1998 Legacy Outback tranny swap 4EAT to 5MT

[98OBW]

I dunno, I find it much easier to make a diagram than attempt to explain how something works. Guess it comes from being IT and attempting to explain stuff to people that shouldn't be using computers, hah. Screenshots, screenshots and arrows everywhere!

But seriously, I can usually troubleshoot PCBs down to component level when using wiring diagrams, but attempting to make a wiring diagram to understand what's going on in this thread just gave me a headache.

[SubaGlue]

Yeah sorry for the large number of confusing posts. It barely even makes sense to me.

But in better news.... I got the ABS to work finally! I simply unbolted the circuitry on the ABS pump itself. I didnt take the pump. I swapped it with one from a manual transmission car. All is well. Light is out and I tested it to make sure.

[nikolaus.conrad]

Yeah sorry for the large number of confusing posts. It barely even makes sense to me.

But in better news.... I got the ABS to work finally! I simply unbolted the circuitry on the ABS pump itself. I didnt take the pump. I swapped it with one from a manual transmission car. All is well. Light is out and I tested it to make sure.

You beat me to having a dual sunroof wagon with a 5 speed :smt010


lol great work!!

[98OBW]

I was going to swap out the pump, but since I used an ECM/5MT from a '96 and installed it all in a '97 the wiring and pump are different so I didn't bother (the '96 has a different style pump and has the ABS computer under the dash next to the glove box).

I wonder if the answer is to steal a pump off a 97+ 5MT-equipped car. I do hate the ABS on my wagon...

[harrymaneuvers]

Yeah sorry for the large number of confusing posts. It barely even makes sense to me.

But in better news.... I got the ABS to work finally! I simply unbolted the circuitry on the ABS pump itself. I didnt take the pump. I swapped it with one from a manual transmission car. All is well. Light is out and I tested it to make sure.

Can you please elaborate on what you mean?!?! What exactly did you swap?

You kept your OEM pump in the car and just replaced the ABS Module that is under the dash?

Or did you unbolt something from the pump itself?

Pictures would help a ton.

[98OBW]

You kept your OEM pump in the car and just replaced the ABS Module that is under the dash?

Or did you unbolt something from the pump itself?

97+ have the ABS computer in the pump itself, not under the dash like 96 and older. It's a completely different pump between the two.

[harrymaneuvers]

So then you remove the module from the pump itself and install the module from a Manual of the same year?

Pics!!!

[98OBW]

I'm going to look into this when I get home tonight, wonder if the whole ABS pump needs to be swapped and the system re-bled or if it's simpler than that.

[SubaGlue]

I didnt take one from my year specifically. I just found a manual legacy. This is the pic. I unbolted that black bit and swapped it over. This is a pic from my other car but it looks exactly the same. That way the junkyard doesnt charge for a whole ABS pump, they just see some piece of circuitry.

[SubaGlue]

Stupid photobucket. Picture fixed.

[harrymaneuvers]

Just to clarify:


1. Your car does NOT have the TCU plugged in whatsoever.
2. You didnt re-wire ANYTHING to get the ABS to work
3. You simply unbolted/unplugged the Black circuitry box shown in the picture above and bolted/plugged in one from a MT
4. Your ABS now functions perfectly normal with no illuminated light (unless you slam on your brakes hard enough to activate the ABS)


Thanks for your help!

[SubaGlue]

Yes all four of those statements are correct. I tested it on some gravel to make sure that it works. I also have no remaining CELs besides the EGR which is not trans swap related. I recently discovered metal shavings in the oil from the engine that is currently in it. I have another engine that has EGR on it that I know works, so at some point in the next month or two I *should* be getting rid of all of my CELs in order to pass inspection.

Unrelated, but unfortunately my exhaust rusted through just behind the cat and separated into two. So I can't drive it until I can find someone willing to weld...... at least it sounds good! I didnt know a 4 cyl could be so loud.

[SubaGlue]

I fixed the EGR issue! found a model year 1998 (the body was actually stamped 11/97, but I guess it was close enough) ECU from a 2.2 legacy in the junkyard. It doesnt matter if it is auto or manual. This one happened to be auto with EGR. But because they made the 2.2 AT with EGR, and the 2.2 MT without EGR, the AT/MT identifier pin is what triggers the computer to look for EGR or not. I had tried this previously with an ECU out of a 2.5 outback, but it still threw the code. So all phase I 2.5s had EGR, whereas the 2.2 was AT/MT specific.


I was able to pass inspection, and there are currently no lights on in the instrument cluster! It looks naked because it's been so long since all of the lights were out because the car is functioning properly... I now deem this swap 100% complete in my eyes, even though I do not have cruise control functioning. But I didn't even try, nor do I want to try to get it hooked up.

[98OBW]

Yeah when I did my swap I used the 2.2/5MT ECM from the donor car since I swapped in the 2.2/5MT from it. Only snag I ran into doing this was I needed to completely disconnect the TCU and I also had to wire in a resistor for the Fuel Temp Sensor circuit since it came from an Outback wagon.