DRIVE TRAIN

Transaxle Assembly

REMOVAL & INSTALLATION

Manual

Exploded view of the transaxle mounting — Impreza models

Before servicing the vehicle, refer to the precautions in the beginning of this section.
Remove or disconnect the following:
- Negative battery cable
- Air intake duct and cleaner case
- Air cleaner stay, if equipped
- Front Oxygen sensor (O2S) connector
- Neutral position switch connector
- Back-up light switch connector
- Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS) connector, if equipped
- Clutch cable, if equipped
- Clutch release spring
- Starter
- Pitching stopper
- Drive belt cover
- Slave (operating) cylinder, on 2.5L engines
Install engine support assembly 927670000.
Remove or disconnect the following:
- Bolt securing the right upper side of the transaxle to the engine
- Engine under cover, if equipped
- Rear O2S sensor connector
- Front Y-pipe
- Rear exhaust pipe and muffler, on Legacy models
- Heat shield cover
- Hanger bracket from the right side of the transaxle
- Driveshaft
- Spring, and disconnect the shifter stay and rod from the transaxle
- Bolts securing the sway bar clamps to the crossmember
- Ball joints from the steering knuckle
- Halfshafts from the transaxle
- 2 nuts securing the lower side of the transaxle to the engine
Support the transaxle with a jack.
Remove or disconnect the following:
- Rear transaxle crossmember
- Transaxle from the vehicle. Move the jack rearward until the mainshaft is withdrawn from the clutch cover
To install:
Install or connect the following:
- Transaxle assembly and secure to the engine block
- Crossmember
On Legacy models, tighten the crossmember retainers to the following specifications:
1. Step 1: T1 to 40–62 ft. lbs. (54–84 Nm).
2. Step 2: T2 to 87–115 ft. lbs. (117–157 Nm).
On 1997 Impreza models, tighten the crossmember retainers to the following specifications:
1. Step 1: T1 to 17–19 ft. lbs. (23–26 Nm).
2. Step 2: T2 to 20–34 ft. lbs. (27–47 Nm).
3. Step 3: T3 to 40–62 ft. lbs. (54–84 Nm).
On 1998-01 Impreza models, tighten the crossmember retainers to the following specifications:
1. Step 1: T1 to 40–62 ft. lbs. (54–84 Nm).
2. Step 2: T2 to 87–115 ft. lbs. (117–157 Nm).
Remove the transmission jack.
Install or connect the following:
- Nuts securing the lower portion of the engine to the transaxle and tighten to 40 ft. lbs. (54 Nm)
- Bolt securing the right upper side of the transaxle to the engine and tighten it to 40 ft. lbs. (54 Nm)
Remove the engine support.
Install or connect the following:
- Drive belt cover
- Slave (operating) cylinder, on 2.5L engines
Install the pitching stopper and tighten the bolts to the following specifications:
1. Step 1: T1 to 33–40 ft. lbs. (44–54 Nm).
2. Step 2: T2 to 35–49 ft. lbs. (47–67 Nm).
Install or connect the following:
- Halfshafts into the transaxle with new roll pins
- Ball joint to the steering knuckle and tighten the bolt to 29–43 ft. lbs. (39–59 Nm)
- Sway bar to the crossmember and tighten the clamp bolts to 15–21 ft. lbs. (21–29 Nm)
- Shift control rod and stay to the transaxle and install the spring
- Driveshaft
- Heat shield cover, if removed
- Rear exhaust pipe and muffler, if removed
- Y-pipe with new gaskets and nuts
- Hanger bracket on the right side of the transaxle, if removed
- Rear O2S sensor connector
- Engine under cover, if removed
- Transaxle connectors bracket
- Drive belt cover
- Pitching stopper
- Starter
- Front O2S sensor connector
- VSS connector, if equipped
- Neutral position switch connector
- Back-up light switch connector
- Clutch cable (if equipped)
- Clutch release spring
- Air cleaner case stay and case
- Air intake duct and attach the airflow sensor connector
- Negative battery cable

Automatic

Exploded view of the engine and transaxle mounts — Impreza and Legacy models

Exploded view of the engine and transaxle mount assembly — SVX model

Before servicing the vehicle, refer to the precautions in the beginning of this section.
Remove or disconnect the following:
- Negative battery cable
- Air intake duct with air cleaner case
- Air cleaner case stay
- Speedometer cable or electronic wiring connector from the speed sensor
- Front Oxygen sensor (O2S) connector
- Transaxle harness connector
- Inhibitor switch connector
- Revolution sensor connector
- Transaxle ground terminal
- Clip band that secures the air breather hose to the pitching stopper
- Starter and air intake boot
- Timing hole inspection plug
- 4 bolts that hold the torque converter to the driveplate
- Automatic Transaxle Fluid (ATF) level gauge
- Pitching stopper rod from the bracket
- Engine-to-transaxle mounting nut and bolt on the right side
- Buffer rod
Support the engine assembly with special engine support tool.
Remove or disconnect the following:
- Exhaust system
- Exhaust brackets or hangers that attach to the transaxle, as necessary
Drain the transmission fluid.
Remove or disconnect the following:
- ATF cooler hoses from the pipes of the transmission side
- ATF level gauge guide
NOTE: Matchmark the installed position of the driveshaft before removal.
- Driveshaft. Plug the opening at the rear of extension housing to prevent oil from flowing out.
- Gearshift cable from the transaxle select lever
- Stabilizer from the transverse link
- Parking brake cable bracket from the transverse link
- Transverse link bolts and lower the link
- Spring pins
- Halfshafts from the transaxle
NOTE: Discard the old spring pin and always install a new pin.
- Oil cooler hoses
Place transaxle jack under the transaxle.
Remove or disconnect the following:
- Engine to transaxle mounting nuts
NOTE: Do not place the jack under the oil pan otherwise the oil pan may be damaged.
- Rear cushion rubber mounting nuts and the rear crossmember
Move the torque converter and transaxle as a unit away from the engine and lower it from the vehicle.
To install:
Install or connect the following:
- Transaxle to the engine and temporarily tighten the engine-to-transaxle mounting nuts
- Rear crossmember to the rear cushion rubber mounts. Align the rear cushion guide with the rear crossmember guide hole and tighten nuts.
- Rear crossmember to the chassis. Tighten the rear crossmember bolts to 39–49 ft. lbs. (53–66 Nm).
- Engine to transaxle retaining nuts to 34–40 ft. lbs. (46–54 Nm)
Remove the transaxle jack from the vehicle.
Remove the engine support tool and install the buffer rod.
Remove or disconnect the following:
- Axle shafts to the transaxle using new spring pins
- Transverse link temporarily to the front crossmember. Do not complete final torque at this point.
- Stabilizer temporarily to the transverse link
- Parking brake cable bracket to the transverse link
- Transverse link-to-front crossmember mounting bolts and transverse link-to-stabilizer mounting bolts, with the tires placed on the ground
- Transverse link to front crossmember (self-locking nuts) to 40–62 ft. lbs. (54–84 Nm) and the transverse link to stabilizer to 18–32 ft. lbs. (24–44 Nm).
- Gearshift cable to the select lever. Be sure the lever operates smoothly all across the operating range.
- Driveshaft. Tighten the driveshaft-to-rear differential retaining bolts to 17–24 ft. lbs. (23–33 Nm) and center bearing location retaining bolts to 25–33 ft. lbs. (34–45 Nm).
- Oil cooler hoses
- Engine to transaxle bolts to 34–40 ft. lbs. (46–54 Nm)
- Starter
- Pitching stopper. Be sure to tighten the bolt for the body side first. Tightening torque for the body side bolt is 35–49 ft. lbs. (47–67 Nm). The engine or transaxle side bolt is torque to 33–40 ft. lbs. (44–54 Nm).
- Torque converter-to-driveplate mounting bolts to 17–20 ft. lbs. (23–27 Nm)
- ATF level gauge guide
- ATF cooler hoses to the pipes of the transmission side
- Timing hole inspection plug, air intake boot and air breather hose to the pitching stopper
- O2S sensor connector.
- Transaxle harness connector
- Inhibitor switch connector
- Revolution sensor connector, if equipped
- Transaxle ground terminal, on Legacy models
- Speedometer cable. Tighten the cable nut by hand, then turn it approximately 30 degrees more with a tool.
- Exhaust system and exhaust brackets or hangers that attach to the transaxle, as necessary
- Air cleaner case stay
- Air intake duct with air cleaner case
- Battery ground cable
Refill and check transaxle oil level.
Road test the vehicle for proper operation across all operating ranges.