[Fischbeef]

Hey guys,

With some forsight on my 130k car i was thinking about upgrading the 4EAT to a beefier model. I dont want to put a shift kit in or have it rebuilt but i was wondering about the 4EAT's out of the WRX, since they are built for more power then i will ever make. would they be able to be swapped in without a single mod? Also I heard some JDM trannies have sport shifting options and g sensors to lock the converter.

Just throwing the idea out there for the future as i am well versed in the manual trans interchange from experience with my wrx but the autos are still foggy for me.

For reference I have a 2001 Forester S Premium and the 4spd auto.

I do not want to swap in a 5spd as i drive this in traffic everyday and dont wanna deal with that.

Thanks in advance,

Paul

 

[adc]

The 4EAT handled the Turbo engine so I assume its good to go. I am not aware that the tranny was any different.

OK..now I see you are looking at replacing it once it goes?? If you have been changing the atf periodically it should still be OK. But hopefully you will get the info you are looking for.

 

[Fischbeef]

Well, it has followed the subaru maintenence schedule all its life. I bought it from a family friend recently so this is my first suby auto.

The shifts are very sluggish and it doesnt like going into first when i come to a stop, it feels as if it takes off in second.

I dont beat it but once in a while i have to hammer it to merge etc and it seems like it doesnt know what to do. At some points it will downshift and has quite a surprising bit of power for the NA and then other times it falls on its face. i just wish it was consistent so that i know what to expect. Are there any shifting modules that are known to go bad? I will be changing the atf fluid and filter this weekend (i love the external filter, makes it so much cleaner to change) so maybe some fresh fluid will clean up the clutch disks.

Thanks,

Paul

 

[funkymonkey1002]

Yours has the older style 4eat. 04+ XT models and newer NA models got the direct control 4eat. The baja got the 4eat with sportshift. Older turbo models got the same 4eat as nonturbo models, with possibly a different final drive ratio in the diffs.

You're pretty much stuck with what you have, but luckily the old style 4eat is more moddable (the newer direct control doesn't have shift kits, manual controllers, or valve body modifications available).

You might want to contact IPT as they're really the only ones who performance modify the 4EAT.

The 4eat really has no issues holding decent amounts of power.

 

[heysuperman]

Yours has the older style 4eat. 04+ XT models and newer NA models got the direct control 4eat. The baja got the 4eat with sportshift. Older turbo models got the same 4eat as nonturbo models, with possibly a different final drive ratio in the diffs.

You're pretty much stuck with what you have, but luckily the old style 4eat is more moddable (the newer direct control doesn't have shift kits, manual controllers, or valve body modifications available).

You might want to contact IPT as they're really the only ones who performance modify the 4EAT.

The 4eat really has no issues holding decent amounts of power.

don't mean to hijack this thread but i have a 04 XT and was thinking about going with IPT to upgrade internals, valve body and torque converter. are you saying that the new 4eat can't use their upgrades?

 

[vintage42]

... I will be changing the atf fluid and filter this weekend (i love the external filter, makes it so much cleaner to change) so maybe some fresh fluid will clean up the clutch disks... l

Fresh fluid itself does not clean anything, aside from diluting the dirty old fluid.

And a drain and refill only changes the four quarts of ATF that comes out when you remove the plug from the sump. Six quarts of old ATF is still trapped in the converter and valve bodies, as are any deposits and debris. It is not likely that such a "change" will actually change anything.

After 130,000 miles, with sluggish upshifting and delayed downshifting, the transmission should be given a flush.

Flushing is the only way to clean the torque converter, valve body, filter screen, cooler vanes and other parts. It dissolves and removes harmful deposits from throughout the transmission, and exchanges all of the old oxidized ATF for new fluid.

The flushing equipment uses hoses from and to the transmission, injects the old ATF with a solvent/dispersant cleaner then replaces that with new ATF. The circulation of the cleaner and ATF through the transmission and flushing equipment is done by the running engine to use the transmission's own pump.

CORRECTION: I misunderstood the BG Co. process. If cleaning is desired, the bottle of cleaner must be added before the flush. The transmission then pumps it out with the old fluid. Nothing is circulated in the flush. The BG unit has two chambers. As the old fluid is pumped into one chamber, it pushes the new fluid out of the other chamber and into the transmission. Technically it is a replacement, not a flush.

If your changing 4 quarts of fluid does not solve the problems, a $150 flush is well-worth trying before the cost of a mechanical repair. However, you will have spent $30 on those 4 quarts to find out whether they helped or not.

 

[FPT_RAIDER]

if the transmission has never been flushed, its not the best idea to flush it now, with 130k on it,smart shops wont touch it,to do the flush now will flush out deposits, and change the clutch clearances, which can take a transmission that was working ( just not at its best) and turn it into a transmission that is barely working, just my 2 cents

 

[vintage42]

if the transmission has never been flushed, its not the best idea to flush it now, with 130k on it,smart shops wont touch it,to do the flush now will flush out deposits, and change the clutch clearances, which can take a transmission that was working ( just not at its best) and turn it into a transmission that is barely working, just my 2 cents

There is a risk in flushing for the first time at 130K.

On One Hand: Transmission Flush Benefits
Flushing automatic transmission fluid on a regular basis ensures that your transmission remains reliable for years to come. If you follow the manufacturer's transmission service guidelines, fluid should be flushed every 30,000 to 60,000 miles. This will keep your warranty intact and clean fluid lubricating the transmission.
On the Other: Transmission Flush Dangers
If regular transmission flushing has not been completed on a car, a one-off transmission flush at high mileage can cause sludge in the transmission to break loose, which can render the transmission and torque converter damaged or inoperable.
Bottom Line
If you have a vehicle with less than 100,000 miles, regular transmission flushes can keep the transmission well-lubricated for many years. In the case of a high mileage vehicle, a transmission flush can cause more harm than it is worth, with the inexpensive flush ultimately costing thousands of dollars in transmission repairs. In this sense, the value and appropriateness of a transmission flush is situational, depending on the maintenance history and mileage of your vehicle.
Is automatic transmission flushing good? | Answerbag

But if the transmission is not upshifting and downshifting properly, it might be worth trying a flush before spending the money on mechanical repairs.

 

[Tremo]

The 4EAT on my wife's 02 shifts just fine. I recently did a 3 cycle drain/refill on the thing and replaced the spin on filter. No problems.

 

[funkymonkey1002]

don't mean to hijack this thread but i have a 04 XT and was thinking about going with IPT to upgrade internals, valve body and torque converter. are you saying that the new 4eat can't use their upgrades?

There is no valve body mod for it (they have a "resistor mod" but it doesn't really do much). They can upgrade the internals and replace the tc with a higher stall one though.

 

[SpotTheDogg]

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