Transmission angle for dipstick

[coloskydiver]

What angle does the 5 speed trans need to be at to make sure I am getting an accurate reading from the dipstick?

[Hindsight]

That's actually a good question. However, the approach most are taking is to fill the transmission with the known required quantity, then look at it in the car at the angle the transmission sits in the 818 and make a new mark on the dip-stick accordingly. I just used a dremel cutoff wheel to put a little notch in the side of the dipstick where the new level is. It's quite high.

[coloskydiver]

That's actually a good question. However, the approach most are taking is to fill the transmission with the known required quantity, then look at it in the car at the angle the transmission sits in the 818 and make a new mark on the dip-stick accordingly. I just used a dremel cutoff wheel to put a little notch in the side of the dipstick where the new level is. It's quite high.

Thanks for the response but I am looking for a bit more direction. I had a shop replace my axle seals and have a feeling that they filled it to the line of the dipstick. I have a good feeling it is low because I gave them some fluid to refill it and more trans fluid was returned than I was expecting. The car is in upholstery right now and haven't has a chance to look what the dipstick reads yet.

When I had the transmission rebuilt the builder notified me that there were only a few threads on the drain plug and had to seal it with some RTV so I can't really drain it and refill it plus I would be worried that there would still be fluid in the trans even when drained. I was hoping to find out what angle the trans sits at so I can jack it up and utilize the dipstick to ensure it is filled to the proper level and then would mark it. I should have done it from the beginning but missed that step. Any help would be appreciated.

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Hi Skydiver,
I've never seen where they tell you the angle of the transmission in a car.
The just say put the car on level ground, let it cool, and check the trans level with the dip stick.


From experience I have notice that the bottom shaft in manual transmission (centerline) is the same height as the oil. Subaru may be different.

Since the top transmission shaft and the crank shaft form a straight line. Raise the nose of the 818 until the harmonic balancer and the original tail shaft are the same height from the ground. Then check your oil.

Personally, I don't like the slope in the transmission. So I run and extra quart to make sure 5th gear gets enough lubrication.
That is the gear I will be in on long high way trips.

One more note. The center diff housing holds about a quart. This does not get filled up if you don't raise the 818 during initial filling. But it may fill up during heavy acceleration or going up hills. When it does. It leaves the front of the trans with a lower oil level.
Bob

[AZPete]

Hindsight, could you measure where your mark is on the dip stick, please?

[Hindsight]

My mark is 2.5" up from the bottom of the dipstick.

[AZPete]

Thanks, I'll mark my dipstick.

[coloskydiver]

Wow!! That is more than I expected. Is that sitting on the level ground or the front end jacked up and is that with the trans fully warmed up or cold?

Thank you for measuring and just for clarification what year trans?

[Hindsight]

Cold, car on level ground. I have only driven the car one mile.... am not sure if/how more driving will or won't affect the fluid level at the dip stick but I don't see how it could. I am 99% sure the fluid has nothing stopping it from draining down to the lowest part of the trans. That's where the only drain plug is anyway.

Mine is a 2007.

More info on my thinking:

There are three chambers within the transmission: Front diff, 1st - 4th gears, and center diff+ 5th gear. You can see a hole at the bottom (circled in red) in the pic below in the bulkhead between the rear-most chamber and the middle chamber, so any fluid is going to quickly flow out to level. You can't see it in the pic and I don't remember 100% for sure when I had the transmission apart, but I'm almost positive there is a similar hole in that forward bulkhead as well.

http://i.imgur.com/TulFgM2h.jpg (http://imgur.com/TulFgM2)

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Hindsight
There is bulkhead between the 5th gear set and the center diff. This picture doesn't show a passage in the bottom.

Just a reminder to everyone. Remove the bearing and races form the rear transmission housing. Or they might end up rattling around or worse.
Bob

50967

[Hindsight]

Ah yes, you are right. I wonder how oil gets back there..... it looks like there may be a hole but it's all the way up top? It doesn't have a drain hole on the bottom like the other chambers do.

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Ah yes, you are right. I wonder how oil gets back there..... it looks like there may be a hole but it's all the way up top? It doesn't have a drain hole on the bottom like the other chambers do.

The oil gets slung onto the roof of the 5th gear housing. There is a little plastic catcher the oil drips into and make it run to the center diff and to inside the top shaft. I presume the oil goes to the top bearings.

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=50966&d=1409170522


Bob

[Hindsight]

Ahhh yeah, I remember seeing that now but didn't really understand the purpose until you explained it. Clever!

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Ahhh yeah, I remember seeing that now but didn't really understand the purpose until you explained it. Clever!

Another clever thing. Oil gets slung off the center diff into a hole that lubes the shift shaft.
Since we don't have a center diff, no new lubrication to the shift shaft.
I greased my shift shaft.

50968
Bob

[Hindsight]

Yeah I do remember seeing you post about that early last year sometime so I greased mine as well. Thanks for that info.

[fletch]

Another clever thing. Oil gets slung off the center diff into a hole that lubes the shift shaft.
Since we don't have a center diff, no new lubrication to the shift shaft.
I greased my shift shaft.

50968
Bob

Hi Bob,
Thread resurrection here. We could use some guidance on greasing the shifter.

Also would like more info on whether it's important to block the center diff housing. There's no lower drain hole in our 5MT connecting the center diff housing to the 5th/reverse section. There is a drain port in the upper right area when viewed from the rear, but no way for oil to get there since there are no rotating gears in the rear diff housing any more.
Thanks.

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Hi Bob,
Thread resurrection here. We could use some guidance on greasing the shifter.

Also would like more info on whether it's important to block the center diff housing. There's no lower drain hole in our 5MT connecting the center diff housing to the 5th/reverse section. There is a drain port in the upper right area when viewed from the rear, but no way for oil to get there since there are no rotating gears in the rear diff housing any more.
Thanks.

Going from memory here. On the lower right of the center diff housing there is a path for oil to drain back to the 5th gear section. You can't see through it. Use a flash light in the dark.

I used red sticky wheel bearing grease on my shift shaft.

I blocked off my big bearing hole because i didn't want oil spray in my diff housing. might leak out my side shifter.
Subiegears makes an expensive part for this.

http://www.subarugears.com/ About 20 parts from the top. They want $100. WOW

[fletch]

50968


I must be misunderstanding something. When I look at that pic, I don't see a drain in the bottom right, or anywhere on the bottom. Maybe you're talking about the bulkhead in front of this one that we can see? Regardless, when oil gets back in this section it's never going to come out again unless we crack open the FFR block off plate and it may starve the rest of the gears in the front of the transmission. It sounds like there are two or maybe three approaches here:
1) block off the center diff section with one of those pricey Subiegears plates, and block the upper right port (I presume this is where the oil slung from the gears in the forward section comes through to the center diff section).
2) fill to the recommended volume 3.7-3.8 L. Or maybe fill to that volume plus 1 L?
3) build a "shelf" in the center diff section so any oil that gets back there flows via gravity to the forward sections through the existing opening ~1" above the center diff housing floor. (I think Art mentioned this. I wonder if he ever did it.)

I'd rather not take the transmission apart further, but it does look like if the center diff housing were removed, it wouldn't be too difficult to drill a hole through the visible bulkhead at the 6 o'clock position to allow gravity drain to the forward part. Has anyone done this?

Here's a pic of our transmission which looks exactly like the one you attached, at least to my eyes, other than being 90 degrees out of phase LOL.
128938

Second line of discussion... shifter shaft.
How did you go about greasing it? I assume you disassembled the transmission more than we have. I'd rather not take it apart any further because I don't have any experience with transmissions and don't have any special tools (not sure if there are any needed.) Does anyone know if there's a way to grease the shifter shaft without further disassembly?

I guess I'd appreciate anybody's insights here. Am I overthinking this?

[Bob_n_Cincy]

I must be misunderstanding something. When I look at that pic, I don't see a drain in the bottom right, or anywhere on the bottom. Maybe you're talking about the bulkhead in front of this one that we can see? Regardless, when oil gets back in this section it's never going to come out again unless we crack open the FFR block off plate and it may starve the rest of the gears in the front of the transmission. It sounds like there are two or maybe three approaches here:
1) block off the center diff section with one of those pricey Subiegears plates, and block the upper right port (I presume this is where the oil slung from the gears in the forward section comes through to the center diff section).
2) fill to the recommended volume 3.7-3.8 L. Or maybe fill to that volume plus 1 L?
3) build a "shelf" in the center diff section so any oil that gets back there flows via gravity to the forward sections through the existing opening ~1" above the center diff housing floor. (I think Art mentioned this. I wonder if he ever did it.)

I'd rather not take the transmission apart further, but it does look like if the center diff housing were removed, it wouldn't be too difficult to drill a hole through the visible bulkhead at the 6 o'clock position to allow gravity drain to the forward part. Has anyone done this?

Here's a pic of our transmission which looks exactly like the one you attached, at least to my eyes, other than being 90 degrees out of phase LOL.
128938

Second line of discussion... shifter shaft.
How did you go about greasing it? I assume you disassembled the transmission more than we have. I'd rather not take it apart any further because I don't have any experience with transmissions and don't have any special tools (not sure if there are any needed.) Does anyone know if there's a way to grease the shifter shaft without further disassembly?

I guess I'd appreciate anybody's insights here. Am I overthinking this?


The hole inside accesses the shaft between it's 2 bearings. See arrow.128939

Sorry. An easier solution is to remove the neutral switch to access the shaft.

[fletch]

I got impatient. :rolleyes:

There was no harm in removing the center diff housing and it was no trouble to drill a drain hole to connect the center diff section to the 5th/reverse section. In fact, it was so easy I drilled two!
Here's a look at what remains when the center diff housing is off.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=128947&d=1590367803
And here are the two holes.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=128945&d=1590367577
The smaller hole was a goof and actually connects the center diff section to outside the housing! :( A major screw-up. If you're thinking of drilling your transmission, do it from the front-ward side of the housing.
Here's the finished product with J-B Weld repair.
https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=128948&d=1590367827
In the end, this isn't as great a solution as I would have liked, but it's better than it was before by a fair amount, in my opinion.

Edit: Sorry for the enormous post. I'm pictorially impaired on this forum.

[Pearldrummer7]

awesome thread revival. Thanks for the neutral switch tip to grease the shift shaft.

I see Subarugears also makes a bolt on sightglass for checking level. I guess if you got used to where that is with the angle of our transmissions, you could use that pretty readily.