asking because I discovered my engine oil was very low when the noise first started. Forgot to add Lucas oil stabilizer last oil change so it was eating oil much faster than I anticipated. I was so certain the noise was engine damage that I bought a new 2013 Outback. However I've been driving it for over 3 weeks without performance issues, so I'm starting to suspect this is a smaller problem than I originally suspected, such as an annoying clutch noise. I was overdue for an upgrade anyways so I'm not upset if this turns out to be a just clutch issue. I did the clutch 18 months ago. I used an Exedy 15801 Stage 1 racing clutch kit which has been performing excellent so far. However I did afterwards notice a weird mechanical sound bouncing off the freeway divider when I'm driving fast, which gave my car an almost diesel-engine sound. It was concerning at first but subsided with time and I haven't noticed it for quite a while. So perhaps I did something wrong during the clutch job and it's only started to become an issue now. So what do you guys think? Is this a bad clutch component? I suppose it could be a transmission or engine issue, but both have been performing perfectly. The only problem is this noise. Edit: Here's a video so you can hear and see how the noise behaves relative to engine speed and clutch pedal position. https://imgur.com/tdu5fe2

Thanks for all the great info, Idosubaru! It sounds like I'll be changing out the boots and grease on all my axles in the near future. I want to make those puppies last as long as possible. Glad I don't need to sweat the wheel bearings. I've done one of those on a Toyota Corolla before and it's not easy even on basic models. I'll wait until one of those fails to replace it. The vibration I have is fairly mild right now. I'll take my time greasing the axles and see if that does it. If not, I'll look for that Fairfax thread on the steering rack.

So just cleaning and regreasing them can make them work more smoothly and eliminate vibration!? I'm curious if any of the internal parts are replaceable, in the event I do find wear... But it sounds like you're saying they never really go bad as long as the boot doesn't break. So maybe a rebooting and regreasing is really all I do need. Still wondering about those 20+ year old wheel bearings. I wonder if I can reduce vibration even further by replacing them... Here's a guy who has a great technique for cleaning out old CV joint grease with compressed air and brake cleaner:

If by change the loading you mean swap them from left to right and vice versa, I've done that. I saw that it's recommended when changing ride height, which I also did a couple years ago. Swapped the other axle off the passenger side and discovered it has tons of play in the inner joint. Apparently there's a way to check for this but the Les Schwab guys don't go that far. You can grip the bucket and the shaft and try to rotate each side against itself to check for play. Test drove it and the issue is mostly gone. The ride still feels slightly rough like maybe the bearings are a bit old or that stiff outer joint is generating a tiny bit of friction. Not sure. Maybe I'll change the wheel bearings at some point if its recommended for a smoother ride. I'm not sure if I can do any preventative or preemptive maintenance on the joints themselves to eliminate stiffness and prevent wearing. That outer joint on the passenger side OEM yard axle was noticeably stiffer than the first one I got. Would it be that to "swap the axle guts" might do the trick? Is that caps and/or needle bearings that can be swapped, or more? It would be solid if they sold a good kit for something like that. So glad I can get back to roadtripping without having to worry about that vibration developing again. This guy's story closely tracks everything I experienced:

Here's the second CV axle, cleaned and treated with AT-205. Had to check about 12 Subarus across 2 yards in the 2000-2004 range to get this pair of relatively clean OEM axles. Most had aftermarket axles or one aftermarket and one OEM axle. This axle seems pretty good except the outboard joint is just a tiny bit stiff compared to the first one I nabbed. I'm guessing that means I should consider rebuilding them in the next couple or few years. Outboard boot is in good condition as usual. The metal is more rusted than the first axle but the neoprene boot on the second axle inner joint seems to be in better condition with less cracking. Pics: I also ran across another set of these aftermarket axles with the blue boot clamps on a junk yard car and took a pic. Would be curious to know their brand, I can't find any clues online:

I mean I knew that much. I just meant in terms of wear pattern, since I am installing a used 20+ year old CV axle in the opposite rotation direction for the first time in its life. Perhaps it's actually better since all the force is now being applied in the opposite direction? Or worse? Or not at all as you might suggest. I've no clue. I just salvaged another green NTN axle off a car in another Pick n Pull and will post it shortly. It came from the left hand side of the donor car, and I need the additional axle for my right hand side. So now I'm in this position where I have a set of axles from two different cars, one each from the left and right hand sides, but they will be installed in the opposite of their original positions. I don't know if this will make a difference or not in terms of wear on the CV axles. Perhaps I'll get to let you know! I want to see if I can rebuild these at home in the future.

I'm starting to get what you mean. Installed the first axle and I've still got the vibration issue, presumably from the other aftermarket axle. (By the way, would the fact that I took the axle from a right front wheel and installed it on my left front wheel cause any problems?) Went to a pick n pull for the second time and had no luck for the second axle. They had 5 Subarus (2000-2004) that could've provided the axles but all were aftermarket or missing. One aftermarket axle had these interesting blue boot clamps on them with "OET", but I assume those are also junk like the rest. Going to have to check the other yards nearby. Raxles want you to call them up for a price quote and that sounds expensive, so I'll just find a second OEM one. I was lucky to find the first in such good condition. Just watched the first minute of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxwjEaynfJQ Seems I'll be rebooting and/or rebuilding OEM axles for the rest of time, or getting Raxles if desperate. Lesson learned.

Bloody genius. Screwdriver locks on the brake pad bracket that way. Alright then. 😆

Got an axle. The jack stand and breaker bar method is garbage. Was trying to attach one of those rimstands Pick n Pull uses to prop cars when a friendly guy came and helped me crack the nut on the axle with a cordless impact wrench. About to order one of those very soon. Here's pictures of the axle, green paint and all. Stamps on the axle include a 63 sideways, then around the circumference is written 5 SFJ 82, with NTN Y S I H written on the other side. Cleaned it up and rubbed the boots down with AT-205. I'm somewhat concerned about the cracking on the inner boot visible in the pictures, but I just want to get this issue resolved ASAP so I'm going to throw it in for now until the boot starts leaking. The thermoplastic outboard boot is in mint condition - wish they could've made the inner boot of the same material. Hopefully it's just the left side. I'll report back when it's done. If anyone recommends a cordless impact wrench, I'm in the market.

Thanks for the info and the reminder. I saw earlier that my back halfshafts are green so that's solid. And I've got a punch that fits that pin perfectly, a depth rod for an old Craftsman drill.

Well damn, that sounds like what I'm experiencing. I also have an annoying click on tight turns, especially in the morning when I first start driving. Even before the freeway impact. The Les Schwab guys first thought CV axles when I described the issues to them, but they didn't see anything physically wrong with the shafts. Perhaps because they are the aftermarket garbage you all are warning me about. Sounds like plenty reason to try swapping out the axles. I first replaced them 7 years ago. Just looked them up and they were A1 Cardone 66-7259. Lasted 7 years and 60k miles so far, but I suspect that unplanned Dukes of Hazard jump I took messed up at least one of them. At the very least it's causing that clicking noise on turns so I will replace them. I hear you guys on the OEM shafts. I very nearly bought some replacement Cardones this morning but saw this thread in addition to your comments: https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/cardone-heavy-duty-axles.497231/ It really pains me to go to Pick n Pull to rip off 20+ year old parts and put them on my car, but I guess that's what I'm doing. I'll take Imdew's advice Hopefully the employees will let me go through the gate with a jack stand so I can hold the wheel in place using the lug to break the hub nut, or I'm going to have a real fun time trying to get them off. Forget why I replaced the original ones, maybe it was a click or just torn boots. What a mess... I am going to try to avoid any OEM axles with torn boots. Hopefully I'll see a Fuji or Subaru symbol on the axles so they are easy to identify. Oh and here's a morsel from that thread I posted above: Sure sounds like my problem, doesn't it? I'll let you all know what it drives like with some OEM shafts on it, and if Daskupller guessed it right. Will hit up Pick n Pull soon. If anyone has had a recommendation regarding what boots to use for rebuilds, I'm glad to take it. I may replace them in advance just to save on future maintenance down the road.

brus brother - I just checked the U-joints on the driveshaft as best as I could without removing anything, which wasn't great. The back one feels fine, what I can see of the front one looks OK, and I wasn't able to see the center portion of the shaft due to the exhaust line heat shield. I will remove the exhaust and heat shield if people think my symptoms are spot-on enough to check, but I'm starting to get tired of chasing my tail here. I might just give up and have a mechanic take a crack at it this week. Heartless - I hope so. I've spent a lot of time under that Subaru and looked for such things but didn't find them. Still you're right, a ratchet trying to snug down all the bolts would be a better way to check. I hope it's something like that or a driveshaft u-joint. I may check for both those issues in the near future if I find the time. I just got done checking the oil pressure as Numbchux suggested. Just over 25 idling, and just over 75 at 5000 RPM. Service info reportedly indicates 14+ PSI at idle and 43+ PSI at 5000 RPM, so it would seem I am fine with regard to oil pressure. Bloody oil light didn't come one even with the sending unit disconnected; perhaps I've got a bad one? Photos: But thank you for the idea. I wonder if this still an oil issue possibly however; I've been doing 10k oil change intervals with Wix XP filters and full synthetic for the past 50k miles or so, which is probably a bad idea for one reason or another given how particular these engines tend to be. If I get to checking the driveshaft and underbody mounting bolts - or taking it to a mechanic - I'll let you all know. Let me know if there's any other tests or things I can check. A couple photos from under my car: Big scrape mark on rear left section of underbody, possibily from the freeway impact. This is my front left halfshaft. The smaller CV boot connection has come a little loose and both connections are leaking a tiny bit of grease. Other halfshaft CV boots are snug and no leaks. Same side of car as underbody scrape; perhaps the thing I hit was more on the left side of the car? Makes me wonder if these CV axles can become internally damaged from an impact without significant leaking. Still hard to say how this would make my symptoms worse after an extended drive. Quite an annoying mystery...

This is a strange one that I've been trying to fix it for over a month. 4th of July I'm driving home at night on an empty freeway after a long trip and hit something in the dark. It felt like a 4x4 piece of lumber. Sent the front end of my car flying for a hot second. Pulled over a bit later and couldn't find any damage. Didn't notice any driveability issues so I made a note to get my alignment done later and went on my way. About 30 miles down the road I start to get a strong vibration through the stick shift that would get worse with acceleration and engine load. No vibration when coasting regardless of speed, and no noticeable vibration at lower speeds and engine loads. Eventually it would get so bad the whole car would shake. Turning the car off and letting it sit helped reduce the vibrating for a time. I eventually limped it home, mostly by driving around 60 in 4th gear to minimize the vibration. At this point the thing I hit on the road is so far out of my mind that it didn't even occur to me that it was related. The vibration was also behaving like an engine mechanical or performance issue. So I end up changing my oil, air filter, spark plugs, wires, ignition coil, and adjusting my valve clearances. Engine is running better but vibration still there. Get my front wheels rebalanced and learn that impact must've knocked the weights off of both front wheels. Finally notice the vibration issue at a lower speed, this time after hitting the gas hard when taking off from a parking spot, which makes me suspect a powertrain and/or suspension issue. Had Les Schwab check the underbody and they found no issues. Checked it myself today; saw some nice scrapes on the underbody shell but no real mechanical damage that would explain the weird vibration. Someone suggested a dropped valve but that seems to always correlate with misfiring, which I am not experiencing. Numbchux suggested in the original thread that it might be low oil pressure. I'm going to check for that but am a bit skeptical given the strange symptoms and proximity to the freeway impact. I'm considering that a drivetrain or suspension component might be damaged in a way that's not noticeable. If you've got any guess as to what could be causing these symptoms, please share! Original thread: