When I am travelling in fourth gear and I want to drop it into third, to overtake/accelerate or when braking into a corner, the gearchange is quite obstructive, and sometimes crunches or just wont let me in!

This happens when the engine speed is fairly high, so for example i am travelling in 4th at 3500rpm, and by dropping into 3rd the revs will rise to say 4500rpm.

Is this the synchro (i don't know much about this) or the gear selector? Am i looking at a new box and big bucks??

 

I had similar problems changing from 4 to 5. I put it down to poorer synchromesh on earlier cars (94WRX). After a few months the gearbox developed a bad whining. However suprisingly not a new box required but just one bearing. New bearing and v-good gear box oil now it is sound. Hope this helps a little.
Cheers
Steve

 

blip,

You need to 'blip' the throttle! Double-de-clutch or heel and toe to match engine speed to revs in the lower gear.

 

Steve,
How much did it cost to replace the bearing? Mine's been whineing for a while now

Iain.

 

My P1 does the same whines, and changing from 4th to 5th under heavy load, the damn thing crunches every time, but only when doing about 100mph (found this out on the track of course).

[Edited by Paul_G - 3/27/2002 8:19:38 PM]

 

99MY year gearboxes (UK) had problems with the synchro cones. One of the symptoms shown was a crunching between gears which was highlighted if the vehicle had been run for a considerable period of time i.e. hot and /or long journeys.
This fault would not necessarily show up if the car was subjected to little use or short journeys.
Any box taken in under warranty now have modified synchro cones fitted to cure the fault.

A

 

Change the Oil fot Castrol Syntrax (cost about £40).
It sorted my Synchro's out and saved me having the box rebuilt.
As I'm sure Gearbox firm wouldn't of just returned the car stating "it was just the oil mate".....

 

Scott is right. Syntrax cured my 4th to 5th crunching completly. Fully synthetic oil made it worse!
JohnD

 

Thanks for the advice I'll try using a different oil and see if it helps at all. Otherwise I'll just have to improve my heel'n'toe technique ;-)

 

Dyney
The bearing cost £45. But obviously labour costs can be quite steep, if you are unable to do it yourself.
Shell make a gearbox oil designed only for Subaru's and it is the dogs. This is what I now have running in my box.
Hope this helps
Steve