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After a good few years without problems (more or less) I now have a biggun'. The gearbox in my 92 Lib wagon (4WD D/R) is 'popping' out of 3rd and 4th intermittently (but increasing in frequency) back into neutral. Which sux.

Further details for the technical minded: doesn't seem to pop out when on the power or backing off - it just kind of happens randomly. There has been significant play in the gearstick for a little while now - it moves 3-4cm under load and back when decelerating, which probably isn't good.

So what do you reckon can cause it looking at the least likely / expensive first...

this sounds very similar to my current problem see this thread...http://www.ausubaru.com.au/showthread.php?t=7398

box and engine mounts..
i got told about this kidna thing when it pops outta 3rd and 4th. its not normally a box fault (but reverse is defintetely sorry Matt)

chang eur box mounts sounds liek they aint to good.

I would say the bearings need replacing in the gearbox. You possibly have a bearing shell in more than one piece allowing movement in the shafts

Question: If I was to, say, remove the bonnet and go for a drive, could you determine by viewing the motor *flex* in the chassis whether the box / motor mounts were shot? Would there be other symptoms. One bloke I was talking to seems to think it may well be the gear bushes?

hmm i usually check mounts by
open bonnet and Jam handbrake on. put the cvar in gear and let the clutch out (not enough to stall but pretend its moving) then see how the engine reacts. there shuldnt be much movement at all really.

u can just rev it up in nuetral but it wont move as much as what it does when ud be taking off etc so its a bit harder to tell that way.

box mounts just get something to lever between the Gbox and Crossmember and see how much movement there is.

there shuldnt be much in either of them. while doin the box check for cracks and splitting etc.


SWK is probably more on the money tho bearings are more likely i jsut culdnt remember all that i had been told.

Yeah my '92 AWD liberty box was popping out of third. Was the big double deep groove roller bearing was badly worn giving to much end float in the shaft.

So replaced the bearing and worked fine. Then 10 000kms later my box is making terrible noises seems like the front diff part.
So when I get time I will pull it a part, if it costs to much this time to fix I will be definately just buy another car I think.

beachgoer wrote:Yeah my '92 AWD liberty box was popping out of third. Was the big double deep groove roller bearing was badly worn giving to much end float in the shaft.

Hmm sounds good, how much of a job was that exactly?

Oh, and I've noticed it seems to not go back into neutral per say (sp?), but into a neutral bit but is still in the selected gear gate?

Unlikely to be mounts if the lever is not popping right out of gear into neutral, I would guess shaft play due to bearings along the lines of SWK's description.

If you want to keep the car for a while and are happy with the ratios and performance of the current 'box then go for a recondition. Once the thing is split the technician can tell you whether it is in good nick or not, and it is not much extra labour to change most bearings/seals and even the synchros while it is apart. Then you have a gearbox that is in top condition and the work is probably covered under a warranty.
My 2c

Yep, that's where I'm coming from.

***update***

Have recently discovered that 3rd gear issue seems to be becoming more infrequent, but more frequent in 4th gear. Also, it appears that it does not jump out of gear at all in Lo range, which is interesting as much as it is handy, or more so, or the opposite.

Gear selector also seems to have a lot less play/slop in LO than it does in HI. Any more refined ideas here now?

The plot becomes more viscous...

Anyone? Radio check please?