Manual Transmission Troubles

[GatorIsaac]

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My 2003 Baja with 178,000 miles shelled out a bearing on the input shaft of the transmission. The chrome from seven balls of the double row ball bearing has been shot through everything. The pinion shaft has been scarred where the large roller bearing rides.

I need either good 'guts' from an otherwise bad 5 speed or some really good advice regarding compatible transmissions. There are used trannys for sale out there but I have heard that only a few select ones will exchange into the Baja.

Does anyone out there know exactly which will work? Which years and models can I exchange with?

Will this fit? "5-Speed AWD Manual 4x4 JDM EJ20 / EJ25 Subaru Legacy Wagon TX BH5 1999-2000
Manf part #HA-TY754VSAAA"

I haven't got the cash to go new and my rebuild parts list exceeds $1,200.

HELP!!

[hocrest]

Almost any Subaru 5 speed from a Legacy, OB, Fozzy or Imp will work. You have a 4.11 final drive. Any 5 speed from this chart with a 4.11 FD will be a direct swap. The individual gearing may be a little different though.

If you find a trans with a 3.9 FD and want to use that the only extra step to make it work is to also swap out the rear differential with a 3.9 geared unit.

If you source an older trans with cable clutch and mechanical speedo cable, you'll need to get the clutch fork and electronic speed sensor from your trans and swap them over.

[hocrest]

The trans you posted I think should be "BAAA" not "SAAA"???

If so, it has a 4.44 FD so you would also need a 4.44 rear diff. The good news is that 4.44 rear diffs are in almost all Outbacks and Leg GT's with an auto trans, so you should be able to source one pretty easily. Depending on where you are, I have a 4.44 rear that came out of my Baja I'd be willing to sell.

[GatorIsaac]

Thanks a bunch for the link to the tranny chart, hocrest.

The info I posted earlier, "5-Speed AWD Manual 4x4 JDM EJ20 / EJ25 Subaru Legacy Wagon TX BH5 1999-2000
Manf part #HA-TY754VSAAA" comes directly from an Ebay listing. The many photos show the ID tag clearly.

Please see http://www.ebay.com/itm/TRANSMISSION-5- ... 58918938bb

Could it be that the numbers are different due to the original car being sold on the Japanese market?

I would not mind at all if I ended up with a more highway friendly ratio. Although first is already too high for cautious off-roading, I drive over 30,000 on HW95 every year so that is my real focus. I might be interested in that rear diff if it works out to fit.

[hocrest]

The 4.44 will generally give higher RPM for the same MPH compared to your stock unit.

If you are concerned with highway cruising, the trans I put in my Baja came from a 2001 Forester and I can run 70 mph with the RPM a bit under 3k.

Here is another link to search some junkyards around your area;
http://www.car-part.com/

[GatorIsaac]

Any Baja drivers out there whose transmission uses the 'pull type' clutch? I am looking at several replacement transmissions that each have the pull style slave cylinder while my original had a push type. I am concerned with clearance between the firewall and bell housing; will the pull type fit my Baja?

[hocrest]

They fit when people swap them into SVX's and there is a lot more room on a Baja, so that won't be a problem.

[GatorIsaac]

Thanks again. I will keep that style on the ok list.

[GatorIsaac]

Posting test #5

[GatorIsaac]

I have written a few pages about my recent swap of a WRX transmission into a Baja. I have tried repeatedly to post the attachment but keep getting kicked off. If anyone has questions about the swap feel free to contact me.

I will try a few more times to post the attachment. If that fails I will post each page separately in this thread.

[GatorIsaac]

2003 Subaru Baja Transmission Swap
And
Lessons Learned

Vehicle: 2003 Subaru Baja, 2.5l naturally aspirated, 5 speed manual - TY754VCDCA, 4.11 gearing, 178,000 miles.

What I wish I knew then: Approximately 9 months (15,000 miles) before I first noticed audible symptoms of transmission trouble an incident occurred which I did not fully appreciate. If I had properly identified what happened then I would have saved me hundreds of dollars. During my evening commute I slowed to a stop in the interstate. When traffic began to move I found my transmission hung in fourth gear. I burned the clutch getting the car home then lifted it hoping to find an issue with the shift linkage.

Please note, I learned then there is little, if anything, that can go wrong with a Subaru manual shift linkage. The externals are simple and efficient. Hoping to jostle a simple linkage problem I struck the bottom of the case a few blows with a dead blow hammer. The linkage was free and the problem solved. Wrong! If your Subaru ever does this have the transmission removed immediately! What I learned much later was that the ball spacer in a bearing had broken. A piece of the spacer fell onto and lodged in the very simple and otherwise unstoppable internal gear selector mechanism.

There are three gear selector linkages. When the transmission is in neutral the gaps in terminal ends of these linkages form a box. The linkage which enters the rear of the transmission and is connected to the shifter handle ends in a paddle-like affair which moves within the box. As the shifter in the auto is moved left to right the paddle moves between each of the three forks. Moving the shifter forward or backward causes the currently corresponding fork to also move engaging a gear set. Simple, efficient, and unable get stuck.

Later Symptoms: Months later when driving with the windows open and beside a jersey wall I heard a chattering sound echoing from under the car. It was RPM dependant and did change frequency with gear changes. It was initially noticeable only in fifth gear and with the window open. Pressing the clutch would not stop the sound but shifting to neutral would. I determined an input shaft bearing must be going out. I was unable to garage the vehicle because our other car had been stolen.

My daily commute totals 125 miles with 90 being on the highway. I continued driving the Baja and the sound gradually became louder and louder. After several weeks and the recovery of our stolen Suburban I stopped using the Baja to commute and limited its use to a weekly 1 mile run to the local dump. Despite the very limited mileage the sounds rapidly increased. Toward the end the chattering sounds were quite loud and could be heard any time the input shaft was spinning. For those unaware, the shaft spins any time the clutch is engaged. Leaving the vehicle idling out of gear with the clutch out spins the input shaft. This is important to know. I am convinced that the bearing went out because of my driving habits and a design limitation of Subaru 5 speed transmissions.

[GatorIsaac]

I would frequently start the car on cold mornings and allow the engine to warm, idling out of gear. I am a trained EMT and have left this vehicle in the same condition many times while on the scene of accidents, sometimes for hours. Seeing the internals of this 5 speed transmission in action I learned there is very little oil distributed when the output shaft is not rotating. During out of gear idling oil cannot be effectively routed through the primary bearing on the input shaft. I effectively ran mine dry many, many times.

When I drained the oil from the transmission I noted very a fine mud-like paste on the magnet. There were no solid fragments visible in the oil but the oil was considerably darkened. At this point I was still hopeful.

Damage to Transmission: Near the rear of the input shaft is mounted a double row ball bearing. This bearing contains two light sheetmetal ball spacers and this bearing is prevented from spinning in the transmission case by friction alone. When one of the spacers broke apart the balls began to jam against one another. Eventually the remaining portion of the spacer disintegrated and the balls and races were badly spalled.

The hard surface of the balls and races flaked away and made their way through every bearing and wear surface in the transmission. Because of the flow pattern for oil in these transmissions most of the particles were finely ground when running through the output shaft. The final bearing on the output path runs directly on the pinion shaft. The particles destroyed the pinion shaft and related bearings. I found the particles to be thoroughly shot through the transmission causing that all bearings would need replaced to eliminate the contamination.

By creative design, Subaru has caused that any oil returning to the sump without passing through the output shaft must pass through a series of traps. This prevented heavy solids from getting to the main sump and is the reason I found nothing large than silt at the drain plug.

A rebuild parts list for this transmission totaled $1,263. Because of the risk of even one particle of hardened bearing material remaining in the transmission I priced all bearings, seals, and the damaged pinion shaft. My price did not include the shim/ spacer kits required to properly set preload and backlash during rebuild. Nor did I include gear oil, clutch, clutch release bearing, pilot bearing, or pressure plate. My clutch and pressure plate were relatively new. After gasping at the prices, I immediately began searching for a replacement transmission.

Transmission Search: I began searching local junk yards for a suitable replacement transmission. There is little information published regarding which Subaru parts are interchangeable with others. Knowing the efficiency of Japanese engineering I expected there were far more options available than advertised through normal channels. I then joined several Forums for Subaru owners to seek the advice and help of people in the know. I certainly found good help and loads of information but few seemed to have

[GatorIsaac]

done what I thought might be best for me, swapping for a different type transmission. Most helpful of all was reference to a transmission chart for Subaru applications, http://spda-online.ca/modules/tinyconte ... tc_28.html.

I learned that Subaru reduces power output to the rear wheels by altering output gearing from the transmission between the front and rear. The front output is geared lower (spins slower) than the rear output. The discrepancy is corrected through the rear differential. Be sure that when changing transmissions to ones with different ratios from original you also change the rear differential.

After chasing down many leads I eventually settled on a transmission located on EBay. It supposedly came from a 2003 WRX with turbo 2.0 and claimed 69,000 miles. It was packaged with two rear shafts, the corresponding rear differential, a drive shaft, transmission, slave cylinder, master cylinder, and the clutch hydraulic lines. I would be installing a transmission number TY754VN2BA. I am unsure of the true year model because the electrical plugs were more modern than those in my 2003 Baja. Also, this transmission appears to have seen very little exposure to water and road grime. None of these parts were washed but appear to have very few miles behind them. Not bad for $1,200, shipping included.

It was only after purchasing the transmission that it dawned on me that a pull clutch referred to more than the direction of the slave cylinder, duh! I researched data on the different pressure plate and could not locate the dimensions of the bolt circle or pin placement anywhere. Art, customer service rep at GripForce (a.k.a. Speed Solutions Intl.) took the time to take measurements and provide photographs of the comparative parts. Although I could have drilled my original flywheel for the new pull clutch pressure plate (I am an accomplished machinist) I was too tempted by the aftermarket lightweight flywheels. I purchased a kit with flywheel, clutch disk, clutch release bearing, pilot bearing, and pressure plate through Speed Solutions for $304.

Swap of Rear Differential: The only matter of note in swapping a 2003 WRX rear Diff into a Baja is that the Baja uses longer studs to mount the diff to the rear cross frame. Removal and installation of the rear diff is so simple and straightforward there is no excuse for anyone tolerating leaks or other trouble from there. You will have to release the exhaust hanger in front of the muffler and separate the connection downstream from the catalytic converters. I had to replace the spring bolts and the composite donut seal. The seal can be pried away from the flange behind it but you may still have to work at getting the center bits off of the pipe it slips onto. For those like me who didn’t know how to remove the axles, it only requires a short pry-bar to pop their snap rings loose. I had the rear wheels about 4 inches off the ground when I did this and was still able to get the axles to begin mating to the diff when it was on the floor. A jack is recommended to handle the diff but I managed fine by hand. Be aware the diff weighs quite a bit (50#?) be ready for that!

[GatorIsaac]

Installation of flywheel etc: No surprises here. The new lightweight WRX flywheel fits right on where the original came from. NOTE: WRX and Baja flywheels are the same thickness (crank to clutch), same diameter, have the same crankshaft bolt pattern, have the same number teeth on the ring gear, etc. The ONLY difference is the pattern of holes for the pressure plate. Although Subaru and aftermarket clutch sellers claim the clutch disks are different diameter, WRX = 9”, non-turbo Baja = 8 7/8”, they are in fact the same. Because the flywheels are made flat without a dedicated raised clutch wear area they could be interchanged (after adding new holes)

Installation of transmission: Here’s a tip for everyone – The front axles can be removed and installed without altering or disassembling any of the front suspension. Just remember to remove the pins BEFORE trying to access bell housing bolts on removal. Likewise, do not install the pins until AFTER tightening the same bell housing bolts. Being able to pull the couplers away from the transmission will allow clearance for accessing the bolts with a long extension.

I was unsure about clearance for the pull clutch style slave cylinder. There is plenty. Mistakenly thinking they were the same I did not swap the master cylinder while the transmission was removed. I installed the transmission, connected my original hydraulic line, and bled the air. Only then did I realize the clutch did not have enough travel. The pull style slave cylinder requires a larger charge to cycle fully so the master cylinder is larger. Original was 5/8” diameter (clearly marked on the side of the body) while the pull style requires a 11/16” diameter master cylinder. If you make the swap like I did you will have to swap master cylinders too. Switching from Baja to WRX parts is a snap. A spring clip and pin retain the actuator under the dash, two nuts hold the master cylinder, and one bolt mounts the steel line to the firewall. A final adjustment was made to set the length of the actuator rod. This is done by loosening the jam nut and rotating the ‘U’ bracket until the measurement from mounting flange of the master cylinder to the hole through the ‘U’ bracket matched the original unit. After installation and testing it worked fine.

The naturally aspirated Baja air filter housing is supported by two brackets. One of these is attached to the transmission. If installing a pull type clutch this bracket must either be eliminated or modified. I chose to leave mine out. After warmer weather arrives I will modify the bracket to mount to a bell housing bolt and the upper starter stud.

My original starter mounted fine onto the new bell housing. The WRX starter will also work but might require modifying the terminal end of the power wire to prevent shorting it against the case.

[GatorIsaac]

Because the plugs on the sensors had different plugs than on the two transmissions I swapped my originals onto the WRX transmission. After installation was complete I realized I had the two backwards. The reverse lights would turn on in every gear, oops! Switching them back would require pulling the plugs free from their bracket, removing the various wire clips, and threading the wires back to the sensors so all could rotate when the sensors are unscrewed. Examining the two male plugs I found the only difference is color and a ‘key’ molded into their bodies. A precision side cutter and pocket knife removed the keys and the plugs were switched. Grey plug in brown receptacle and brown plug in grey. Now the reverse lights only shine in reverse!

Results: More pressure is required to press the clutch pedal than before. I prefer the new stiff feel. The new clutch assembly works smoothly and without the ‘judder’ (Subaru term) the original gave through the first few engagements when cold. If I did this swap again I would NOT opt for the lightweight flywheel. Engine idle is still smooth as silk but the lack of inertia when engaging the clutch has caused me to stall the engine a time or two. It is also difficult to start on steep hills. Once rolling, the initial acceleration is definitely improved but the trade is not worth the more difficult starts. I think the Baja is too heavy for the lightweight flywheel; WRX yes, Baja no.

The SPDA transmission chart I have referred to does not list the ratios for each gear in my original transmission. I do know the new transmission is geared 5% higher than the old. This is most noticeable in gears 3 through 5. For example, the road on which I live has several hills and a 45 MPH limit. With the original transmission the Baja could climb each of them in fifth gear at 45 and accelerate modestly if demanded. Now, the engine is doing all it can to maintain the 45 MPH limit in fifth gear. At this speed, the engine is only turning about 1750 RPM so the ponies are too small. Third gear is now too steep for crawling out of most city turns. On the other hand, if I select gears such as to prevent bogging the engine I have seen mileage up to 26.8 MPG. It is NOT an improvement to bog the engine like one would with a big V8 engine. When I do that it falls to 24.3 MPG. Don’t tell the Highway Patrol but it seems to do best at 75 MPH actual ground speed.

I had hoped that Subaru worked out the speedometer gearing internally. They did not. Although my harness plugged into the sending unit without issue, the electronic speedometer must be corrected in the gage cluster. With only a 5% error I have not looked into how to correct the speed display yet. The math is easy, add .5 MPH for every 10 MPH displayed.

The dipstick on the WRX transmission is much longer and fits into a longer tube. I took a change and did not swap the tubes. The longer version does fit but requires removing the air box to check the fluid level. I recommend you swap the dip stick and tubes to retain accessibility.

The swap was easy enough to do once I learned which parts will exchange. If prepared with required parts and a good lift this should only take an afternoon to complete. There are loads of transmissions for sale from other Subarus but few which are listed as direct replacements. I have learned that all Subaru five speeds are variants of the same unit and share the same basic case. The only important thing to watch out for is matching the configuration of the front output shafts. If you have protruding shafts, you axles will mount to any with protruding shafts. Your original rear drive shaft will fit also. All bolts, brackets, and such will interchange. If you change transmission outpur ratio you will have to make the corresponding change to the rear differential. NOTE: there is always a 5% difference between the rear diff and the front diff. If you match the numbers you will have trouble.

Vendors:
Tae Used Auto Parts - Transmission parts – Tranny, rear diff, two rear axles, WRX drive shaft (no use here), slave cylinder, master cylinder, hose. $1,200 shipped.
GripForce (Speed Solutions Intl.) – Flywheel, pressure plate, clutch disk, pilot bearing. Part #GOSB55013FX, $304 shipped.
Subaru: Exhaust gaskets (to head), exhaust pipe donut and spring bolt kit (mid-pipe)

Information:
http://spda-online.ca/modules/tinyconte ... tc_28.html
MANY Subaru forum members
Two unsuspecting Subaru parts dealers, note: they do NOT like opening packages for inspection then NOT making a sale, heehee