Author Topic: Subaru Gear oil...  (Read 2794 times)

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Offline Cbxj

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Subaru Gear oil...
« on: January 04, 2017, 11:10:55 am »
So I know I'm running a huge risk at sparking up a "this gear oil/combo is best" war,  but here are my observations:

Over the break we changed the rear diff oil and transmission oil on 3 of the 4 family Subaru's (so much for plans, I had hoped to do all 4, but ran out of time).
Here's Daughter 2's car in mid change.


All 3 of the cars had unknown gear oil in them, and while not OVERLY stinky, most of the transmissions were darker than the Subaru stuff, and surprisingly in one car (not the jdm) the gear oil turned purple as soon as it contacted spray nine when cleaning up the drain pan.

Observations.

1) The car pictured above had a small issue down shifting to 4th (crunch) if you did not rev match and/or take your time. After the gear oil change, that problem is gone - I tried it, and my daughter, who daily drives it, confirmed this. (this car has light fly wheel, light pulley, 6 puck clutch, all group N mounts, so any "issue" is magnified 10X).

2) The 2004 wrx (mostly stock) was seemingly shifting and sounding fine prior to the change, BUT after it is noticeably smoother up and down shifting (especially downshifting).

3) And this is the big one: On my JDM leggy gt-b, ever since I got it the LSD has not liked turning on bare pavement, and since I started parking in the parkade at work (like 8 pretty tight 180 degree turns to get down to my parking level) the problem was really bothering me as you could hear the rear end "winding up" and then "releasing"  when the tire slipped, you could hear it and feel it anytime you had to make a slow speed tighter turn on pavement.
I changed the rear diff oil once a while ago with some CDN tire synth stuff I had laying around, and it made no change. BUT!, Now after the rear diff oil change to the Subaru stuff the "binding" is gone... & the LSD is still working just fine, it will spin both rears when "requested" or get tail happy when you get on the throttle in the slippery stuff.

I was a bit hesitant to drop 300 or so dollars on a bucket of gear oil, but I'm really, really happy and impressed with the results in all three cars,,, I'll add the results of wifeies LGT when I get that done in a week or so.
Centaur had a sale  on the buckets just before Christmas, not sure if its still on.



Offline HiTempguy

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Re: Subaru Gear oil...
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2017, 02:03:00 pm »
Thanks for the headsup, I run the stock stuff in the rally car but none of the dealerships up here seem able to get it for some reason.

Offline honz

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Re: Subaru Gear oil...
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2017, 03:03:43 pm »
Extra-S is magical, magical fluid.

Are you using the Subaru LSD gear oil from the blue tin in the rear diffs, or Extra-S all around?
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Offline Cbxj

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Re: Subaru Gear oil...
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2017, 03:13:40 pm »
Just the extra S all around... (from the bucket in the pic)

Offline jellynuts

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Re: Subaru Gear oil...
« Reply #4 on: January 04, 2017, 03:21:29 pm »
Thanks for sharing! I don't think it was a declaration of oil war. It's good to see other people's experiences, and three cars at once is quite a bit of data!
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Offline Vancouver98STi

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Re: Subaru Gear oil...
« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2017, 02:08:23 pm »

On my JDM leggy gt-b, ever since I got it the LSD has not liked turning on bare pavement... I changed the rear diff oil once a while ago with some CDN tire synth stuff I had laying around, and it made no change. BUT!, Now after the rear diff oil change to the Subaru stuff the "binding" is gone... & the LSD is still working just fine

It's my understanding that differential oil with friction modifiers is required for LSD units with clutch plates, but it's not required with the Suretrac units. I don't know which LSD your car has, but it took me awhile to confirm that the rear differential in my '98 JDM STi has a Suretrac unit in it... which just requires regular gear oil. I suspect your car must be different.


this car has light fly wheel, light pulley...

Not to send this thread off in a totally different direction... but I thought it was taboo to have both a light flywheel and a light pulley installed at the same time. Something about the CEL coming on while idling?

Offline LilDrunkenSmurf

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Re: Subaru Gear oil...
« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2017, 02:14:10 pm »
The clutch plates were like... 04-06 IIRC? or 05+? I vaguely remember like a single GD STi didn't have it. It's been a while.
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Offline Cbxj

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Re: Subaru Gear oil...
« Reply #7 on: January 05, 2017, 05:11:24 pm »
It's my understanding that differential oil with friction modifiers is required for LSD units with clutch plates, but it's not required with the Suretrac units. I don't know which LSD your car has, but it took me awhile to confirm that the rear differential in my '98 JDM STi has a Suretrac unit in it... which just requires regular gear oil. I suspect your car must be different.
 cbxj--yes it must be, as it seems very happy with what i just put in..... time may tell another story

Not to send this thread off in a totally different direction... but I thought it was taboo to have both a light flywheel and a light pulley installed at the same time. Something about the CEL coming on while idling?
cbxj--yes true- this combo was done by the PO, but it does not throw anything but the odd 457- and we keep chasing that. Its a touchy set up to master pulling away smoothly, and it would not be the way i would do it.

Offline GrantC

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Re: Subaru Gear oil...
« Reply #8 on: January 05, 2017, 06:24:41 pm »
Thanks for the review!  I'd love to try Extra-S, but seeing how I'm only servicing _one_ Subaru it's a bit harder to swallow the cost/quantity you need to purchase it in.



The clutch plates were like... 04-06 IIRC? or 05+? I vaguely remember like a single GD STi didn't have it. It's been a while.

Suretrac rear diff was 04 STi
Clutch type rear diff was 05-06 STi
Helical rear diff was 07+

Only 05/06 needs the friction modifiers of the magic LSD fluid, but they all need that weight.


Offline Vancouver98STi

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Re: Subaru Gear oil...
« Reply #9 on: January 05, 2017, 07:14:28 pm »
this combo was done by the PO, but it does not throw anything but the odd 457...

I'm a newb with Subarus ;)... what's does code 457 signify?

Suretrac rear diff was 04 STi

Just for clarification, the Suretrac LSD also appears to have been used with the v4 STi cars... as stated Here.

Quote
1997.08 : Impreza WRX & Impreza WRX STi 4 [ Type E ]
The latest Impreza WRX update has only minor changes. The Impreza WRX series features Subaru's SURETRAC rear LSD. (except Type-RA STi and Type-R STi).
Horsepower 250PS/6000rpm torque 31.2kg-m/4000rpm (wagon)
Horsepower 280PS/6500rpm torque 36.0kg-m/4000rpm (WRX STi version).

Offline GrantC

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Re: Subaru Gear oil...
« Reply #10 on: January 05, 2017, 07:26:02 pm »
I'm a newb with Subarus ;)... what's does code 457 signify?

Nothing Lightweight flywheel related, that's for sure.

https://www.google.com/search?q=P0457

Just for clarification, the Suretrac LSD also appears to have been used with the v4 STi cars... as stated Here.

Fair enough, was just tidying up LDS' information re: GD STi.

Offline kold911

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Re: Subaru Gear oil...
« Reply #11 on: January 28, 2017, 04:44:51 pm »
Just a heads up centuar Subaru has it for $275/bucket right now.
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Offline Cbxj

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Re: Subaru Gear oil...
« Reply #12 on: February 07, 2017, 02:51:33 pm »
Just a heads up centuar Subaru has it for $275/bucket right now.
Perfect!, well for the record, I finally put wifie's LGT back on the road and it shifts fine... not better, not worse, than before the change... maybe it had the Subaru Extra goodness in it before?.. I dunno.
Also for the record a bucket will do.. Quantity 4- 5 speeds transmissions, and Quantity 4 rear diffs, and well over a liter to spare... as well as some to spill on the ground for good measure..
And you get a very nice metal bucket to keep to put your used motor oil in.