5 Speed Bus Kit Install - SubaruGears transmission

[Sodo]

[xavior12]

I only pulled the drain enough to get a small hand full of oil. That was after a overnight soak. No visible metal.
Yes I agree that it dosent warrant the trans to come apart but the noise?

[Sodo]

[AndyBees]

Entirely different .. but, I'll throw this in for thought.

I used a 1980 Air-cool tranny with my TDI. I installed $1,000+ in Weddle replacement parts and upgrades. I replaced all the bearings except the pinion bearing, new syncro rings, new reverse, new upgraded 3/4 hub, new 3/4 shift fork, taller 3rd & 4th, etc.

From day one, 3rd gear "roars" when I let up on the accelerator. There's a very slight roar in 4th when I let up on the accelerator. I never used a torque wrench on anything and I set the Ring & Pinion lash by feel even though I did mark the positions of the adjusting collars. I've since tightened the lash just a smidge.

I've changed the oil/fluid several times, especially in the first few thousand miles. The magnet is always fuzzy with minute dusty metal, no chunks.

Anyway, to date, it has over 80k miles being pushed by the TDI engine. So, I suppose those big-cut after-market gears are responsible for the roar/whine.

With the Subie tranny, I'm curious as to whether or not reversing the design rotation of the Suby tranny has anything to do with the whine you guys have experienced. What are others experiencing? I've followed the Subarugears and read loads of write-ups as well as the info on their web site as I had initially considered going with a Subaru engine. Seems the set-up is no doubt a proven way to go.
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'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI. 1989 Tin-top
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine. Seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003.

[dlb154]

I'm curious to hear other's input on their SubaruGears and "noise" they have or haven't had.

I'd be happy to give it another year if Subaru Gears and SubiWorks would give me an extended warranty (another 12 months). Maybe this noise is normal considering, as AnyBees points out, everything is rotating in the other direction?

If you're reading this Todd (SubaruGears), can you contact me? I'd prefer to deal directly with you.

[Sodo]

Andy Bees that’s some great, firsthand 091 experience and observations, too bad its buried in some fellers Subaru thread. But it is pertinent to his discussion of gear noise, and there’s not a lot of better info coming in. But I think the Subarus are running all OEM gears? Your Weddle 3rd/4th are large tooth gears for breaking strength not for quietness as the Subaru would be. Is there anyone who can post a pic of subaru 3rd/4th next to VW or Weddle 3rd or 4th?

dlb154 does your trans have a magnet? It will help in diagnosis (and trans health).

Reversing a trans that has helical cut gears reverses the thrust directions. The trans could be designed for a certain thrust direction and be less able to run the 200k miles in reverse. I would trust that Todd has looked at the bearing thrust direction, its the very first thing you would consider. Id sure like to look thru a noisy Subaru trans but all I can do is type.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[dlb154]

On initial break-in oil change (around 750-1000 miles) I do not recall that the drain plug was magnetic. There was no fuzz on it or anything to clean off the drain plug.

Bottom of the oil pan did have very fine metal flakes. SubiWorks said that was normal. Is there any harm in attaching a rare-earth magnet to the drain plug, drive it around for a few days, and then drain to see what it collects?

Might be easier said than done if the drain plug is nonferrous.

[gears]

You are NOT "reversing the drive" of the transaxle. The newly made R&P is a mirror image of the original, to accommodate the hypoid offset of the housing, while allowing installation of the ring gear on the opposite side. So while the R&P is designed as though the rotation were to be reversed, it actually hasn't been.

What this does is to make what would normally be the coast flank of the R&P teeth the new drive flank (and visa versa).

None of this would be reason for noise or premature wear.
_________________
aka Pablo, Geary
9.36 @ 146 in '86 Hot & Sticky
'90 Syncro Westy SVX
'87 Syncro GL 2.5
https://guardtransaxle.com

[Sodo]

Oops.

Sticking a rare earth magnet to your drainplug is risky. Probably could work. But if it came off.... it will surely stick to some other steel part in there, some with disastrous results. There MUST be an aftermarket plug with a magnet. What is the thread size? Know of a pic on the web?
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[D Clymer]

Just to clarify, the stock Subaru drain plug does have a magnet. It's mounted flush with the top surface of the plug, so it's easy to miss, but it is there.

Dave, I hope you are able to get that transmission looked at quickly and be back on the road soon.

D

[AndyBees]

[dlb154]

[D Clymer]

[bajaleo]

[dlb154]

So I drained the oil today prior to pulling the transmission so I can ship it out this coming week. I'll post pictures when I can. There were sizable flacks flakes (edit) on the plug magnet and a glittery shine throughout the drained oil. Not a good sign.

[Steve M.]

Is Subaru Gears website down? Not getting a hit on it when clicking on the link on page 1 or from a Google search.
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This free advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.

There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them.

[JDub113]

I'd like so see those oil pictures and flakes! Following this.
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84 Wolfsburg Edition Westy

[Subarugears]

Our website happens to be down for maintenance for a couple of days. Rest be assured we stand behind our product and we are well and truly in business - going on 8 years now and a couple of thousand of these gearsets out in the market.

As pointed out, everything still rotates in the stock direction, except the differential which is now flipped within the case. It means what is normally the 'coast side' is now the 'drive side' of the ring and pinion. With the large pinion bearing so close to the pinion gear, this is not an issue.

I'm sure whatever issue turns out to be the case with your trans will be resolved and supported. All businesses have products that have issues from time to time, nobody has 100% success rate. You only know once you open it up.

We can only make them as strong as possible. We have our own forgings of 8620 instead of using bar stock, they are fully cnc manufactured using Gleason machines and they are hardened and shotpeened at the end of the manufacture process as well as being CNC lapped to provide the quietest running possible. We've done everything we can to make it a great product. We have continually refined and improved the product from it's inception and in fact are manufacturing version 8 right now.

If we had a thread for every VW trans that makes a noise The Samba would be full, yet it is accepted that they need to be rebuilt and torn down for maintenance etc. Yet we are onto a 2 page thread because two Subarugears transmissions are making a bit of noise? Let's keep it in perspective.

Look forward to seeing your ride back on the road again soon
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http://www.subarugears.com

[dlb154]

Thanks for the post Todd. It ships out tomorrow back to Subiworks.

Actually this thread was not started to report about the SubaruGears transmission noise that developed. 99% of page one was about the install of the 5 Speed Bus kit that compliments your transmission genius...

That's the real perspective. The fact that many people see a viable option over a stock VW transaxle rebuild is reflected in the concerns and feedback brought about here in page 2. We are all encouraged with innovations, like yours, that brings longevity to our vehicles.

If no one cared... there wouldn't be any interest in these Samba threads.

[r39o]