briankk

In my endless quest for a replacement trans for my '94 SVX, I've corralled a '98 Impreza trans, TZ102Z5AA-GN., and all the downstream 4.11 gearing stuff. Suitable for SVX, or no?

The car is a wreck, hit something in LF corner and rolled. It is/was a Subaru, and was red. I was thinking trans may be kid damaged, but it was working well enough to crash.. Thanks for tip on brakes, I'' go forth and measure, but no chance for those brakes on my 14 inch wheels.

At the junkyard today, looking for a trans for my SVX, was offered a '98 4EAT w/4:11 final drive, went to look at remains of car (Engine long gone). Could have been an Impreza or WRX. Trans seems reasonably priced, but I held my fire, thinking probably belonged to kid who em, might have not treated the thing very gently. Question in my mind, is WRX auto box any stronger/weaker than say and Outback box? No-one seems to know... My driver is an '96 Legacy Brighton, 2.2 and 5MT, getting old. I noticed that the mystery chassis has adjustable KYBs, some kind of progressive rate springs, and 2-pot calipers w/Subaru cast into them. Will any of this high zoot stuff bolt to my old Legacy wagon, it needs some help, and, as the saying goes, if I'm gonna fool with it, no point in leaving it stock..

Oh, rebuilds are available, at about the price of a new transmission. The afternoon I started this thread, a well though of independent shop quoted me $4400 for a rebuild... of a 23 year old gearbox.

Wish I could, but I live in California, where no SVX will pass smog with a stick shift, I discussed this at length with the smog police.. Their attitude is that the letter of the law must be observed or else. Since Subaru never produced an SVX w/stick, If you show up to smog one with a stick, they will pronounce it tampered with, and fail the car. They don't really seem care that that modification has nearly no effect on actual emissions, there is no leeway, it's black and white. Just one of many absolutely mental laws and regs in California. Further incentive to move to one of the free states..

If you have the dif case off the pinion, figuring the ratio is trivial. Count the teeth on the ring gear, write it down, count the teeth on the pinion, write it down, get calculator, divide the ring gear number by the pinion number, presto, there's your ratio. For instance, on my SVX I have 11 teeth on the pinion, 39 teeth on the crown gear, =3.545... You may not need to count the crown wheel teeth, my pinion had the number 39 etched in it, I presume to indicate it should go with a 39 tooth crownwheel. This makes me wonder a bit, back in the day R&Ps were machined as a set, if one replaced so should be the other. But that was when gears were milled, perhaps no longer with hobbed set, as long as tooth count is correct. But that's just speculation, don't quote me on that...

Well, theres your problem. The thing you unscrewed is responsible for adjusting your pinion/ring backlash, now you've removed it, you must readjust the setup, frankly I don't know how well this will work on a box with a long-established wear pattern, even if you can figure out how to re-set it..

I now have four TZ102ZM1AA-KP trans, all bad for one reason or anorher, was trying to buy one from a junkyard on E. coast, he called an said that the pinion had climbed the ring gear and broken out of the final drive case. The one I have in my car now has the same problem, but hasn't busted out yet, I parked it. There is an instance of this on YouTube somewhere, too. I've pulled the dif case of of 2 of these trans, both show pinion running at edge of crown gear. (These are high-mile trans). Talked with 3 rebuilders about this. None would "repair" the trans. One claimed 3.54 final NLA, so I offered to buy one from Subaru ($450 handed to you) if he'd install it, he flat refused. Another wouldn't accepet my old box as core unless he inspected the R&P, I have the impression that no local shops actually do anything the whatever to 4EAT, they sell you a re-build done elswhere, or a new box, and they cant get core credit for bad/busted R&P. I suspect that the 229 ft/lb torque from the 3.3 engine warps the dif case on the SVX and causes this, but have not inspected any other Soob 4EATs, I'd like to get a look at a high mile Outback R&P. May wind up rebuilding my own box, got plenty of cores..

Quite possible I'm wrong, not in a position to argue the point now. Don't really care if its 160, 180, or Ford 9", as long as it has LSD and same gear ration as transaxle, which is the point, you see. An now on track for '98 4EAT, TZ102Z2DBA-KF If that will do. Pretty sure it's 4.44

Sorry for lack of clairty. I was speaking with another member who said he had good rebuilt trans from a wreck that was only 10k miles into the warranty, I asked him if he still had the (rebuild) warranty, sometime transferable. Not too worried about violating '94 Soob warranty, if there was one. After chat with smog boffin, it seems only option is to acquire or rebuild a suitable phase 1 4EAT. So..What is the strongest phase 1 4EAT? Anybody...

Actually, I think all SVXs came with R180 rear gears. Mind did, and the car I just sold, too. However, just got off the phone with BAR smog tech guy, in Sacramento. He said that there was no way a CA car could pass smog w/either phase 2 trans or manual trans. Only legal option is phase 1 auto box. Only other option is to move to one of the free states... Local yard had '95 outback with TZ102Z2ABA-CH 4EAT installed. Would this do?

Will the 4.44 final drive be swappable into my LSD R180? I think the Outback and Forester both use open R160s. I'm thinking that the main difference between the rear ends would be that the 180 has physically larger gears.. So, would I have to find an WRX/STI R180 in 4.44 to replace my existing 3.54 R180? Thats an expensive part..

Cancelled the 6-speed deal, can't get info, and I don't want to spend a chunk of money to have my mechanic hold the thing up against the engine and announce I'll need an adaptor... Posed a question to CA BAR concerning legality of Phase 2 (OBD2?) 4EAT swap, waiting to hear frome them. Supposing it's actually legal, I have the option of various Phase 2 auto boxes, including one from an WRX. Is any advantage to WRX 4EAT,, or is it just an Outback trnas w/more chrome plating by marketing?

Understood..

I'm talking post '98, I think it was called a "phase 2" transmission, had the solenoid and logic for the center diff, and I think the valve body was re-drilled/calibrated, as it has 6 solenoids, vs. (4?) in the phase one auto box. I think the oil flow through the valve body was changed too, see for instance the external filter in all the later trans. Suppose you wanted to delete that filter, could you just plug it off, or would you have to re-route the oilback through the base? I've read somwhere that the oil filter wont fit the SVX, interferes with exhaust or cross member or some such, thought I'd just put filter in trans lines the old fashioned way, or perhaps try for the late model remote mount kit.. Any way I don't think OBD1 TCU would enable the center dif, OBD2 (or "phase 2" TCU would handle that, but it couldn't talk to the OBD1 ECU, in case that is important.

The 6-speed and any of the later 4EATs are all OBD2. I think it's possible to fangle the OBD1 ECU to cope with the manual OBD2, but the OBD2 4EAT has 7 solenoids talking to the TCU, OBD1 would think it was speaking pig latin.. Of course, you could add and OBD2 TCU and wiring, but the OBD1 ECU wouldn't know what to do about it. An OBD2 ECU would be looking for sensors and things not found on the EG33 engine. Big mess would ensue.. Smog police would hurl their little purse in a corner, stamp their little feet, and hold their breath 'till their face turned blue. Not the desired outcome...

This is California. The smog police would crush my car if I install an OBD2 gearbox. I think...

Hmm. Whatcha asking? Was the rebuild guaranteed?

Having failed to find a useable auto box for my '94 SVX, I've found a fellow who will sell me his STI six-speed. Nobody seems to know if it will actually bolt to the 3.3 engine, Subaru could care less. Anybody out there with experience in this swap? I've heard rumor that the 6-speed is a lot stronger than the various 5-speeds, but Soob trans seem to be a pretty slippery subject.. If it will bolt up, I do know to check the final drive ratios and spline count.. TIA

OK, thanks. I knew about the Modena unit, but it's too spendy for me...

Could the plated LSD in an R160 be bolted onto the crown wheel of an 4ATE in place of the open diff there now? I'd likely wind up fiddling with the axles splines, but I just want to know if it will bolt in and work, given the proper axle splines..

Perhaps I'm asking the wrong question. How's about "can phase 1 pistons be moly coated?" Which is the benefit I was looking for,,

Pretty much as I'd heard, but wondered if otherwise similar SOHC head would have same effect. Mechanically simpler and you could actually get at the plugs.

Never mind. I see that no-one here has the answer, and Google is near useless unless you want to buy something..

I'd been thinking 2.5 SOHC heads on phase 1 2.2 block, for lower CR, maybe turbo later. Whole 2.5 top end, manifold and all. and CPU? Fuel pump? Still hoping to hear if phase 2 pistons are usable in phase 1 block.. seems like cheapest way to go if it would work.