Finally finished the swap!
Some quick lessons learned: Check the neutral position switch, backup light switch, and shifter slop before mounting the transmission in the vehicle!
On my donor transmission, the neutral position switch was inoperable as well as being of the wrong type (some are normally open while others are normally closed). My backup light switch was also inoperative (found that out yesterday, after my test drive...). These switches can be replaced without removing the transmission, but you do need to drop the transmission brace, remove the driveshaft, remove the exhaust from the cat back to the axle, and use a crow's foot/work blind.
Also, my shifter linkage had a wallowed out yoke, right where it slides onto the shaft coming out of the back of the transmission, as well as a loose roll pin. These issues gave me about 2'' of side-to-side play at the shifter. I wound up replacing the yoke, all bushings (i.e. TiC u-joint bushings and kartboy bushings for the rear stay and trans stay), and the shifter itself (with a COBB short throw), but this would have been easier with everything off of the car.
Still don't have my DCCD controller wired in, but not a huge deal. Will likely tackle that in the spring, as they have already salted the roads around me and I don't drive the car after the first salting.
Only remaining issue is a P0340/P0016 code. The former is for a faulty passenger side cam sensor circuit while the latter is a cam/crank correlation code (RH side). While it is possible the timing belt jumped a tooth or two when the transmission grenaded, I think it is more likely that I forgot to connect a ground or pulled a wire out of a connector while moving things around (the belt is a heavy duty one, i.e. one of the blue Gates ones, and it was installed about 1k miles ago/within the last year. The car started easily in about 30F weather, drove fine until fully warm, then didn't want to start again right after shutting it down. I was able to get it to start by giving it a little throttle during cranking. Seems to run fine once started. I'll update here once I figure this out, but its cold here and I may wait for a warm day to do so.
Other than that, the transmission shifts much more smoothly than my old 5 speed and the new clutch (exedy stage 1 HD with resurfaced STi flywheel) engages without chatter (the engagement window is small and engagement is firm, but I was expecting that - clutch effort is heavy-ish, but not unreasonable).
Thanks for the help and comments everyone!
p.s. the old/unused parts are now for sale. Local pickup preferred (I live in Brookline, NH).
Parts available include:
- WRX/STi Starter
- STi Lateral links (full set)
- STi Trailing Arms
- WRX Transmission brace/subframe (missing bushings - OEM were degraded and I reused my upgraded bushings on the STi brace, but can include OEM transmission mount)
- WRX Group N Transmission mount (was on the car for three weeks or so, including one trackday, before the transmission gave up, so basically brand new)
- WRX 5sp. Trans (blown - does not include neutral position switch, backup light switch, or the stay bushings/stay associated with the shift linkage - I needed the former for my swap and the latter were retrofitted to my Forester (why not ))
- WRX R160 Differential (does not include breather, needed to reuse on R180 used in swap)
- WRX clutch and flywheel (worked perfectly, no shudder, HD - firm pedal, but well worn clutch disc)
- WRX slave cylinder (missing actuation rod, but slave is brand new, needed to reuse rod with STi slave)
- STi clutch master and hose
- WRX rear axles (no clicking, good boots, mild cracking at worst)
- WRX rear hubs
- WRX brake booster
All WRX parts are off of my 2006 WRX and all STi parts are from a 2004 STi (i.e. the donor car for my swap). I may be forgetting some parts and will also be posting these parts for sale in the for sale sub-forum shortly. Feel free to make me an offer. If you want to meet up within a few hours of NH, I'd be happy to. Otherwise, buyer pays shipping on top of offer price (I've been burned a few times agreeing to sell parts for less than it cost to ship them... Want to avoid selling parts for a loss again!).
Happy to supply pictures on request.