B4 RSK rear diff needs Subaru LSD oil?

[DerFahrer]

I have a 2000 BE5 Legacy B4 RSK, 5MT, that I got about a month ago, and I changed all the gear oil (transmission and rear diff) to Motul 300 75W90 about two weeks ago. I estimate I've put about 300-400kms on it since.

I recently noticed a nasty scraping/dragging noise that only happens when I go in reverse and gets worse when I push the clutch in and roll backwards. I hear no strange noises in any forward gears. I don't recall whether I ever heard the noise when I first got the car.

I'm extremely fearful that I may have damaged something by using the wrong gear oil, and have parked it until I figure out what's going on. Do B4 RSKs require the Subaru LSD oil like the STis? Or have I perhaps put the wrong oil in the transmission too?

[DerFahrer]

I made a video so you can hear the sound:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X2PW3Y2iY4

[rougeben83]

If its a viscous type LSD, it still uses the same gear oil as the gear box (75w90). The USDM STI's came with plate-type lsd's which benefit from having a friction modifier in the oil.

[ouch1011]

That sounds very much like the transmission and not the diff. Does that noise go away if you take it out of reverse while still rolling backwards?

I don't know what LSD comes in the B4, but if it is a Viscous LSD, then no friction modifier is needed. Friction modifier is only to keep clutched LSDs from having the clutches chatter or bind around corners, wouldn't have any effect on traveling straight. The only Subarus I know of that came with CLSDs are STIs.

Keep in mind that some synthetic gear oils are very thin, despite having the "correct" viscosity. I don't have any experience with Motul lubricants (altough I've heard of them a lot). But it isn't unusual to get more gear noise from the synthetic oils because they are thinner. That isn't necessarily a bad thing as far as the life of the gear box is concerned...just annoying.

[legacyB4RSK]

How did you manage to import an RSK into the States, here in Canada the rule is 15 MYs

[DarkPhoenix]

How did you manage to import an RSK into the States, here in Canada the rule is 15 MYs

That is my question. Here in the US it's 25 years.

[mike-tracy]

To get a car like that back, you get someone stationed in Japan to have the military ship it back when they redeploy to the States. Airgne says there's a list of "authorized" JDM cars than be brought back.

But here's DF's thread of how he got the car: http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=44647

[Yamazaki]

To get a car like that back, you get someone stationed in Japan to have the military ship it back when they redeploy to the States. Airgne says there's a list of "authorized" JDM cars than be brought back.

But here's DF's thread of how he got the car: http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=44647
Speaking as somebody who's going through this legally and using a professional importer who's been in the business for over 25 years.... You can't do it with a regular B4.
It's not on the authorized list, it doesn't qualify as a collector/show car, and it won't pass emissions. However it got there, it wasn't legal.
I'm having a hell of a time with the EPA with a car that fewer than 300 were made...

[legacyB4RSK]

I guess he joined an exclusive club. Other than mine , probably not many B4s or in my case look a likes in North America .


Here der fahrer, the legal version

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2009/08/IMG_0010-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2011/01/IMG_3407-1.jpg

[Huffer]

^^ but your car isn't a genuine RSK, it's a swap/replica.

That thread over on legacycentral.com doesn't even mention how it was "done". I smell an April Fools prank.

[legacyB4RSK]

Of course , hence the term "look a like".