Junkyard rear diff swap for my Subie?

"NaturallyAspirated" (NaturallyAspirated) 07/24/2014 at 13:24 • Filed to: Subaru, differential, R160

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The rear diff in my '98 Subaru Legacy Outback 5MT has started making the noise that diffs make when they are getting tired, which makes sense given it has 220,000 miles on it. The front and center diffs are fine since they are integrated into the transmission, which has been rebuilt fairly recently.

One of the local junkyards has a 2003 Outback H6, which according to my research should have the same 4.11 ratio as my car, and also has a VLSD to boot. IIRC this yard charges around $80 for a diff.

I'm really tempted to grab this diff and swap it into my car, but I'm a little leery of putting a used part of unknown condition into my car... Any advice Oppos?

dogisbadob > NaturallyAspirated 07/24/2014 at 13:26

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welded diff bro :p

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > NaturallyAspirated 07/24/2014 at 13:30

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$80 doesn't seem like too much of a gamble. Does the yard know how many miles the vehicle had on it before it was stripped off? Worst case couldn't you swap diff's and then if the yard one isnt any better just rebuild your original?

JGrabowMSt > NaturallyAspirated 07/24/2014 at 13:33

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I put like 10k on a junkyard 5spd manual for the neon before finding out the throwout bearing was bad. Could have fixed it, but my dad decided to put in a new unit instead. Double the cost, but oh well, live and learn.

Get it, worst case, rebuild it.

Takuro Spirit > NaturallyAspirated 07/24/2014 at 13:34

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Looks a tad long to me... might need a shorter driveshaft too.

Mounts differently as well, but the four holes look to be maybe in the right place?

NaturallyAspirated > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! 07/24/2014 at 13:34

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This particular yard is just starting to embrace technology; until recently they couldn't even tell me what cars they had out. I'd have to go there and check the odometer to see how many miles the car has.

That's actually a good point about having a spare diff to have rebuilt.

NaturallyAspirated > Takuro Spirit 07/24/2014 at 13:36

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The pic is a random Internet picture of an R160, maybe from a Datsun?

HammerheadFistpunch > NaturallyAspirated 07/24/2014 at 13:59

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FYI, the center diff for the 5mt is not in the trans.

Make sure you are changing out your center diff gear oil in the transfer case.

MonkeePuzzle > NaturallyAspirated 07/24/2014 at 15:49

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$80? seems worth the risk. Take it home, clean it up, pop off the cover and look for obvious damage, replace the oil and check it all spins right. Unless it locks up its unlikely to break anything else on your car

brenin77 > HammerheadFistpunch 07/24/2014 at 18:54

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The Centre and front diff of a Subaru 5 speed are all part of the transmission assembly, only the automatics are seperate

HammerheadFistpunch > brenin77 07/24/2014 at 19:31

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nope. (that was my Trans) it's in the transfer case