noremac Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 I bought my first new Subaru in 1978 a FE coup (56 mpg) and owned Subaru s ever-since. My trouble is I can not part with them. I have 95 legacy Briton wagon with 340,000 km's. Last winter the AWD became twitchier in other words it could not decide where to send the traction power. I understand the problem is in the viscus coupling. The trans oil has only been change once (within the last month). Can I expect this to improve as the new oil cleans things up, and should I continue to change the transmission oil a few more times or am I just wasting oil and my time? I have heard that one can take out the rear drive shafts (making a two wheel drive) is this possible? I live in Manitoba and there is not a lot of part dealers and very little knowledge as well. (myself included)noremac@rfnow.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Oil won't fix it or even touch the problem if its a manual transmission. Auto's you can try "Trans X" which is sold at parts stores but I doubt this will solve anything its about 20% success rate in my experiences. Removing the driveshafts won't work on many levels. The coupler is in the back of the transmission and can be changed out in the car without removing the whole transmission. Its about $700 US in parts last I checked. I can order and ship the parts to you if you can't get them locally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 On a manual transmission the only way to fix that is to replace the viscous coupling. It's easiest to grab a whole center differential assembly from a junkyard car. The viscous coupling by itself can be replaced though by disassembling the center diff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 shawn has likely guessed wisely but you should clarify - automatic or manual, they are completely different and the answer to your question is different depending on your answer. in one case youre doing the right thing, in the other you're wasting you're time. you would want to take out the rear half of the driveshaft - not the rear driveshafts (meaning axles), to run it in 2 wheel drive. i don't recommend it, but pit's been done before and is free. the viscous coupling needs to be completely hosed and "locked" for this to work though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noremac Posted August 23, 2011 Author Share Posted August 23, 2011 Thanks folks. This Briton is a 5 speed. I will try to find a whole center differential assembly . local mechanic thinks only a complete transmission will fix the problem. (but he has a friend that wants the car as is) my reply AS IF! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 it's repairable, just swap in another center diff. transmission doesn't even need to be removed to do it - it's all done from the rear of the trans. get another mechanic, i wouldn't trust this guy to do the work if he doesn't even know how to fix it. "suspicion often creates what it suspects"....don't let him do the work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Yep - easily fixed. About $100 or less for a used center diff. As Gary stated - your mechanic is a voodoo hack - change him too. GD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noremac Posted August 25, 2011 Author Share Posted August 25, 2011 Here we go. I did a search for the center differential assembly (viscous coupling )for my 1995 Subaru Briton. Got a few response, one from Qualityautoparts.com they quoted $569.00 for parts and asked if I need both front and rear assembly. Do you know of a any reputably parts supplier. I feel that they or I don't know what I need . They even phoned me, and my Malware Anti-malware started blocking access to my computer a number of times. This all started shortly after I gave my info out. Need a reliable parts supplier any one. grateful for any help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 It would help to put what state you live in in your Profile Location. You likely won't find a center diff for sale at an online parts supplier unless you buy from a Subaru dealer. Most places will not take apart a transmission to remove the center diff assembly. It's much cheaper to go to a U-pull-it type junkyard and get one yourself. I seem to remember seeing someone selling a couple center diffs in the classified here. Let me see if I can find the listing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noremac Posted August 26, 2011 Author Share Posted August 26, 2011 I am in Manitoba Canada. There no wreckers in Manitoba that have a 1995 Briton and there lies the problem. Very few people understand the value of Subaru's around here. So there are very few available for parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 (edited) scour all the subaru boards for someone that has one, i've sold them before but don't have any right now. post in the parts wanted forum here, NASIOC, Subaruxt.com, etc. someone may have one. car-parts.com has listings in canada and the US. find a cheap trans (meaning something else is wrong with it, but the center diff is good). they're often listed as "CORE", meaning scrap. none for parts listed in Canada, there's one in the US listed for parts only - here's the phone number: 717-432-4638 have them pull the center diff and ship it. they have an unlisted price and for parts (meaning something is wrong with it), but the center diff is probably fine - just ask what's wrong with it. shouldn't charge much since it's listed as bad. they are a few hundred new from subaru, online subaru dealers are a bit cheaper - about %20. an online forum, junk yard, or new are about your only options. Edited August 26, 2011 by grossgary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meeky Moose Posted August 26, 2011 Share Posted August 26, 2011 if you can't find a cente rdiff, just get a whole transmission.. it might be cheaper.. just make sure you get one with the right gear ratio, which can be checked by reading the tag on your rear differential.. i know a used 5-speed trans around here runs a couple hundred $$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Email me the last 8 digits of the VIN number and I can see if my dealer can cross reference the part in the USDM catalog and get you a price on a kit to do the job. Gasket, center viscous unit, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Well, it's a 1995 Legacy, and the trim level is Brighton, not Briton. So that may be part of your problem finding subarus listed at junkyards. The center diff out of any manual trans AWD 90-98 Subaru Legacy, Impreza, or Forester will work for what you need. That gives you a pretty broad base of cars to pull a center diff from. You can also order just the viscous coupler from a dealer for the phase1 5mt's. The hardest part of the job is usually getting the shift yoke to come off the shifter shaft on the back of the transmission. What do you mean by "twitchy"? Does it hop and bind when you make tight turns? Or does it spin just one front wheel when you try to accelerate on a loose surface? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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