Transmission VIN and parts ID 'education'

[aquillen]

My transmission does indeed have the VIN on it. Next, the Subaru parts sites can require a lot of fiddling to get you to the right parts, and having the VIN can make a difference in what you find - read on:

There are a couple threads at least discussing transmission VIN or lack thereof. I haven't see every post, but a lot and had yet to see mention of a VIN on the trans. I inherited this manual from an 2000 with known damage to the center diff - who cares - it comes off anyway. But just felt the need to look inside. Sure enough when the diff imploded the driver must have kept going, and goodies migrated forward = some grindings here and there to clean and remove. Happily it cleaned up well. Bearings and stuff smooth and nice, even bone dry no oil yet. But oh-oh, a loose bit went through the ring/pinion and galled a tooth on each. It would work (for a while) and play a song no doubt while spinning. So would I get another trans or replace these parts? The rest of the box is in such good shape I'm going for the parts - deal with the known seems better than rolling the dice again. The case and axle bearings show no visible indication that it was stretched or damaged when it scrunched the visitor so I'm going for it.

So still thinking no VIN info, (and I had cleaned the exterior for who knows how long, as well as handled the case every which way during tear down without seeing it) I just had the Trans part to go on instead - TY754VCACA. On all the various factory Subaru based parts sites, that brings me to the same year/model after some digging around, and it jived with what the guy said that I got this from. And that always seemed to break down eventually to a 3.90 ring/pinion set. Local Subi dealer wanted the VIN and we'll I've no clue since it was passed around before I got it, so he stressed that 25% restock if I'm all wrong. On the side - I kind of wanted a 3.90 anyway for this EZ30D I've got waiting.

So what I'm saying is - any way I tried to id the parts from the TY754VCACA and I always came up 3.90 and the parts for that. By happenstance I found the VIN sitting there all along in plain sight - just a bit hard to notice. And when I use it to pull up the parts on Subaru parts sites, bingo = it still is the same vehicle info but lo and behold it maps out to a 4.11 - how about that! I'm going to order the 3.90 set, but the point is you can dig and dig on the subui WEB parts tools, then still come up with different info if you have more to go on. And another long story I'll skip was around matching up an 02' LL Bean Transmission Control Module, which I need for some hacking around between it and my 02' ECM which I'm hoping to make work still. Need them both to do comm testing and such to keep the ECM happy - that part number is also a chase worthy of a complete story here someday, just like this trans.

Here is the VIN hiding place - you can miss it so easy as it is not prominent at all. I bet JDM stuff won't have this.

http://res.cloudinary.com/aq007/image/upload/v1500504227/tranny_vin_1_sns91f.jpg

http://res.cloudinary.com/aq007/image/upload/v1500504282/tranny_vin_2_ag8prn.jpg

[phil1734]

It's actually a very prominent location, and mine, (like many others I bet) is 100% blank.

[ssssly]

Interesting. First time I have ever seen anything actually stamped there.

They are always blank.

[aquillen]

Ya I was being a bit facetious about it not being obvious. But my photo makes it look a lot more prominent than it is. It doesn't pop out at you. Then again the oval plate area is obvious so go figure how non-observant I can be sometimes (yikes). The key to my story is you end up getting access to some different (better) info on the Subie parts sites if you can cough up the VIN, so trying to get that VIN with major parts when you can is a good idea. I didn't do whole donor - but scrounging for parts can be fun if you like that sort of thing.

At one time I used to believe the VIN was mandatory in the USA on some major vehicle components, like the trans. Gave up on that somewhere along the way. I started to look it up (rules), but not worth the time. 'tis what it is.

[ssssly]

Is always a good idea to keep the VIN from the donor and a bill of sale. You need it to register kit cars in most states.

You also technically need it to import engines and transmission from overseas. I however have never had a problem just putting either the engine or transmission code in the spot for the VIN on the customs form. Never tried on a kit car registration form.

And for Subaru at least, if you are replacing engine or transmission parts, it is way better to go off the code on the engine or transmission rather than the VIN. Around model year switch outs, Subaru is prone to play mix and match with what engines and transmissions they happen to have laying around. I have seen many one owner Suabrus that technically have the wrong engine or transmission for the VIN.

[Sgt.Gator]

According to the Rallispec Transmission ID chart it shows it's a 4.11. You can download the chart from my post in the Sticky at the top of the forum: http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?9909-THE-Transmission-Thread-2-0-Now-with-Pictures&p=165859&viewfull=1#post165859