I've done numerous oil changes on the scoob and always there's a small bit of metal shavings on the magnetic drain bolt. This time however the bolt had clumps of the stuff on it & the oil looked (the only way I could describe it) like runny black glittery nail polish . Those of you who's other halfs use the stuff will know what i'm on about.

Is this something of major concern?

The only thing that I can think of is that when I had my engine rebuilt a few months back they put the wrong gearbox oil in, coz it did seem a lot thinner than normal?

MAFFA

 

mine looked like that after the gearbox fell through about 6 weeks ago.... sorry, bad news


Si

 

The recommended 75/90 is pretty well as thin as it gets in gear oil - other than automatic trans. fluid of course, which is used in some manual gearboxes eg Ford MT75 Did it smell like gear oil? How does the box feel, sound etc. If it seems ok it might be worth re-filling with a cheap 75/90 to flush, then drain after say, 100 miles and taking a good look at what comes out?
JohnD

 

I've got to admit that i've had the odd problem recently getting into 2nd without crunching them, and it has been noisier than normal over the last week or so. That was the main reason I decided to drain & change it.

I haven't yet driven it since I changed the oil so we'll see tomorrow how it drives.

MAFFA

 

If your crunching gears...thats where the metal is comming from

A good condition non-abused box should only have a fine metallic sludge on the drain bolt. Large chunks are usually from the gears or syncro assemblies when they don't engage gears properly (crunch).

Make sure you carpet matt hasn't gone underneath the clutch pedal before going an blaming syncro / clutch failure

 

It was only metallic sludge but a lot more than normal. So much so that it was in the remainder of the oil I drained as the drain plug was maxed out.

Driving yesterday the gearbox was making some horrible screeching noises on occasion as well

MAFFA

 

Sounds like it could be a bearing failing. Grit your teeth for a re-build!
JohnD

 

That's not good


I don't know if this is a good or bad thing either...Took the car for a drive today (about 30 miles) and about 20 miles into it the noises stopped & it's now running quieter than it ever has

MAFFA

 

I think this is the same as Kevin's, however he hasn't done the oil change yet - it's just noisey and very loose in 1 2 3.

Bryan

 

for the price of the oil is it worth another drain to see ?

some gearbox oils can stop a noisey box like redline

 

the calm before the storm perhaps..

 

holds up arm strikes lighter, waves side to side

 

JB - If it's the gearbox oil that's stopped the noise then why has it only happened now after 4 days?? That's what I don't understand

Brian - What happened to Kevins?

MAFFA

 

taken it's time to work into the bearing that was making the noise or less debris in the oil now, I'd be inclined to drain it into something clean and inspect oil and drain plug and refill with same oil possibly strain it through a cloth etc.. It might just have been the crap oil that was put in not up to the job and you have shaved some of the gears but just weakened them, now on decent oil no more shaving it occurring but all the bits are still in the oil and on the drain plug.

imho

 

I think i'll be inclined to take your advice & drain it again....just to get as much debris out as possible

Cheers JGM

 

well that is what I would do...

did they replace the oil in the rear diff too??

might be worth replacing with decent stuff too to be safe..

Would it be worth discussing with garage what oil they used? It might just be coincidence but it appears related to the oil they put in it from what you have said.

Simon

 

The garage is now 300 miles away since I moved LOL. They didn't do the diff oil but i've got some decent stuff in the garage to replace it with. Just don't know how to get the bolts off as they need a special tool don't they? I had a look & it's not a socket/spanner job. Something with a square end needs to go into the bolts. Any idea where i'd get one??

MAFFA

 

the rachet fits with no socket on

I had to use a breaker bar and a bottle jack to lift the breaker bar, they were damn tight..

Simon

 

must have been a 1/2" socket set rachet I used I think.

 

Uh Oh!! Just drove the car out of the garage & it was clunking & squealing in the few feet I drove it!!


Bugger I think I am gonna need to get it looked at

MAFFA

 

Damn.. are you in NE or NW?

 

I'm in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. I just drove it to Lincoln & back (had to for an interview) & it's not sounding healthy It sounds better when it's warmed up but it's starting to whine now

 

Kevin's is still going, but its a little like the mrs whine, whine, whine all the fecking time

 

Sounds like 2nd gear synchro to me. I think they're are made of bronze, and when they fail you get "sparkly lipstick" effect in the oil (and everywhere else inside the box for that matter) I might be wrong, tho the box I stripped (non-Subaru) with failed synchros certainly exhibited these signs. Sounds like it's time to have it out and apart before it takes the rest of the box with it, if it hasn't already

 

Car's in the garage & not going anywhere now. Would you say it would be advisable to get a new box or would it be reasonably inexpensive to fix once apart?

 

It's probably easier, cheaper and quicker to chuck another box in. Once you've done that and you're bored one day you can take the old one apart

 

Exactly what I was thinking .

I've found another box from a Legacy but not sure on the numbers:

The Legacy no. is TY752VN1BA

Mine is TY752VN3BA

Anyone any idea what the different no. means?

MAFFA

 

Just spoke to APIDavid & he say's it'll be a match so that's a result . Pick the box up on Saturday & try & find someone to fit it

MAFFA

 

Hope you know its history? eg What's it doing out of the Legacy?
Also - It may be a fit, but are the ratios the same?
JohnD

 

I've posed the questions, just waiting for a reply. David at API said that the only difference between this box & mine is a slightly different reverse gear selection arrangement internally so it should be fine


MAFFA