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1999 Subaru Legacy Viscous Connector

Tiny
EDCOOLEY
  • MEMBER
  • 1999 SUBARU LEGACY
  • 4 CYL
  • AWD
  • MANUAL
  • 15,000 MILES
Is there a way to trouble shoot the viscous connector without removing it? Could I try to turn the front driveline with a pipe wrench to see if it is really binding up. The rear driveline is not installed.

I got a used tranny for my 99 Legacy 2.2 AWD 5 speed from a guy that mistakenly sold me one out of an Outback for a 2.5. I was ignorant. When I got it in, the car would not turn to the L or R with out binding up. So he sold me a diff for a 2.5 and now it turns L and R fine, but will not go straight without noise and binding up. The car drives fine with on gravel, but not on hard surface.

So now the solution is to change the Viscous with the one out of my old tranny which seems to be in good condition. His story is that I must have ruined the viscous by driving without a matched tranny and diff.
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Sunday, February 7th, 2010 AT 5:18 PM

9 Replies

Tiny
2CARPRO JACK
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,533 POSTS
Diffs and trannies arent matched items, otherwise you wouldnt be able to purchase one without the other like he sold you in the first place.I would reinstall your original coupler and use the recommended fluid in it, otherwise it will burn up.
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Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 AT 7:18 AM
Tiny
EDCOOLEY
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  • 5 POSTS
This is how I understand it.

The transmission for a 2.5 Subaru engine requires a 2.111 differential while the transmission for a 2.2 engine uses a 1.90 differential. I unknowingly replaced the transmission for my 2.2 engine with a transmission for a 2.5 engine causing the mismatch with the differential.

I did not change the coupler from one transmission to another YET. I am thinking that the coupler for the used transmission that I installed is malfunctioning from the get-go or because I did not have the correct transmission/differential matchup for about 200 miles.

I don't understand your solution to the problem since I never indicated that I had interchanged the couplers.
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Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 AT 11:51 AM
Tiny
2CARPRO JACK
  • MECHANIC
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The trans shouldnt make a difference for the diff if both diffs are from the original vehicle so they arent working out of each others range.I didnt say you had switched the couplers, I suggested you put your know good one in there, I dont see how the trans would make it go out.
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Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 AT 12:53 PM
Tiny
EDCOOLEY
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So I think we are back to the original question. Is it possible to test the viscous coupler without removing it from the transmission?
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Sunday, February 14th, 2010 AT 5:33 PM
Tiny
2CARPRO JACK
  • MECHANIC
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I cant find anything in Mitchell about how to test the coupler. Exactly which Legacy is it? I show 8 different ones, maybe that will help
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Monday, February 15th, 2010 AT 7:40 AM
Tiny
EDCOOLEY
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
It's the Legacy Brighton. 2.2 engine, 5 speed, AWD. But now it has a 5 speed transmission out of a 2.5 Outback. The rear driveline is not installed now and the car drives fine--just no AWD. But with the driveline in, the car is undriveable.

I had a viscous coupler for an AWD Vista that was between the front and back driveline. I could twist it with a wrench with the car in gear and a rear wheel elevated.
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Monday, February 15th, 2010 AT 5:30 PM
Tiny
2CARPRO JACK
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Sounds like is may be bad, not allowing the necessary give between front and rear to allow for driving on hard ground
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Monday, February 15th, 2010 AT 7:59 PM
Tiny
EDCOOLEY
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
That has been my position from the start--that the viscous connector is not slipping enough. But my question remains. Is there a way to test it with out removing it? Like by twisting the driveling somehow to see if it slips?
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Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 AT 5:55 PM
Tiny
2CARPRO JACK
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You should be able to twist it if the front wheels are on the ground and the rear are in the air, with trans in neutral
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Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 AT 7:32 AM

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