98 Subaru legacy blown diff

In this video, i show what happened to an AWD Subaru that had different tires sizes on the car. On AWD cars the tires need to be EXACTLY the same. If not differentials, transmissions and transfer cases have a very good chance of going bad

[@quattrotz9367]

Amazing information . So much detail. That's enough to give ypu self confidence that there is someone behind your back. Thank you very much for the great videos.

[@georgeemanson]

Gary.... loved the video..... an interesting item at 3 minutes to 4:40 minutes in to the video..... this was exactly what I experienced with my 1998 Subaru Forester but no-one could diagnose the problem.... £3k was spent/wasted with my Local Subaru dealer trying to fix it... but to no effect. Then I fond your video.... and I found a good mechanic..... and yesterday we got our car back (with new solenoid) and she runs great. So thanks for the direction - you were spot on. George (London, UK)

[@GaryFerraro]

Awesome, thanks for letting me know

[@georgeemanson]

@@GaryFerraro I owe you a favour.... happy to give 'respect' where it is due.

[@scottfirman]

Thankyou for showing that. People do not realize the important thing on cars with all wheel drive cars. Now I want to check the tire size on the car we just got. It came with brand new tires. 56k miles on the vehicle. My Trailblazer was fine with changing two and two. I did however go with identical tires. They were Bridgestones. They last forever but are extremely noisy as hell and would never put a set on a Subaru. We test drove one with them on and even at low speeds, the tire noise was terrible.

[@GaryFerraro]

Thanks for watching, we get probably one job a month due to wrong tire size. All wheel drive cars, the tires should be rotated so they wear evenly and when ready replace all 4 at once

[@trunoholdaway2114]

I'm jealous of that workbench.

[@GaryFerraro]

lol, Thanks for watching

[@brettcooper8589]

I just wanted to say thank you you have helped me a lot with some problems I've had with my 98 forester it has 302k on it I just rebuilt the motor and I'm now leaking differential fluid perfusely your video really helped me tearing it apart please make a video showing me how to fix my differential seals and get my sub running strong again

[@GaryFerraro]

I actually do not have any here at the moment , where is it leaking from?

[@brettcooper8589]

it seems to be leaking between the front differential and the transmission it's leaking really bad I'd like to be build the whole front different while I'm in there I just don't know how

[@GaryFerraro]

Transmission fluid is up there too, your sure its from the diff, its not common for those to leak bad. Make sure your tires are all the same

[@brettcooper8589]

it's definitely diff fluid It seems to be coming from that seem where the tray and diff join together but I'm going to clean it up good this weekend to see if I can get a definite conclusion but the car has 302k on it and runs great other then perfusely leaking this fluid

[@GaryFerraro]

Good idea, clean it down to pinpoint the leak

[@bonifacekirimi3476]

Nice lesson brother, welcome Kenya and assist us

[@georgeemanson]

Gary - A great video……I wished I had seen it before....…especially from 3rd minute to 4.5 minutes…..it would have saved me a lot of time, effort and money….….I have had a Subaru forester 1998 (automatic) from new, that has been great for all the years with very little to do other than annual services (+70,000 miles approx..). However, recently I have had a lot of vibration & shuddering on the wheels when making tight turns (left or right - forwards or in reverse) but only at slow speeds. It is difficult to identify which wheels the noise or shudder comes from. I have had the front & rear difs replaced; new front boots; new U-joints on the drive shaft & more, that has reduced the frequency but not eliminated it. After seeing this video I am confident that my problem is due to a bad solenoid….. I will get them checked…..thanks. George

[@GaryFerraro]

Let me know how it goes

[@georgeemanson]

@@GaryFerraro Will do, Thanks.

[@georgeemanson]

@@GaryFerraro SHE LIVES AGAIN!!!!!!…..an interesting item at 3 minutes to 4:40 minutes in the attached video ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYGahXykqZmkbpY )..... this was exactly what I experienced with my 1998 Subaru Forester but no-one could diagnose the problem.... £3k was spent/wasted with my Local Subaru dealer trying to fix it... but to no effect. Then I found the attached video link.... and then I found a good mechanic willing to do the work..... and we got our car back (with new solenoid in the transmission) and she runs great..... Well worth the effort.... these Subaru's can go on forever (almost) George (London, UK)

[@GaryFerraro]

@@georgeemanson Glad your back on the road

[@jayschuon8330]

Super informative. Exactly whats wrong with our car 😢

[@GaryFerraro]

Wrong tire size?

[@jayschuon8330]

Replaced one bad tire and that started the problem

[@GaryFerraro]

@@jayschuon8330 ok, that will do it

[@mendomateo]

GREAT. VERY HELPFUL AND TO THE POINT. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

[@GaryFerraro]

Thank you

[@crohkorthreetoes3821]

Good informative vid, thanks for taking the time to make and share it

[@GaryFerraro]

Thank you

[@jackmehoff1565]

Another great video thanks Gary

[@GaryFerraro]

Thank you sir.

[@tylerbridgeman757]

Thank you, that confirms my problem. Now I know to keep the car level.

[@GaryFerraro]

Thanks for watching

[@cyrus773]

Very true I’m having the same problem now from uneven tires and air pressure.

[@GaryFerraro]

same kind of car?

[@cyrus773]

Gary Ferraro 2013 Subaru Legacy 2.5

[@GaryFerraro]

@@cyrus773Are they different sizes?

[@cyrus773]

@@GaryFerraro same size but different brands.

[@GaryFerraro]

@@cyrus773 The tires still could be off, they should all be the same model and size

[@cs_yt]

Great cautionary tale. I have 2 Subarus, and I rotate at every oil change, I check the pressure weekly, and always replace all 4 tires(they get shot at the same time anyway). I knew this could happen and I can afford, but I feel sorry for someone driving a Subaru beater that cannot afford 4 tires.

[@GaryFerraro]

That is exactly the way it should be done. Good Job!!

[@perverso12345]

great video, keep up the good work

[@GaryFerraro]

Thank you

[@DidierBan]

My 2005 Forester is making a sound in the front, when I make a turn, the cv axels seem ok but the sound is made when the car is warm up ; if I start the car and drive it without warming it up the sound is not there but when the car gets to. Normal temperature the sound is there every-time I make a sharp or U turn . Any help ?please .

[@DidierBan]

Awesome video 👍great information.

[@MA-kt8ly]

Gary can do this with his eyes close.

[@Y10Q]

I don't know how badly he missmatched the tires, but on my 1998 legacy automatic, in the last few years, two front are old (2007ish)and two in the rear are newer (2013ish), due to one getting damaged, so I bought two in the back. I have been driving it like that on and off for 4-5 years. There is no problems. But it is not my daily driver. Same size tires, just one set is old the other set is newer. Front are definitely visibly worn more than the rear.

[@GaryFerraro]

These tires were off, they were not the same size. Thats good, we probably get one job a month due to wrong tire size. I have a special tool to measure the tires to see if there within spec

[@raydemos1181]

buy 4 new tires or you will blow your diff out,

[@johnneame2180]

I've not read every comment so apologies if I'm repeating. The diameter difference front to back is noted in the video as the difference between 65-70 profile tyres, profile being a percentage value of tyre width so 5% of width difference between front and back axles. 5% of 205mm is 10.25mm which is over 3/8 of an inch nothing like the stated "couple of inches...... Still....... Poor diff😂😂

[@GaryFerraro]

Anything above half inch to me is no good, I forgot the sizes that were on his car but it was way off, i may have used sizes as an example. Thanks for watching

[@FrenchySuper]

Hey where did you order the front used differential and pinion gear for that subaru. I'm looking for one as well

[@GaryFerraro]

My Local used hard parts supplier, Your diff is blown?

[@16480287]

Great video ! Question: on my1995 subaru awd how can I make it FWD with out placing the fuse in or removing rear section of drive shaft

[@GaryFerraro]

Not Sure on that, im thinking leaving the O-rings off the transfer clutch solenoid but not sure if that will work, I've never done that

[@16480287]

@@GaryFerraro thank you for the info, I was thinking to do something with the clutch pack !

[@raymondsils]

Hi. Thanks for very informative video. I wanted to ask you for your opinion about a issue i have with my 98. forester. My AT gearbox went bad so I bought a another one to swap it out. Guy who sold it to me told me that it is a 4.44 drive ratio gearbox, same as in my forester. So I swap gearboxes and went I drove out of my garage in reverse I noticed a bad sound coming from frond diff. The AT OIL TEMP light went on flashing went I started to drive the car. I test drove the car for some 5 km and gearbox didnt work properly. When I tried to accelerate from zero there was a bad noses coming from a drivetrain. Long story short, the gearbox I installed is most likely 4.11 ratio. Now I got a 4.11 matching rear diff, but Im really concerned whether I have done some damage driving these 5 km with a wrong drive ratio between transmission and rear diff. What is your thoughts on that?

[@georgeemanson]

Sorry, I am not an expert on cars....... I found myself a good local car-engineer & a copy of the workshop manual (see below):- 1. Please enter the link provided below: drive.google.com/open?id=0B71kuAv9H4HBU3BYNWpsSUc5STA 2. In the top right corner of the page, you will find a download button (Arrow pointing downwards), click on it. 3. It will redirect you to another page where you need to click the blue button saying: Download Anyway. 4. Enjoy the MANUAL! :) I would also recommend trying to contact the guy on this site........ kzbin.info/door/-1mmBfmTDVOjOb15i4LCuw who has stripped down may Subaru's, Good luck.

[@damontracyvis1017]

Hi Gary, I like your video. I had my Passager from Knuckle assemble pope off the lower ball joint and pulled the axe drive shaft right out with the cv shaft. Am I looking at removing dropping the transmission to get the front diff off? Is there a way to leave the transmission in the car or is it better to just drop it and then remote it after fixing the diff?

[@GaryFerraro]

In my opinion, easier to take the hole thing out and split it on the bench

[@chiefeaglebear2320]

hi gary i been looking for an 4eat vid nice i had a sixteen blinks on A/T light once try finding diagnostics for that

[@sportman4000]

Great Video!

[@GaryFerraro]

Thank you

[@miguelalexander7049]

can a 2005 subaru legacy front differential work on a 2000 subaru forester

[@Tonisuperfly]

I have an Impreza with a whining noise from the transmission, only when car is in motion. I've been told to replace the whole transmission but I'm wondering if I can just replace the centre diff, as I believe that is where the whining is coming from. Although, if the transfer gears are damaged, I want to know how hard it is to replace them and/or transfer case as well. I'm not a mechanic or I would do it myself! Just trying to figure out whether it's worth trying to replace the diff first or whether to risk a used transmission - not worth a new/refurbished tranny on 2001 car. The car has been serviced by the same Subaru dealer it was bought from new and has had every single recommendation and service done to it, so I don't know what's caused it - assuming same tire size always used and fluids maintained (but I bought it from the original owner so can't be sure). No chattering or binding, only the whining. I tried disabling AWD with fuse and it still whines.Thanks

[@GaryFerraro]

Ok, If you lift your foot from the gas, does the noise go away?

[@Tonisuperfly]

@@GaryFerraro No it is there the whole time and now the whining is worse. I'm going to replace the transmission this week. Sorry I didn't see this earlier :)

[@GaryFerraro]

@@Tonisuperfly ok, so standing still no noise hot or cold? does the car stop moving when hot?

[@Tonisuperfly]

Gary Ferraro no noise when car is stationary. Car does not stop moving when hot. Everything works fine, except for whining coming from gearbox when car is in motion. The sound used to only start after car was driven for about 15 mins (warmed up) but now it is there much sooner after starting.

[@GaryFerraro]

@@Tonisuperfly what your describing almost sounds like a filter restriction. The fact that the noise would only happen at first when the car warmed up. as you drive the noise changes with engine pitch.

[@skatir9]

I can tell by the background noise that you are working late into the night!! I've been thinking about ordering the sonnax vacuum stand after watching your videos. I looked on their sight, and saw all the test guides. I feel like I could get some A+ diagnostics with it. I have something like it that I made a few years ago, and since its not calibrated per use like the sonnax, I struggle with deciding if there is wear in a valve bore. Do you do a lot of the valve bore reaming, and using oversized spools from sonnax?

[@GaryFerraro]

I do some, the tooling is a bit costly, so i dont do all. The vacuum test stand is a great tool, in a matter of minutes you can tell if the bore is worn or not. When i want to film something for my channel, i get to the shop between 3 and 4am to film

[@jackmehoff1565]

+Gary Ferraro 3 to 4 am holy shit we thought late at night hell its early morning ur a dedicated man thank you and I have never seen a shaft like that holy crap pinion is gone

[@GaryFerraro]

Yes, thats early. once 8am hits the phones start going and i dont get much done, Even when crazy busy i start early as well.

[@michaelhendershot6311]

Hey Gary my name is Michael I have a 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback and I knew about the damage that it would cause to the all-wheel-drive system if I put a smaller Tire on it but I have two kids and a wife and we were stuck in the woods and someone gave us a tire to get out of there we had been there for 2 weeks we were out of water and food do you think I should rebuild it or just sell it off I need a vehicle for the family but I have too much going on I don't have the money to get it fixed I don't know what to do should I get some advice please

[@michaelhendershot6311]

It chatters on the turn when the four-wheel-drive is on when I disconnected it just sounds like a jet engine if I go past 40 Mi an hour

[@michaelhendershot6311]

I don't know what to do please help

[@angelmarrero6788]

Hey I have a issue with a 2010 Subaru legacy I'm linking gear fluid from the drive shaft I replaced the transmission twice any ideas what's wrong??

[@GaryFerraro]

rear drive shaft? How is the yolk of the rear drive shaft?

[@gabrielbarreda22]

Gary Ferraro how long can one drive with the fuse in the FWD slot? Can it be driven for about 1234 miles with out putting any stress in the transmission?

[@itsvoodoo7050]

It won't cause any harm. All it does is connect the circuit to the duty-c solenoid and the back wheels won't get any power.

[@gabrielbarreda22]

Its Voodoo thank you for your reply sir, the reason why I was asking is because I heard if someone wants to save a little bit more of gas per miles to put the fuse in there.

[@itsvoodoo7050]

Gabriel Ruiz I know a lot of people who put the FWD fuse in after the snow is gone. It does give you a bit more mpg.

[@gabrielbarreda22]

Its Voodoo got it, thank you!

[@ivanvalverde1155]

@@gabrielbarreda22 I drove mine for 10 k Miles and now front diff is blown.

[@ernesthin1975]

I have a 97 Subaru Legacy and the differential just went, the rear differential got about 360 degrees, any idea what would cause that?

[@GaryFerraro]

Check tire sizes all around, have to be the same model and size or maybe the rear diff was low or out of grease.

[@jonnybo5890]

I'm having trouble sourcing gears. Where do you buy yours? Also, I have a salvage yard trans with the gears out of a 97 forrester, hoped they would be the same as 99 legacy. Can you confirm or deny?

[@GaryFerraro]

You have to count the teeth on the ring gear and pinion

[@davedave7038]

Hey Gary how did you get the clip off that upper gear set that the transfer clutch slips over? There's a clip on mine holding it on and you don't have you taking off a c clip but you also stepped away from your video to reset. Thanks

[@GaryFerraro]

can you give me the time so i can review the video. Thanks

[@davedave7038]

@@GaryFerraro right at 11:40-11:45 you pull that shaft out. Mine has a lock ring over it. I think I need a pair of lock ring pliers after doing some research last night

[@GaryFerraro]

@@davedave7038 No lock ring on that, you have the same Trans, What year is yours

[@davedave7038]

@@GaryFerraro mine is from a 98 legacy gt with the tz102z2dca trans. My clutch plates dug into the MPT hub really bad digging those grooves into the hub. I bought a pair of lock ring pliers and got the clip out and was able to pull the MPT hub out. Now to find a new one lol

[@davedave7038]

@@GaryFerraro I have no formal training with cars besides a little bit of stuff in high school so I know some generals I can do brakes and all that stuff but engine and transmission stuff is pretty foreign to me so I'm teaching myself on a free project car that runs

[@chadboling6075]

I just bought a 2003 outback h6 with this exact problem. how do you setup the differential and where did you get a used one?

[@GaryFerraro]

When you get a used one, its all set up already, you have to pull the trans to install it. Check your tire sizes

[@ronarndt6722]

Hi Gary, is there a follow up to this video where you show putting the new pinion gear and Diff. back together?

[@GaryFerraro]

Im sorry there is not, this one was so bad, i ended up getting the whole diff assembly and just using that, this one was beyond repair. If you have an all wheel drive or 4 wheel drive, watch your tire sizes.

[@phoenixstar4242]

how do you set up the preload and backlash for this car?

[@GaryFerraro]

Honestly, every time i had a blown diff, it was always cheaper to get a good used one. When these go bad, the damage is extensive so it really doesnt pay to rebuild one.

[@phoenixstar4242]

Mine was not blow just change the bearings in it and it's a 1995 legacy front wheel drive

[@GaryFerraro]

Ok, well i never did on this one because everyone i got was beyond repair. Just like any other diff, adjust the bearings so you have about 5 thousands backlash(maybe use marking compound as well, make sure the mark is center) once you have that give the bearing a little extra turn to put some load on it. Did you take the pinion out or just the side bearings?

[@phoenixstar4242]

I remove the pinion to change the washer plate immediately after I put it back in.. does the pinion need to be set for this model as well because it seem like a straightforward shaft

[@FlatDogginTheBeanDip]

I'm just over 4 minutes into this video but is there any differentiation in regards to the 98 outback tranny described in this video compared to my 98 legacy L wagon that's classified as 4wd? I dont have an option to manually diverse 4wd to 2wd and it's also a 2.2L auto tranny. I've replaced almost the entire front end besides tie rods but I'm still pretty confident the obnactious rumbling and vibrations i hear are coming from my center dif. Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks!

[@GaryFerraro]

you feel binding on turns?

[@FlatDogginTheBeanDip]

@@GaryFerraro yeah a loud clunking noise that makes the car shake when I turn.

[@markbolan3982]

Hi Gary, i have 1998 Legacy AT Front Wheel Drive, and i hear a low noise from the differential.. like a worm pinions.. i just change the oil 80-90W ( found a little metal powder on magnet cup) the noise remains.. Do you think, it need to adjust the differential backlash? Thanks for your help.

[@GaryFerraro]

If you lift your foot off the gas, the noise goes away? Have you done any work to the diff? How are the tires?

[@markbolan3982]

@@GaryFerraro yes, if i lift the food, the noise goes away. I just change the diff oil. 80-90w. The tires allways same size. these is a FWD version. it has 90,000miles. I bought it recently. thanks

[@GaryFerraro]

well, I never had to adjust these, was someone else working o it? If not may just be a worn ring and pinion. Do the tires look like they were recently changed?

[@jlagant9]

What is that part you pulled out at 11:45? Viscous drum? I'm in the process of replacing my duty c and clutch pack. Once I got everything apart I noticed mine had some pretty deep grooves in it. Do you know that part number? Is that all one piece or can I get just the drum? I'd go take mine out but I'm taking a break. I've had enough for one day. Thank you in advance.

[@GaryFerraro]

That is the transmission output shaft, is your car chattering on turns, is that why your replacing the solenoid and clutch pack? what has grooves in it?

[@jlagant9]

Yes sir. Chattering in the turns. I put the fuse in for front wheel drive and there's no difference, FWD light doesn't even come on. The part with the grooves is the part at the very end, the part that would be on the inside of the clutch pack. I did take it out and it looks like it "can" be it's own piece but probably best to get the whole shaft.

[@GaryFerraro]

Did you happen to check the fuse, make sure there is power on both sides? What year is your car?

[@jlagant9]

Gary Ferraro 1997 Legacy GT

[@jlagant9]

Gary Ferraro Fuse was good.

[@ivanvalverde1155]

Hi, my Legacy Outback, 1997 with automatic transmission, 2.5 L engine ñnon turbo- has broken rear diff. To get the correct used part for my car, with only the old broken gears (attack pinion and crown) could I find it at the junk yard ? Thanks in advance for Your help.

[@GaryFerraro]

Im sure you could, you may just want to count the ring and pinion gear so you get the right one, the front and rear diff has to have the same amount of teeth. The big question is, why did the diff go bad.........number one cause of this is wrong tire size, what i mean is, there may be different tires on the car. Are all the tires the same size and model(example is Goodyear 205/55/R16)

[@ivanvalverde1155]

Thanks for Your time Gary Ferraro, I just bought this car two weeks ago, and the owner told me that was because He used a bad oil quality or just never checked or changed. Shame, this is my dreams car and I have to fix it step by step. I live in Costa Rica and these cars are not common here. The tires are all new205/ 70/15. Junk yards have no cars like this, the parts come from USA or Canada. The pinion has 9 and the crown has 40, so 40/9: 4.44 sure?

[@mannyman874]

Must be nice to be able to do all 4 tires at once

[@VenturiLife]

Is the AWD recommended rotation, cross front to back or same side front to back?

[@GaryFerraro]

Front to back

[@dorianleclair7390]

It's only the automatics were you can turn off all wheel drive

[@GaryFerraro]

I am honestly not sure. Good question. Never had a manual transmission bind on turns

[@Christosan88]

is the vid from 98?

[@GaryFerraro]

no

[@WerRet-bo2lw]

Спасибо хоть узнал как вал снимать и коробку неразбирать кроме дифа и хвостовика.

[@Metalluger1]

Hello sir. I have a problem and don't know what is that. Subaru Forester 2006 automatic. When pressing gas pedal after 30-40 km/h there becomes a continious quiet knock sound from the front diff. The faster you drive- the faster it knocks. Also there is a pulsation feeled only by hand on the gear selector. When gas pedal is not pressed there are no sounds at all. The car drives normally. It happened during travel. I drove more than 500 km with this sound. The oil level is normal (maybe even higher). I changed internal CV joints (they were dead) and it didn't help. Maybe you could help? Thanks

[@GaryFerraro]

If the noise goes away when you release the gas, may be an issue in the diff, how are the tires on your car? all the same brand and size?

[@Metalluger1]

@@GaryFerraro yes, they are all the same.

[@jackmehoff1565]

I thought my 5 am was early I go to bed at 8 I'd have to be asleep by 6 to be on job at 4 in the morning do you own your own shop.

[@GaryFerraro]

Yes, the shop has been in my family for 49 years, my dad passed 4 years ago then i took over, when i did that i decided to go back on the bench and do the all the rebuilding, i go to sleep at 9 and depending how busy it is im up between 3 and 4, by the end of the week im like a zombie(lol) i do go in saturday for 4-5 hours then i sleep most of the day

[@jasonkidd9736]

Where is that fuse????

[@GaryFerraro]

under the hood, look for a cover that says FWD

[@eddieortiz3rdeo]

Hi Mr Ferraro, I have a question for you. I have a 2006 Suburu Outback and when I drive it I hear a real bad clunk when driving, does that mean I have a broken front differential?

[@GaryFerraro]

Do you hear this while turning?

[@eddieortiz3rdeo]

@@GaryFerraro no sir I hear this constantly while I'm driving ..just clunk clunk clunk until I press the brakes. Put it on four jack stands and 3 wheels spin and the drive side front does nothing. Still hear the noise coming from the front differential.

[@GaryFerraro]

@@eddieortiz3rdeo Have y checke the oil in the diff?

[@eddieortiz3rdeo]

@@GaryFerraro I have not checked it....I noticed that there is a leak through the transaxle seals the oil looks greyish like there is metal shavings in the oil

[@GaryFerraro]

@@eddieortiz3rdeo Thats not good, you have all the same tires? Model and size

[@ronnieboucherthecrystalcraftsm]

it is all no good = the metal has gone everywhere = get a good 2nd hand unit .

[@GaryFerraro]

Actually just replaced diff, diff uses 80 90 grease, trans uses dextron oil, the grease did not enter the trans

[@ronnieboucherthecrystalcraftsm]

@@GaryFerraro very lucky good job and thank you - my gt forester was a tow car rear bearings and seal must be replaced !