Advice for a Subaru Transmission...

Not realy a rally car build question but here goes.

I just bought a 2005 Subaru Outback H6 at an auction. It is a teft recovery with low milage and the price was right, and so far the only major problem is the transmission. It is seized as the engine would not turn over and even when it showed that it was in neutral you could not push or tow the car. I have removed the trans and the engine turns easily by hand but I haven't tried cranking it (not sure if it's possible).

I am thinking of swapping in a manual trans from either a WRX or a 6spd STi trans I have access to both fairly cheap. From what I can see inside the car the addition of a peddal would not be a huge task.

Would either of these bolt up to the H6 motor without any mods. I haven't had a chance to go and see if the bolt pattern is the same as the auto box.

Any help/advice on this is appreciated.

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...If you don't go off at least once a season you are not trying hard enough...

Sounds like SOMEONE towed the vehicle two wheels up, and possibly in Park at that.

That car SHOULD be the same as a Legacy, and plenty people have swapped the six into Imprezas using the manual trans (IIRC Subaru only ever put an auto behind it) so it should be easy-peasy.

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Pete Remner
Cleveland, Ohio

1984 RX-7 (rallycross thing)
1978
Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver.

Anders Green has an H6 Impreza rally car. I'm sure he'll chime in shortly.

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

Same bellhousing pattern as any other Subaru. Crank bolts the same, too, so a 4 cylinder flywheel will bolt right up. I would recommend using the 6-speed as it would be more up to handling the torque of the H6. If you do use a 5-speed go with a 2004 or newer, as they are stronger. I did a 5-speed conversion on a SVX (using an RA gearset) and it was pretty straight forward. Those cars only came with automatics so I had to modify a manual crossmember and tranny mount to fit and do some cutting and welding on the firewall to mount the manual pedal assembly. Your Outback will be a piece of cake since you can get all the necessary pieces from a manual tranny Legacy in the wrecking yard. Make sure the rear axle ratio is compatible with whatever transmission you put in! This is made more complicated because some years used 1.1:1 ratio transfer gears in the center diff and different ring and pinion ratios front and rear. Do your research!

By: Pete

>Sounds like SOMEONE towed the vehicle two wheels up, and possibly in Park at that.<

Not sure, but like I said it was theft recovery. Has some minor body damage (front passenger quater panel needs replacing & one for light smashed), front & rear passenger glass smashed out, the radio is gone (who wants a factory unit?) and both sun visors are gone. But for 6K including taxes and with only 53K (kilometers) on it, I figure fixing the stuff is worth it.


By: Doivi Clarkinen

>I would recommend using the 6-speed as it would be more up to handling the torque of the H6. ..........Make sure the rear axle ratio is compatible with whatever transmission you put in! This is made more complicated because some years used 1.1:1 ratio transfer gears in the center diff and different ring and pinion ratios front and rear. Do your research!<

I was leaning towards the 6-speed, where would be the easiest to get the info from. Not sure that dealers would be helpful. I am getting the trans from a friend that owns a scrap yard and he just got a 2007 STi that was written off and is holding it for me. He would like a $1000 for it, good price or too high? Oh the STi has only 15K on it.

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...If you don't go off at least once a season you are not trying hard enough...

Search NASIOC pretty hot and heavy before you do anything. Many guys there have done auto to manual swaps, few will ever do it again....

Also, IIRC, they're may be some ECU challenges to overcome as well.

May the force be with you!

Oh SVX with 6MT FTW!!!!! What a bad-a$$ car

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Toltec Rally Team
"what would Steve Zissou do?"

REDrum Wrote:
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> Search NASIOC pretty hot and heavy before you do
> anything. Many guys there have done auto to
> manual swaps, few will ever do it again....
>

Yes, because NASIOC is full experts (just ask, they'll tell you) and no one will ever steer you wrong.

> Oh SVX with 6MT FTW!!!!! What a bad-a$$ car

SVX's are way more fun to drive with a manual transmission.

Doivi Clarkinen Wrote:
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> SVX's are way more fun to drive with a manual
> transmission.


Even more fun is my friend's 300 whp 8200 rpm SVX-engined 5-speed GC8 Impreza. That thing absolutely squirts, no turbo lag either! And the sound it makes is unreal.

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Opel is a 4-letter word...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10498579@N07/sets/

I went to that site only once when I use to frequent the SS (heil) site and everyone was so full of shit that the page was turning brown never went back. Even with my limited knowledge of Subaru stuff I could tell some people had no clue on what they were talking about mechanicaly.

I just picked up the trans today and my buddy threw in the rear end that came out of the STi.

Dave if I get all the numbers out of the STi that the trans cam out of do you think I'll be OK as long as all of it matches. Do I have to worry about the ratios in the front diff in your opinion.

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...If you don't go off at least once a season you are not trying hard enough...

GB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I went to that site only once when I use to
> frequent the SS (heil) site and everyone was so
> full of shit that the page was turning brown never
> went back. Even with my limited knowledge of
> Subaru stuff I could tell some people had no clue
> on what they were talking about mechanicaly.
>
> I just picked up the trans today and my buddy
> threw in the rear end that came out of the STi.
>
> Dave if I get all the numbers out of the STi that
> the trans cam out of do you think I'll be OK as
> long as all of it matches. Do I have to worry
> about the ratios in the front diff in your
> opinion.
>

Well if you use the same rear diff that came out of the car that the tranny came out of then of course you will be fine.

GB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I went to that site only once when I use to
> frequent the SS (heil) site and everyone was so
> full of shit that the page was turning brown never
> went back. Even with my limited knowledge of
> Subaru stuff I could tell some people had no clue
> on what they were talking about mechanicaly.
>
> I just picked up the trans today and my buddy
> threw in the rear end that came out of the STi.
>
> Dave if I get all the numbers out of the STi that
> the trans cam out of do you think I'll be OK as
> long as all of it matches. Do I have to worry
> about the ratios in the front diff in your
> opinion.
>
> ...If you don't go off at least once a season you
> are not trying hard enough...



As Dave said, you're almost good to go. Use the 6 speed and MATCHING rear diff. Get any MT pedal box and you'll use the driveshaft out of an auto.

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Gone fishing

Thanks for the advice so far.

Went to scrap yard today as well as my buddy got me a matching colour quater panel, passenger side glass and the fog light to replace the damaged parts. He also let me have a complete pedal assembly from a WRX and the driveshaft. Bastard had to charge me $500 for all of this as his old man was pissed at him for giving me the diff for free. The old guy (78) calls us spoiled young punk kids (I am 42 and buddy 43) , he makes me shit myself laughing every time I go there, sometimes I wonder if JVL is similar to him as I have never spoken to JVL but the ideology seems to be similar

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...If you don't go off at least once a season you are not trying hard enough...