Another Drive Shaft Question.

[JT95]

OK--one more drive shaft question. This time the rear drive shaft. A lot of this is all new to me, so I appreciate your feedback and patience as I'm learning through this project. (Which is my main reason for buying a blown project car.)

 

Anyway, I think I have everything either unhooked or removed to be ready to pull the engine/trans from this 99 Outback. Everything, that is, except the rear drive shaft. Never dropped a rear drive shaft on a Sube before, and the manual I have didn't offer jack in explaining how to do so. At the rear of the shaft, do I remove the four bolts (circled in green on the linked photo) and drop the shaft (after removing that shield right there at the rear) and then slide it from the rear of the trans?

 

http://bp3.blogger.com/_aR5eeWt3n-Q/SFGhlR77rFI/AAAAAAAAAMI/wOxBVeuVIO0/s1600-h/shaft1.JPG

 

Or, do I have to drop the exhaust shield and disconnect something else on the drive shaft? That shield separating the shaft from exhaust pipe is still on the car, but the exhaust itself has been dropped but not totally removed.

 

I also think I screwed myself because I didn't put the car in neutral before unhooking the battery and the trans shift cable. So, I guess I gotta go back and hook that stuff back up in order to get the shaft to spin in order to remove bolts, huh?

 

 

There's a couple of engine bay shots here if curious:

http://miscjtfotos.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2009-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=2

 

 

 

Thanks for help again. Everyone needs to do an engine swap in his/her life...

[idosubaru]

shaft will slide out of the rear of the trans. my preferred method is to remove the two carrier bolts holding that carrier to the underside of the car. then pulling it through the exhaust...tight, but they usually come out. could differ from different platforms though..leg, imp, FWD, AWD, etc.

 

ATF dumps out once the shaft is pulled out of the trans - beware!

 

you only need to shift into neutral right? there's a safety release mechanism under the shifter console cover. stuff a screw driver in there an dyou can shift now.

[johnceggleston]

  JT95 said:

I didn't put the car in neutral before unhooking the battery and the trans shift cable. So, I guess I gotta go back and hook that stuff back up in order to get the shaft to spin in order to remove bolts, huh?

nope, when in park, only the front axles are locked, the rear shaft spins freely. it doesn't engage until the aft pressure makes it. you will have to lift at least one rear wheel though.