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Subaru Legacy/Outback Oil and Other Fluid Questions

48 messages,  Last post on Oct 13, 2011 at 2:39 AM

You are in the Subaru Legacy & Outback Forum.

What is this discussion about? Subaru Legacy, Subaru Outback, Fuel System, Oil, Fuel Efficiency (MPG), Sedan, Wagon

Messages Page 4 of 5

#29 of 48 mileage wont be saved but... by jsantz

Dec 11, 2008 (1:39 pm)

you'll save time and maintenance

#30 of 48 Center Diff. Oil by 97legacygt

Oct 15, 2009 (4:09 pm)

I have a 1997 subaru legacy and I know what kind of gear oil my center differential needs but how much does it take?

#31 of 48 Re: Center Diff. Oil [97legacygt] by xwesx

Oct 15, 2009 (5:29 pm)

Replying to: 97legacygt (Oct 15, 2009 4:09 pm)
Take a look here, and put in your vehicle information. It will give you information about all your vehicle's fluids; capacities are listed near the bottom.

#32 of 48 Re: Center Diff. Oil [xwesx] by ateixeira

Oct 16, 2009 (8:16 am)

Replying to: xwesx (Oct 15, 2009 5:29 pm)
Says 1.7 pints, FWIW.
 
Do this - remove the top bolt FIRST, that's critical, because if you can't remove it and you drain the fluid by removing the bottom bolt only, you'll never be able to fill it with fluid again.
 
Remove the bottom bolt 2nd, drain the oil in an oil drain pan.
 
Replace the bottom bolt, and use a hand pump to add oil in the top hole. The stuff is thick so be ready for a little bit of work here, especially if it's cold.
 
Basically buy one quart and top it off. When it begins to spill, it's full. Wipe it clean.
 
Replace the top bolt, voila, you're done.
 
Now go shower because your wife will hate the smell of gear oil cologne.

#33 of 48 Oil Pump by ateixeira

Oct 16, 2009 (8:18 am)

I bought one that looks sort of like this at the local Pep Boys:
 

#34 of 48 Re: Center Diff. Oil [ateixeira] by xwesx

Oct 16, 2009 (9:43 am)

Replying to: ateixeira (Oct 16, 2009 8:16 am)
Do this - remove the top bolt FIRST, that's critical, because if you can't remove it and you drain the fluid by removing the bottom bolt only, you'll never be able to fill it with fluid again.
  
Remove the bottom bolt 2nd, drain the oil in an oil drain pan.
  
Replace the bottom bolt, and use a hand pump to add oil in the top hole. The stuff is thick so be ready for a little bit of work here, especially if it's cold.
  
Basically buy one quart and top it off. When it begins to spill, it's full. Wipe it clean.
  
Replace the top bolt, voila, you're done.
 
This is for the rear differential. For the front/center, there should be a dipstick, and the fluid is filled there. There is a drain in the bottom that now uses a T70 Torx fitting, though a T60 works fine, too (T70 can be tough to find!). I am not sure if the Torx was being used on your model year, but the drain plug should be pretty easy to find - between the oil pan plug and the transmission pan plug (if yours is an automatic).

#35 of 48 Re: Center Diff. Oil [xwesx] by ateixeira

Oct 16, 2009 (11:10 am)

Replying to: xwesx (Oct 16, 2009 9:43 am)
Whoops, misread that, my bad.
 
Yeah, look for a yellow dipstick. Not easy to find, though.
 
For that instead of the pump use a funnel with a long tube attached to it.
 
It'll take far more than just one quart, also.
 
The drain plug is a flat nut at the bottom of the transmission casing, IIRC I want to say it's a 17mm? Maybe bigger.

#36 of 48 Re: Center Diff. Oil [ateixeira] by xwesx

Oct 16, 2009 (11:50 am)

Replying to: ateixeira (Oct 16, 2009 11:10 am)
That sounds about right. I know many late '90s and early '00s had issues with incompetent shops messing up the oil changes by draining differentials and overfilling engines. That may be the reason a Torx is used now. The engine oil pan's nut is 17mm.
 
I use the pump to fill my front/center differentials as well. I have a long-neck funnel, but it is tough to access that opening, especially on newer models. When I put the synthetic 75w-90 in my 2010 Forester a couple weeks ago, there is no way I could have accessed the port with a funnel. I had to pump a gallon of gear lube by hand. Well, i think it was something like 7.9 pints, so almost a gallon, but that is for a manual transmission, so I would think the differential only needs about half of that. I'm just being lazy and not using my own link to look up the info for the OP.

#37 of 48 Re: Center Diff. Oil [xwesx] by ateixeira

Oct 16, 2009 (12:21 pm)

Replying to: xwesx (Oct 16, 2009 11:50 am)
LOL
 
I used a funnel with a long plastic tube. That tube ran down to the dip stick, which is also the fill hole for gear oil on the manual trans.

#38 of 48 Re: Center Diff. Oil [ateixeira] by paisan

Oct 18, 2009 (8:31 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Oct 16, 2009 12:21 pm)
First of all there is NO fluid that is user serviceable on the CENTER DIFFY on a Subaru.
 
If this is an Automatic you have Front Diffy, Rear Diffy and the Automatic Trans Fluids.
 
If this is a MT, then you have Front Diffy combined with the Manual Trans Fluid and the Rear Diffy.
 
Front Diffy on an AT takes less than 1 Quart, Rear takes about 1 Quart.
Front Diffy + Manual Trans on an MT takes 3 Quarts, Rear takes about 1 Quart.
 
Filling the Front Diffy on the AT is a Dipstick (the side will depend if it's a Turbo or a Non Turbo).
Filling the Automatic Trans Fluid is a Dipstick (the side will depend if it's a Turbo or not)
Rear Diffy on AT or MT is upper bolt on the casing itself.
 
-mike
Subaru Guru and Track Instructor

Messages Page 4 of 5

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