AT trans on 93 SS will shift but not drive

[xise]

Ok so I swapped a motor today and got it started but the car will not move, I am guessing that it needs to be flushed, the torque converter must not have fluid in it.

If anyone has any suggestions PLEASE let me know I need this car running ASAP!!!!!

[Damon]

Did you swap the tranny too?

[subydaddy]

Ok, so it runs. You put it in a gear and what does it do? does the idle change, does it just rev like you're still in park?

Did it move before you swapped engines?

Did the torque coverter come off with the engine? If so di dyou seat it properly back to the trans? Did you bolt it back up to the flex plate?

Have enough trans fluid?

Is the linkage connected to both the shifter and the trans? It's easy to move the selector on the trans by hand. NOT WHILE IT'S RUNNING OF COURSE. Just put the shifter in Nuetral and see if you can get the selector at the tranny to move.

Might all seem like stupid questions but we all have brain farts.

[xise]

It did drive before I did the swap, and we swapped only the motor. The converter came with the motor when we pulled it, it did however slide right off after we unbolted it form the flex plate. The selector does move when the car is off freely w/o problems. Fluid is also full, actually reading a bit over full, and when you start the car it does not seem to go down at all. Like the pump isn't sucking the fluid through the system.

When we installed the motor we bolted the converter to the flex plate and dropped it in, it went smoothly w/o resistance so we figured everything was ok.

I just talked to a local tranny shop and they said you are supposed to leave the converter on the spline of the tranny when you re-install it and then bolt it on through a little access window under the trans/motor turning the crank with a breaker bar each time...same for removal....so maybe it forcefully pulled the converter off the spline and then forcefully put it back on? I really don't know, an auto trans is a new ballgame for me, normally I don't fuck with anything auto but this is an SS so I got one while it was still around They said I probably broke the pump when I re installed it....sucks, I am really running out of $$ here and now I have trans work to be done...of course the most expensive shit happens when I have no money.....bullocks

[subydaddy]

I would say then that the torque converter is not properly seated. It's kind of a pain, rotate till it seats then back the outher way till it seats again. I had a little trouble with mine but there was a good thread on seating it that really helped. I'll see if I can dig it up when I get to work.

I would pull the motor and seat the torque converter. Not sure about damage by unproper seating. Maybe someone else will input that.

[Bheinen74]

you should pull the engine again, to try to get the torque converter seated properly. you must remove engine without torque converter attached to it. you must reinstall engine without the torque converter attached to the engine.

the torque converter need seated to the trans snub shaft.

you may or may not have fubarred the trans.

if you are not in position to repull the engine and do it right, then you are going to be better off sell the car broken. Someone who knows how to do this right specific to a Subaru will ikely charge 500 to do this right, but you may have already ruined the pump on the trans.

[xise]

you hit it on the button dude, stuffed the pump and bricked the trans...I will never make that mistake again. Now I need to find another transmission. Why would you suggest I sell the car? I just got it lol, and it wasn't easy either, I looked for over a year for an SS and even then I had to go 3 states over to get it...so no I am not going to sell it.

I am either going to find a good AT trans or swap it to a MT

[H4_Deucer]

Early turbo transmissions are typically expensive and kind of hard to find, I would suggest just doing a MT swap.

[Bheinen74]

is the car for sale yet?

[xise]

is the car for sale yet?

absolutely not lolz, I have a complete 04 RS drivetrain I could swap over if it comes down to it, this car was meant for my wife, so I was trying to keep it AT. I'd just rather not start ripping apart my other car I was planning on fixing once the $$ are around...so in short I AM NOT SELLING THE SS, so get your eyes off it

i am still trying to find a good AT trans that will work, but I might jus end up grabbing a cheapo MT trans from a junkyard getting a piece of shit duralast clutch from autozone (lifetime warranty for the wife to learn to drive 5spd) and calling it a fucking day. Just a pain in the ass to have to drille holes in the firewalls and cut down the brake pedal, install the master cyl and clutch pedal....but at least the trans install is cake on an manual, no fear of braking shit....

you are right though H4_Deucer, seems like the exact fit trans is neither easy to find or cheap....so far a 5Mt is shaping up to be the best option here,,,,,wifey won't be happy lol

[Binford]

All I can find around here are autos, lol. I've got a couple Subarus I'd love to swap to 5 spd haha. I've got an auto layin around that has a worn out center diff that I don't need, but I doubt you'd want to pay for shipping.

[xise]

yeah, the pump might still be good, but I would be forced to pay someone to scavange one to fix the other....how man miles we talkin here? lol 5MT seems way cheaper, easier and I'd just do it myself. Has anyone tried tossing NA 4eat on there? just wondering how it would hold up on the turbo's power... I need to figure out something soon or they are going to start charging me storage.

another option would be to "borrow" my RS's 5MT setup and fix the damn thing myself...or maybe pay this other guy in Warwick to rebuild it for me, check out his website, he damn near chrome's the transmission and gets a new torque converter that he paints blue...not to shabby. He told me he would just let me pay him until the transmission was paid for no storage fees or anything. ...still have to pay AAMCO at least $500 for a removal/reinstall....just as someone said earlier lol...I am boycotting Haynes manual forever now, I just couldn't find the FSM for the legacy, although I know NOW that my impreza manual has an AT section that does mention the inspection window method.....very expensive lesson learned here, also another reason I hate Autos more than ever

[Legacy777]

The n/a 4EAT's should work reasonably well. You would just need to make sure that it has the same final drive ratio.