'nucksfan

the stub shaft sliding out and re-engaging would definitely give symptoms of a hard shift but when the trans comes out of gear the RPM increases and vehicle speed decreases as I have no power to the wheels, the difference and change of speed between the two(engine and vehicle) would cause one hell of a grind when it tried popping back in and re-engaging. I would also have power to the other wheels being that its only the right front shaft popping out. this to me looks like a classic case of one small problem(a cheap easy fix solenoid) causing a big one(broken/damaged diff components). I remember asking myself on that first hard shift "I wonder what thT JUST $%^&!@ up"...guess I found out.

I've been looking in to repairs and it almost seems like buying a used trans and R&R is the way to go. I've found used ones from 500-750 and R&R is 6.5 hours. then ill have the original engine and trans from this car to rebuild and put in another Subaru(trying to stay somewhat positive lol). Rockauto sells a full rebuild kit for 300 too so I'm looking at 800 or so for a practically new trans and 600 or so for labor. sucks dolling out that kind of cash after I spent 2k replacing the engine.

The spline that meets the CV axle(front right) is sticking out (the shaft the roll pin goes through). The CV axle was just replaced but I doubt that's the problem considering i've put about 3k on it since it was replaced including a trip from CA to CO and it has given no signs of trouble. Given the fact my trans shifted very hard a few times, I imagine the shaft or something internally in the front diff that holds the shaft in place is what broke. the CV axle itself is fine. this is my first Subaru so im not fully familiar with how they go together. been a mechanic in the heavy/diesel industry for over 10 years so I am mechanically inclined but as I said im not in the passenger car business and this is my first Subaru.

Bought a Subaru because they're known to be reliable and I live in Colorado where 4wd is nice to have. I guess mine was neglected by its previous owner. 2001 forester s, automatic 180,000 miles. I replaced the engine back in December w/ a used but much lower mileage engine, it runs like a champ. The original engine spun a rod bearing 24hrs after I bought it, the previous owner was a nice guy, felt awful, and gave me some money back to help with the repairs. On to my current issue. Driving home yesterday I lost power suddenly, no bang or hard shift just engine RPM shot up and the speedo did too although I was coasting and slowing down. I pulled over, put it in park, and checked fluid level, its fine. put it back in drive and it drove normal for another 1/4 mile before it did it again. Luckily I was close to home so I limped I home. it began shifting hard in to gear and not staying in gear. it isn't slipping, once it does engage it accelerates and drives fine. it's the shifting that really is the problem. it operates in reverse normally. Also, i've lost park, I put it in park and it made a grinding noise, frightened I quickly put it in neutral, I backed up the car and pulled forward a bit, tried again, it made the same noise briefly but stopped, it still did not engage and rolls as if I were in neutral. I've done quite a bit of research and have found this handful of symptoms(except the park thing) can be caused by the line pressure solenoid and/or the resistor on the RH strut mount. Unfortunately I believe the shock shift broke my right front output shaft or something else inside the front transfer case as the output shaft is sticking about an inch out of the case. this might explain my park issue? I love my forester but damn, another 1000 or so in repairs and i've paid for this car twice. I did a drain and fill and added trans-x to see if that would help the symptoms or maybe free up a clogged valve. I guess i'm not that lucky, and now with a broken xfer case it certainly wont be an easy repair. both the engine and trans have gone out with no previous signs of trouble. the car was acting perfectly normal that morning on the way to work and since December when I put the engine in it.

You can get a decent idea of clutch condition on your own by feeling it when you drive. If it doesn't grab until it's practically fully released it's pretty well worn, if it grabs right away when you begin to release it's in good condition as far as wear. noise while its engaged is a bad sign too. really with stock motors and normal driving the only thing that causes clutch problems is wear. start adding more power or driving like you're an extra from Fast and Furious may cause component damage and premature wear. with 80k+ I wouldn't expect it to grab immediately so don't worry if it doesn't. having a manual makes things more reliable and easier to tell if things are beginning to go wrong. I.E. my 4EAT just gave out on the freeway with no signs of anything being wrong, damn the luxury of auto transmissions!

new here, I heard Subaru implemented a fix for this problem after '97? I have a 2001 forester w/ a 4EAT, just wondering if this still occurs in my model year.