Subarugears issues

Hi all,


My bay is due in soon for a Subaru conversion, I’ve just been informed Subarugears are no longer being used by the installer due to failures.

-Is anyone using the Subarugears setup? If so what’s your feedback please


- I’ve tried to Google, but only picking up old threads on various forums. Nothing recent


Any information would be much appreciated

 

Fellows are going to install, I was a little confused as I could still see them offering the product

 

Thanks I’ll get in touch

 

I have a 3 rib box, can this be uprated for a taller 4th?

Or would I need a later unit?

 

thank you

 

I think Nick might convert the gearboxes for Fellowes, but I’m on the Subarugears Facebook group too, and failures seem rare, the boxes are used in a lot of hard motorsport events particularly in Australia, so have been well tested.

 

I had heard only good things about them. Mine will be will be used daily, Not raced/thrashed

 

Yes, they sent mine off to bears for this to be done.

 

How does it drive?
How many miles have you put on?
Are you 2.0 or 2.5?

 

2.0
Not sure how many miles it was a few years back
drives fine but occasionally wonder if I should have gone for the subarugears

glad I had it done.

 

Thanks for the feedback, I did have my heart set on the 5 speed. I’ve spoken to Nick, he mentioned only 2 failures he knew of in the last few years.

I’ll have to make a decision quite soon

 

As Doug says, the Subaru box matches the engines power delivery so work as they were designed.
Quite often on the T3/T2 a re-gear is involved, especially if the customer is running non standard tyres or an early 002 box. Not so straightforward, although possible on a bay but the advantage of the bus 6 rib is that it already starts with an ideal final drive ratio.

Subaru gears are simple enough to self instal if you're reasonably competent. It involves splitting the case, clearancing some unwanted alloy and flipping and setting the diff backlash with a little bit of plastic supplied in the kit.

There's a bit more to it than that if you want to change bearings etc but quite fulfilling to DIY.

Issues occur because some of the Subaru donors are now over 20 years old and have high mileages themselves. To my knowledge at least there's nothing intrinsically wrong with Subaru gears themselves. Nothing lasts forever. People blame the gears and the supplier rather than their own reluctance to have old stuff renewed. You can see a shiny engine in the back, the box is a crappy old bit of alloy that few consider.

There are plenty of T3 scooby conversions that use the later 091/1 and 094 VW boxes, and T2 conversions that run 091 6 ribs.

They need work as well but work they do when sorted. In fact I've a job in the week after next where the fitment of a 2.5 Scooby has highlighted existing age related weakness in the 4 speed 091/1 box. It can be fixed.

That's why there are very few 6 rib bay boxes around as they are absolutely the strongest box for the drag racers and off roader buggy crew. Hence the cost of unknown 2nd hand ones hovering in the high 100s.

I watched @pkrboo take the grinder to his scooby gearbox..

 

What do Subarugears actually do to the gearbox?
Do they just modify the input so that the bulk of the gear train rotates the opposite way?