Hi guys,

Need some help and advice please if possible before I find a water filled quarry stick a brick on the accelerator and let my Impreza dive into it.

So I bought my 06 Hawkeye WRX about a year ago now, and I have loved it. it's pushing around 280bhp or a little more, I bought it from a dealer in Manchester and I know it's had some engine work done to it, like being remapped etc.
In October last year it developed a clunk in every gear (it's a 5 speed) and at a cost of £2400 and 2 months wait for parts to be shipped from Subaru Japan, I had all the bearings and stuff replaced, everything apart form the gears themselves.
At this point I didn't mind because I had a stage 2 clutch fitted as well.
I don't drive the car like a tosser, I like having the power especially for over taking on the motorway or if going up hill its not a struggle and I adore the noise from the decat exhaust!
However, then right at the end of January this year, I was approaching a roundabout and down shifted from 4th to 3rd and the gears gave way with a mighty thud, I could get 1st, 2nd, 5th and reverse but there was also a rattle.
Initially I was quite optimistic as when I fully pressed the clutch the noise went and I thought it might have been the release bearing, that or the work I had done was covered by a warranty so would have been a free repair.
Alas, no, I had ruined the 3rd gear and also sheared 3 teeth off 4th gear. The synchro and synchro (spelling?) hub and some other stuff.
Pretty much everything that had not been replaced the first time needed to be replaced costing me a further £1800.
So now the car is again repaired and I'm picking it up tomorrow, but what I'm curious to know is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening again? I know I could fit a 6 speed box but after forking out £3200 I'm a little reluctant to do that just yet.
Should I be looking to change the map on the car? or is there something else I can do as preventative maintenance.
The garage that rebuilt the gearbox suggested changing to a rally transmission, well in no certain terms I told them where they could put their transmission lol!
It was probably good advice, but I don't rag the car, its my DD and I use it for work too.
Ive heard these 5 speeds can give way and I dont want to bang on about it being a chocolate box or glass box about as Ive heard of car that go beyond the 300bhp and are fine, just seems to suck that I'm not +300 and I'm having these issues.

Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks

Steve

 

Problem is too many people use the gearbox to help slow down, an Impreza gearbox just cant take it,
Ive had loads of cars where this hasnt been an issue in the past, but not on one of these,
I know it doesnt help you much now, but Id find a cheap 2nd hand box and throw that in.

 

£2400! Who is repairing your stock 5speed for that kind of money!

 

The Hawkeye wrx box is supposed to be stronger than the other wrx boxes. I've got about 320bhp going through mine with issues (touch wood) at 120k miles. I have also been quoted a little over £2k for the 6 speed conversion should I opt for more bhp. Shop around before you go with the 6 speed.

I would consider going through the small claims court to recover your money for your new box.

Good luck

 

Someone on here was selling strengthening plates for the 5 speed, I don't know how effective they are but maybe worth a shot.

A six speed is the best way.

 

£3200 for a pair of 5-speed boxes - Wow! They are about £300 secondhand.

 

Sounds to me like you need to find somewhere else to do your repair work. I knew of three WRX's running in excess of 330bhp on 5 speed boxes, one a bug, a blob, and the other a hawkeye. Two of them have been sold on in the past couple of years but they all had many thousands of miles at those power levels and were driven 'normally' which includes engine braking through the transmission and they never had any issues with the gearbox. And the blob and hawk were both used on track days and on the strip.
Sure they aren't as strong as a 6 speed, but they are better than a lot give them credit for.
It isn't beyond the realms of possibility that your driving style can contribute to a premature failure, but to suggest you should treat your gearbox as if it's made of chocolate and not use it for normal speed reduction is nonsense in my view - and potentially dangerous.
And BTW your power output makes very little difference to the effect on the box when slowing down.

 

£2400 holy sheet, someones well and truley had yer pants down.

Hawk wrx box's are alot stronger than other 5 speeds, will easily run 400/400. The caveat is depends how ham fisted you are. Doesn't mater what box it is, even 6 speed, batter it and it will fail.

 

could the gears have been weakened on the first failure/ previous owner?
I damaged a 3rd gear when a clutch broke up at Santa Pod, I replaced the clutch and all seemed fine but six months later 3rd went under no pressure negotiating a roundabout.
Trev

 

I feel for you mate but £2400 for the original rebuild! You could have had a 6 speed for that. Also as said a second hand 5 speed is relatively cheap. I went through 4 at 400bhp but would have thought you power would have been ok as long as it's not getting abused

 

Dry!

 

I would also go the 2nd hand route

 

Just an echo here really... Hawk 5speed ... supposedly good for 400bhp... £4200 for repairs... Spit roast dry humped by a donkey and his handler

That's like 8 2nd hand 5 speeds or 2 6speeds and change.

 

WOW. You've certainly kept a "specialist" in business with your 5 speed problems. Gutted for you. As said above, they took your trousers down, oiled you up and went deep! Good work!


My 06 hawk WRX was running 334/381 most of it's life on the original 5 speed box. finally traded it in with 72k miles on still running perfect and still on original clutch.

 

There was no oil involved, sounds like the gearbox didn't have any either.

 

There was certainly no 'oiling' or warming up, I'm afraid to say. This was a dry, cold bumming - the very worst kind!

 

He's certainly paid enough for lube!

 

 

sweet baby jesus, talk about brace yerself we're coming in dry.

Now we have that out the way, i ran a hawk wrx box at 400/420 for 18 months and 14k miles with no issues at all. Still on the origional box from the factory with about 60k on it at the start. 350 should be fine unless your your changing it like your in f&f.

 

I think its pot luck really. My hawk wrx is 350/350 and it **** 5th gear on the M1 when I accelerated from 60 to around 85mph. No clutch dip for any reason lol it just let go. As with anything that breaks on a car, I believe it should up upgraded wherever possible.

 

I don't think the OP gives a toss about any advice he might receive, he hasn't been on since the first post.
Probably having a little trouble sitting at the keyboard right now

 

True, he did take a heavy length from the "specialist" mwahahahaha

 

His eyes are probably still watering so much that he's struggling to see the screen.

 

You lot are brutal.

Mind you it just shows you how some people get robbed blind, we've heard about this one... how many others must there be that have their pants pulled down like this???

You'd have thought the first @$$ raping would have been enough to make his knees tremble... but the 2nd time is just gluten for punishment, I bet the garage couldn't believe their luck.... like being at school and it's treacle sponge and custard for pudding... then the dinner lady says there's some left who wants it..... ooh ooh seconds, yummy... yes please.

Talk about filling yer boots.