Removal & Installation - A/t: Other Subaru Forester SF

1998 Forester

1. Open hood fully. Disconnect negative battery cable. Remove air intake duct, chamber and chamber bracket. Disconnect front oxygen sensor and rear oxygen sensor (California vehicles) connectors. Disconnect transmission ground terminal connector. Disconnect vehicle speed sensor and all transmission harnesses from transaxle.
2. Remove connectors and bolt on upper side and nut on lower side of starter. Remove starter from transaxle. Remove torque rod and bracket. Install appropriate engine support assembly. Remove torque converter service hole plug. Remove torque converter-to-drive plate bolts by rotating engine to bring bolts to service plug hole.
3. Remove transmission and differential dipsticks. Remove bolt holding right upper side of transmission to engine. Raise and support vehicle. Remove nuts retaining front exhaust pipes onto engine. Remove center exhaust pipe from rear exhaust pipe and remove bolt retaining center exhaust pipe to hanger bracket. Remove heatshield of rear exhaust pipe.
4. Remove transaxle and front differential drain plugs and drain fluids. Disconnect ATF cooler hoses from pipes of transmission side. Remove drive shaft-to-companion flange bolts of rear differential. Remove bolts holding center bearing to body. Remove drive shaft from transmission. Plug opening in transmission after removal of drive shaft.
5. Remove selector cable from selector lever assembly. Remove selector cable bracket from body. Remove ball joint of lower arm from knuckle arm of housing. Remove stabilizer link from bracket. Remove spring pin holding axle shaft into front differential drive shaft. Remove axle shaft from transmission.
6. Remove nuts holding lower side of transmission to engine. Support transmission with transmission jack. Remove bolts securing rear crossmember to body. Ensure torque converter stays with transmission, pull transmission away from engine and remove transmission from vehicle.

1997-98 Impreza

1. Fully open hood. Disconnect battery. Remove air intake duct. Disconnect transmission harness connectors and front oxygen sensor and rear oxygen sensor connectors (on California vehicles). Disconnect vehicle speed sensor. Remove starter.
2. Remove service plug on transaxle bellhousing and unbolt torque converter from drive plate. Remove transaxle dipstick. Remove harness connector mounting bracket. Remove torque rod and replace with appropriate engine support bracket. Remove upper transaxle bellhousing bolts.
3. Raise and support vehicle. Remove exhaust "Y" pipe assembly and rear exhaust assembly. Remove front differential drain plug and transaxle drain plug. Once fluid is drained, reinstall drain plugs. Disconnect transaxle cooling hoses. Reference mark drive shaft and differential companion flange for reassembly. Disconnect drive shaft from differential companion flange.
4. Unbolt drive shaft center support bracket and remove drive shaft. Place yoke plug in transaxle. Disconnect shift selector cable and bracket. Unbolt stabilizer mounting brackets from crossmember. Unbolt and separate ball joints from lower control arms.
5. Using punch pin and hammer, remove roll pins from inner CV joints at transaxle. Discard roll pins. Disconnect axles from transaxle. Remove remaining bellhousing mounting bolts. Support transaxle with appropriate jack and remove rear crossmember. Move transaxle and torque converter as an assembly away from engine and remove.

1997-98 Legacy

1. Disconnect negative battery cable. Remove air intake duct. Disconnect front oxygen sensor and rear oxygen sensor connectors (on California vehicles), transmission harness connector, transmission ground terminal and vehicle speed sensor. Raise and support vehicle. Disconnect speedometer cable and vacuum hoses from transaxle.
2. Remove torque strut. In place of torque strut, install appropriate engine support. Remove starter harness and starter. Remove timing hole plug and 4 drive plate-to-converter bolts.
3. Raise and support vehicle. Disconnect front exhaust pipe from engine, leaving one nut in place to temporarily hold exhaust pipe. Disconnect front-to-rear exhaust pipe connection. Remove front exhaust pipe. Disconnect rear oxygen sensor connector.
4. Drain transaxle fluid. Remove rear drive shaft and rear exhaust pipe. Remove hanger bracket from right side of transmission. On all models, disconnect shift linkage from transaxle. Disconnect stabilizer bar and parking brake cables from lower control arms.
5. Remove bolts attaching lower control arms to crossmember. Drop lower control arms. Remove roll pins and separate both axles from transaxle. Discard roll pins.
6. Remove engine-to-transaxle mounting bolts. Disconnect and plug ATF cooler hoses. Place jack under transaxle. Remove rear transaxle mounting nuts and rear crossmember. Pull transaxle away from engine and lower from vehicle.

1. Open hood fully. Disconnect negative battery cable. Remove throttle body cover and air intake boot. Remove torque rod and bracket. Install appropriate engine support assembly. Disconnect transmission air vent hoses from torque rod bracket and remove bracket from transmission case.
2. Disconnect PCV valve hose and hose from crankcase to collector. Disconnect transmission harness connectors. Disconnect transmission ground terminal connector. Disconnect vehicle speed sensor from transaxle. Disconnect left and right oxygen sensors.
3. Raise and support vehicle. Remove lower starter nut. Lower vehicle. Disconnect starter wiring. Remove starter. Remove torque converter service hole plug. Remove torque converter-to-drive plate bolts. Rotate engine to bring bolts to service plug hole. Remove bolts holding right upper side of transmission to engine. Remove transmission and differential dipsticks.
4. Raise vehicle and remove engine undercover. Remove oxygen sensor harness from clip. Remove front exhaust pipes and rear catalyst converter. Remove front exhaust cover.
5. Remove drive shaft-to-companion flange bolts of rear differential. Remove bolts holding center bearing to body. Remove drive shaft from transmission. Plug opening in transmission after removal of drive shaft. Remove selector cable from selector lever assembly. Remove selector cable bracket from body.
6. Remove ball joint of lower arm from knuckle arm of housing. Remove stabilizer link from bracket. Remove brake hose and ABS sensor harness from starter bracket. Remove spring pin holding axle shaft into front differential drive shaft. Remove axle shaft from transmission.
7. Disconnect ATF cooler hoses from pipes and transmission side. Remove nuts holding lower side of transmission to engine. Support transmission with transmission jack. Remove bolts securing rear crossmember to body. Ensure torque converter stays with transmission, pull transmission away from engine and remove transmission from vehicle.

All Models

To install transaxle, reverse removal procedure. Always use NEW roll pins when installing axle shafts. Tighten bolts to specification. See TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS table.