93 L trans slipping in all gears

[tsbpenguin]

Hi all,
Bought a 93 Legacy L AWD with ~165k
Rebuilt the top end and the car was running perfectly, power like it was brand new.
Then i started experiencing slipping when shifting between 1st - 2nd and 2nd - 3rd. From there it continued to get worse until it was slipping in all gears. Now the car will barely drive, the engine just revs up, and the tranny feels like it is barely catching at certain rpms.

clutches? valve body? torque converter? any ideas are appreciated

[SUBYLUV871]

MY 94 slips when i get on it in any gear. like driving on the highway say 4th gear then roll on the throttle it slips all sound and no go. i know my clutch is bad. sound like your is smoked too. so i just drive like a granny till i cant clutch it.

[tsbpenguin]

guess i should have specified, 4eat automatic

[SUBYLUV871]

oh way off. ha not an expert on autos. but theres some guys on here that do.

[Legacy777]

It's probably a combination of clutches and valve body. Without disassembling the trans, it's hard to say for sure. If you can find a used trans, I'd suggest going that route, as it will likely be cheaper than trying to rebuild your current one. The final drive ratio in your 93 L is 3.9 if you decide to go with another trans.

[tsbpenguin]

Any tips for pulling a trans on jack stands in a garage? Easier to drop the engine/subframe/trans together then separate, or just pull the trans independently?

[Legacy777]

It's going to suck no matter what you do, but if you don't mind doing the engine, subframe, & trans, that will likely make it easier....just more stuff you'll have to take apart.

I wrestled getting the 4eat out of my car when I did my swap. Another good thing about doing it out of the car would be that you should have less of a chance messing up the torque converter input shaft if you do reuse this trans and/or mating a new trans to the existing engine and making sure the torque converter is fully seated.

[tsbpenguin]

Thanks for the info and advise. I will probably rig up my electronic engine hoist to make the whole process easier. I just bought a 90 legacy awd with a couple bad cv's, rear strut issue, and in need of a tune up for $325 on craigslist. I am going to swap the driveline from the 90 into the 93 because I recently rebuilt the top end of the engine, and the body & interior are in much better condition. I'm assuming I will need to use the rear diff from the 90 because of the 4.11 FDR as opposed to the 3.9. Any other complications i might run into? Wiring & tranny computer the same?

[scuba steve]

Thanks for the info and advise. I will probably rig up my electronic engine hoist to make the whole process easier. I just bought a 90 legacy awd with a couple bad cv's, rear strut issue, and in need of a tune up for $325 on craigslist. I am going to swap the driveline from the 90 into the 93 because I recently rebuilt the top end of the engine, and the body & interior are in much better condition. I'm assuming I will need to use the rear diff from the 90 because of the 4.11 FDR as opposed to the 3.9. Any other complications i might run into? Wiring & tranny computer the same?

The only real difference between the two drivetrains is the FDR. Everthing else should be just plug and play. It sure is nice having two of everything.

[tsbpenguin]

For sure, this is my first time having a full donor car. Definitely looking forward to it.

[tsbpenguin]

anyone know of any good write ups for pulling the tranny or tranny & engine?

[subydaddy]

http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/99- ... hread.html

A few tips on the way I like to do things:

-Soak bolts/nuts in penatratin oil (especially exhaust)
-Leave A/C and power steering lines connected (simply unbolt systems from their mounts and move aside)
-Take off exhaust to help make room to get to bolts underneath the vehicle
-Wait to drain coolant, take off fuel lines, or drain any oil until the very end (I always spill and then not only do I have fluids dripping on me I'm sticking my elbow's in them)
-When pulling axles take wheel off and remove the two bolts from the bottom of the suspension (make sure to keep track of which way the allignment bolt is facing to help keep the allingment straight when you put it back together) With the suspension unbolted it helps more when putting axles back on and lining up the pin hole.
-Transmissions drip everywhere when pulled out the top. I zip tied a plastic bag to the end of mine to catch the fluid. Once your transmission hits that 45 degree angle you'll know what I mean.

Make sure to unbolt the torque converter from the flexplate BEFORE you pull the engine. I couldn't once because the engine was seized. i removed it still bolted to the flexplate and it still works fine, but that's not always the outcome.

Also, do your research about seating the torque converter, it's crucial to get it all the way in. Takes a lot of spinning, turning, and gentle pivoting. But no swear words, take your time. Save your swear words for installing the engine... you'll need them.

If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

[tsbpenguin]

That's a solid writeup on pulling the engine, but doesn't really tell me anything about pulling the tranny.

[subydaddy]

http://www.rs25.com/forums/f105/t63237- ... moval.html

Another good thread on removing the engine.

Google doesn't give much about the transmission, here's a short write up but no picture's. I'm a picture guy myself so I don't consider this a good wirte up. But there really isn't much to it once the engine is out.

http://www.rs25.com/forums/f8/t105730-t ... tions.html

Lots of good pics and info here thanks to Legacy777

http://www.surrealmirage.com/subaru/swap/pictures.html

[tsbpenguin]

much appreciated