91ss. Broken Shift Forks/Clutch Fork

[Magnetrax]

The Wrx transmission didn't fit past the downpipe and turbo, which is a good thing because I would have run that trans with my stock 3.90 rear differential. I'm going to get my Legacy trans (5mt) split and hopfully the gears are ok. My trans fluid has a lot of little tiny gold sparkles in it with a few very very small flakes. I'm hoping it is just the shifter forks or clutch fork.
The car was hard to shift into any gear. Usually 1st and second are the hardest, then at speed it can slide into 3rd and 4th easily. At a stop, with the car on or off, it is hard to get in to any gear including reverse.

If it is the clutch fork, which seems to be a fairly common failure point, are there any aftermarket ones available that are stronger? What other things should I upgrade while in there? I already did the clutch and I don't have 1,300 for a new gear set.

thanks!

[ericem]

That doesn't sound right but are you using the stock dp or a wrx one? Regardless I don't see how it would hit it.

[Magnetrax]

yea, thats what I thought. stock everything. I removed the heat shield and chimney. still hitting. looks like it will fit once it gets past the dp, but getting it there is a pita

[Legacy777]

Any chance you could take a picture of where the clearance issues are.

[darkcrave]

Was it from a A/T?

[wtdash]

Was it from a A/T?

WENT to replace my trans with a 5mt from a wrx.

TD

[Magnetrax]

Going to return the wrx trans. Didn't know about the center diff till just now. Looks like ill probably need a clutch fork and shifter forks. Are there any aftermarket ones I should be looking aat? Thanks

[n2x4]

This thread is confusing.

So you were trying to replace the transmission with a WRX unit, but when you found out the FD from the WRX was 3.54 you decided to try and fix the old trans? And for some reason your exhaust doesn't fit right? I'd like to help but I need a backstory.

[Magnetrax]

I updated the first post to give more info.

I was typing it from my not so smartphone.

[Magnetrax]

I'm going to get another ss 5mt and split the case. It has blown 1'st gear, but If I can practice on it and things go well, I'll drop my gears into that case and be on my way.

[n2x4]

That sounds like a good plan. Personally I'd have made the WRX trans work. The 3.54 gearing comes from the transfer gears, not the center diff. You could swap the transfer case, center diff, and transfer gears from your legacy trans into the WRX trans and it would give you the 3.9 gearing.

As far as clutch fork failure goes, I've seen more non turbo forks fail than turbo, but I suppose anything's possible. I've not seen upgraded replacements.

[Magnetrax]

That sounds like a good plan. Personally I'd have made the WRX trans work. The 3.54 gearing comes from the transfer gears, not the center diff. You could swap the transfer case, center diff, and transfer gears from your legacy trans into the WRX trans and it would give you the 3.9 gearing.

As far as clutch fork failure goes, I've seen more non turbo forks fail than turbo, but I suppose anything's possible. I've not seen upgraded replacements.

I wonder how hard that would be. I have read that there are differences between the different mt's that could make that a nightmare. I've never split a trans, but the writeup on here makes the task of changing out the shift fork seem doable.

[n2x4]

I'd rather change the transfer case than split the whole trans. Have you seen my center diff writeup? It's got all the details.