looking for 97 impreza rear differential

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Iboc_C64

Iboc_C64

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Hi guys. I have a friend with a 97 OBS. his rear differential seems to be bad. The car drives like its hauling a semi trailor and its makes terrible racket when it warms up. Like its chewing itself up. Anyone got one for a decent price?

 
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Yeah we need to know auto or manual, as they are different gear ratios. I will have a manual Impreza rear diff in a few weeks if you are interested

 
I seriously don't know the details. Its a basic 97 impreza outback sport, with a 2.2L and a 5 speed transmission. It makes noise after it warms up, but to me it just plain seems to drive like a little car hauling a big load. When you don't give it power, it will stop on its own, maybe even if your going down hill. You have to give it probably 2 to 3 times as much power as I would expect to get it rolling and keep it rolling. Its not in great shape, but if its cheap enough, he may consider fixing it rather than buying a newer car. Im not so sure its worth it. It has some good rust holes above the wheel wells and its all rust blistered around the windshield. Its also missing the lower half of the front bumper. The engine purrs like a kitten though. The noise seems to cleary come from the rear. At first it sounded like rocks hitting a heat shield, but with a rythm to it and it sounded like it was comming from under the rear end or hub caps. Now it does things like makes noises when going straight or turning but worse when turning. It sounds similar to the way my grand am use to sound when I stripped several teeth off of the gears in the differential. It doesn't sound like the CV shafts I use to brake in my old GL-10 Turbo Loyale.

 
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before tearing into rear diff, make sure it's not just toasted rear wheel bearings...they will make a grumbling sound, louder when turning, and def make the car work harder if they are really bad.

have a couple of 3.9 ratio subie diffs in basement parts pile. PM me for pricing

 
My brother's 2001 2.5RS has a bed rear wheel bearing that he still has not fixed yet. It doesn't sound the same. This OBS sounds like it's missing gear teeth to me. I have not driven it much, but if I remember right, he said the wheel seem to jump. Like they have power, then none, then power, then none. His mechanic told him he needed a new differential and some kind of clutch plate kit for the differential. I told him its too old to worry about replacing internal parts in the Diff, just swap out the diff with a used one and call it good. I figured that the rear end could not be that much work, we took one out of my GL-10 a long time ago to replace the gas tank.

By the way, how do I determine the gear ratio on the Diff?

 
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Iboc_C64 said:
My brother's 2001 2.5RS has a bed rear wheel bearing that he still has not fixed yet. It doesn't sound the same. This OBS sounds like it's missing gear teeth to me. I have not driven it much, but if I remember right, he said the wheel seem to jump. Like they have power, then none, then power, then none. His mechanic told him he needed a new differential and some kind of clutch plate kit for the differential. I told him its too old to worry about replacing internal parts in the Diff, just swap out the diff with a used one and call it good. I figured that the rear end could not be that much work, we took one out of my GL-10 a long time ago to replace the gas tank.

By the way, how do I determine the gear ratio on the Diff?
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check for factory code sticker on gearbox (on flange near where starter bolts on), then consult this chart: http://www.northursalia.com/techdocs/trannychart/trannychart.html

if wheel bearins are really bad enough to make that grumbly noise, the hubs will run hot, too hot to touch...so check that.

ditto for rear diff, a bad one runs hot, so check it after a half-hour of road time.

sounds like the mechanic is talking more about center diff, most stock suby rear diffs (non RS or non WRX) don't have clutch packs.

good luck sussing things out, sounds like y'all are going to need it

 
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The bad part is, this is my cousin and her boyfriend. Her boyfriends car is the OBS, she has a 2001 Legacy GT. Her cars auto transmission is acting up too, her car rolls in park and shifts funny on hills. I don't know what they are going to do if they both stop working, they both live 20 to 30 minutes from work.

 
have a similar problem with my 99 impreza, seems to be eating rear diffs like their candy. breakdown of my ordeal.... bought the car as a 99 TS auto. blew the transmission, bought a rotten 99 impreza wagon 5spd for $300, exelent deal considering the motor was rebuilt, pulled the motor transmission rear diff and wiring harness, dropped it all into my sedan,  changed all the fluids,  drove the car for 2 or 3 weeks, chewed out the rear diff.... ok i can understand the first 1...... car had sat for a few years before i bought it..... bud rebuilt the motor then parked it a month later cause the car rotted out...... so sure gear not moving rusted up a little..... swaped the diff out for one out of a 98 impreza wagon 5spd, and here i am 2-3 weeks later, diff chewed out again... i have a 99 forester but have no idea what the gear ratio is, cause i have noticed that its a 1st gen trasmission and a 2nd gen motor. 4 bolts for transmission, block can take 8, from what i've read everywhere the gear ratios for both donor cars are 3.9, all the other diffs i have seem like they should be 4.11 and i'd raisin myself to find out the forester had 4.44

 
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