Low range whine

[Nashua_1800]

Ok so when I take my 82 hatch out in the mountains and do a lot of hill climbing in low rang it really stars whining. Now I know the gears for low range are high in the front of the trans so I figure they are starved of oil and therefore start whining. Now I curious if any body has came up with a solution to this problem like some kind of external oil pump or something. Or is a 5 speed low range trans a better off road trans?

[el_freddo]

Yep it's been done a few times over here.  This is my dual range EJ cased L series AWD box with the low range oil feeders:

 

 

The oil pickup comes from the rear housing where there's a redundant switch (single wire hanging out) - perfect for oil collection on hill climbs.  This is the switch bolt in the pic where the oil pickup comes from.  I don't have an image of my oil pick up line or the pump (that I can find yet):

 

 

You can just make out the barb fitted for the oil pick up in this pic:

 

 

The pump I use is not ideal at the moment - just a jiggler fuel pump that's found in any MY or L series carb'd version.  I only use it when the gearbox is up to temp.  I need to get a brass geared unit some day...

 

Main aim of this mod is not to lubricate as such, but to reduce the heat in the gears with lubrication as a bonus

 

If you have a whine this may reduce it a bit, but it also may not as the damage is probably done already but it'll reduce any further heat related damage to the gears and that's a good thing.  Personally I'd do this to the L series 5 speed box and leave the 4spd alone.  Drop a front LSD in there while you've got the box out

 

Cheers

Bennie

 

PS:  Welcome to the forum

Edited January 27, 2018 by el_freddo

[Nashua_1800]

Ok. Thanks for the info

[el_freddo]

Other trick is to slightly overfill the gearbox oil if you don't want to split the case and go through this much work.

 

Not as effective but may help - or show up some new oil leaks.

 

Cheers

 

Bennie

[Nashua_1800]

I think I will defiantly take the time to do the modification. You don't have a certain babe style pump in mind you were gonna use? I've thought about a Holley fuel pump or something but idk if it would just burn it up with the thick oil.

[subnz]

  A little Low range whine is normal - having owned 5 different D/R Subarus over 26 years

see signiture below.

but agree if pulling acute angles -may need a little  more oil in gearbox.

Edited January 30, 2018 by subnz

[Nashua_1800]

Yeah i was experiencing a lot of whine. This wasn't normal by any means. I was climbing we pretty steep hills. Lol I got a lot of dirty looks from people on their utv's when I was on the trails.

[el_freddo]

Something like this is what I need:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Electric-Turbo-Oil-Scavenge-Pump-12v-DC-Scavenger-Twin-Turbo-Return-Line/151065464535?epid=1158587890&hash=item232c340ed7:g:FsgAAOSwwpdW2QLo&vxp=mtr

 

Not the exact one I had in mind but it’d do the job. Hooked into a switch you only use it when climbing

 

Cheers

 

Bennie

[iluvdrt]

my 5 speed DR has whined pretty loud on several long uphill grades. I over filled it with about 1/2 pint of Lucas oil. It still has normal gear whine but it isn't anything like it has been.