Car wont shift to third gear! need help/advice.

[Mike03Subaru]

I drive a 1991 Legacy turbo with a ej20g motor swap and a automatic transmission, out of the blue my car will not shift to third , in first gear i get up to about 4000 rpms, then i have to let off the gas for it to finally shift to second and from then on it will not shift to third or fourth. i have no grinds or anything, and this was very all of the sudden. Does anyone have any idea on why this is happening? i have considered a manual swap but dont have the funds for it. friend of mine has a good automatic tranny out of his 2001 legacy gt.

So my questions are:

1. How can i figure out my tranny problem? PIA is very close i could just ask them
2. how much would it cost to have my friends legacy gt 4eat tranny put in?
3. How much for a rebuild?

Any options or any advice would be awesome, Thanks!

[Legacy777]

Have you checked the trans fluid to see that you have it properly filled and that the fluid is not burnt? To check the fluid the engine must be running, car parked on a flat surface, and you must slowly cycle from park to 1st and back to park prior to checking the fluid.

Assuming the fluid is ok, you likely have an internal issue with the trans. It may be an issue with the brake band, but without further diagnosis, it's hard to say for sure.

You will likely run into issues trying to swap in the tranny from the 2001 Legacy. It is a phase 2 4EAT and has a different set of connectors and electronics.

Rebuilds, depending on the problem can range from $1,000 up to $3,500 or more.

[Mike03Subaru]

Thanks, and yeah i think i'm gonna try and run it by PIA today maybe see if they can do something for me.

[Mike03Subaru]

So i went into PIA and after explaining my issue, they immediately said that i will need a new transmission, which will cost around $2500, i dont exactly have the funds to do this kind of project, anyone have any suggestions on what i can do? could there possibly be something simple wrong with my transmission?

[Legacy777]

I would suggest trying to find a transmission shop to take it to. I know of a good one up in the Lynwood area, but that may be a bit of a hike for you.

Regardless of who you bring it to, they're going to have to tear into the trans to see what is wrong with it.

Your cheapest option is probably to find a used trans to swap in....

[Mike03Subaru]

ahhh okay, what kind of transmissions should i be looking for anyways? if i were to buy the transmission would it still be expensive to have a shop install it for me?

[Legacy777]

I'd like for a trans from a 90-94 Legacy. The turbo trans was a little beefier, but a non-turbo one should work as well.

Trans should would probably charge you a couple hundred to swap out the old one and swap in the new one.