95 Legacy AWD kills clutch, then trans? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

wolf_walker · #1 01-07-2009, 12:03 AM

Let me bounce this off you gentlemen.

My friend brings me his trusty and slightly rusty 95 Legacy wagon, AWD, 5spd, 277K, runs like a top, after an apparent all the sudden clutch failure. As in he get's off the interstate, clutch in, downshift, clutch out and there is nothing, free reving.
Says him anyway.

I verify, hear a funny noise, pull trans and well, the friction disk has ripped away totally from the hub, as in sheared the metal at the rivits inside the hub, nasty. I've never seen this on a stock car, and only a time or two on modified stuff that was being beat on hard. He's not a hard driver, and the car is stock, and weak anyway.

So new clutch goes in, the original was a cheap small exedy, the replacement Valeo has a much more beefy hub, goes back together fine, I drain and refill the trans since half the gear oil ran out, fire it up, take off and the trans is screaming.
Sounds to me like an input shaft bearing, it's not just whining either, it's groaning and grinding slightly. Can hear it pretty low at idle in N, clutch in and it quests down. Increases in pitch as speed increases in every gear, decel in gear off throttle is very loud.

My only guess is the input shaft got bound up or knocked sideways when the boom happened, my other less likely thought was maybe the trans locked up and IT broke the clutch in the split second, but I doubt that one.

Thoughts? The car isn't worth fixing really, but it's a shame it runs so well and has done the miles it has. I'm vaguely entertaining the idea of replacing the input shaft and bearing.
Replacement used trans are not plentiful around here thus far.

vwbuge · #2 01-07-2009, 07:09 AM

I have had more than one Subaru Wagon. I always steered clear of the early 90's AWD Auto. The auto trans are total junk, just like all the SVX's you see. 90% you see broken down have a bad trans.
My '91 AWD 5-spd has 260+ and it is on its second trans. I had a similar problem to your on the only Auto AWD I owned.

If you are willing to drive I am sure you can find an Indy that specializes in Subarus.

I had mine fixed here years ago when I lived in Eastern PA. They specialize in Subarus. They managed to fit a trans from a '95 into my '91.

http://www.weddesauto.com/

wolf_walker · #3 01-07-2009, 09:26 AM

Well, trouble is it's a $1500 car, on a good day, if you don't notice the rust.
It's barely worth putting a used trans in if one could find one cheap enough, and I'm willing to install it cheap enough. And a used trans for this car kinda worries me.

vwbuge · #4 01-07-2009, 10:00 AM

If you look hard enough you could probably pick one up for $200-$300.

wolf_walker · #5 01-07-2009, 10:28 AM

I'll keep an eye out, seems like there should be more of them around than I've been finding.

LUVMBDiesels · #6 01-07-2009, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vwbuge

I have had more than one Subaru Wagon. I always steered clear of the early 90's AWD Auto. The auto trans are total junk, just like all the SVX's you see. 90% you see broken down have a bad trans.
My '91 AWD 5-spd has 260+ and it is on its second trans. I had a similar problem to your on the only Auto AWD I owned.

If you are willing to drive I am sure you can find an Indy that specializes in Subarus.

I had mine fixed here years ago when I lived in Eastern PA. They specialize in Subarus. They managed to fit a trans from a '95 into my '91.

http://www.weddesauto.com/

I had 289k on my 1992 Legacy wagon AWD with the auto and it never gave me a minute's trouble. I just changed the ATF as wellas the front and rear diffs regularly. The car was still running fine when I donated it to the blind...

The only thing i can think of in this case was that the transfer case might have bound up coming off the highway, but I don't see how that could have gone unnoticed...