Stiff shift linkage?

I recently purchased a 2000 Legacy L with 5 sp manual. Vehicle has about 190,000 km and appears to have been well maintained. No significant problems found yet.

Am a little concerned about some stiffness or stichiness in the shifting. This is most apparent when putting tranny into 1st gear either from start-up or downshifting. Also some stiffness in some other downshifts.

Dealer says there are no lubrication points on the linkage but suggested some sort of additive for the tranny. Says Subarus have stiff transmissions. Is this true?

Anyone familiar with this problem and have a fix?

Enjoying the Sube, but getting a sore right arm from 1st gear shifts!

I always find it difficult to get into first and pretty much avoid it unless I am coming to a stop and then I usually go to neutral first. Many times I will double clutch to get into first. I am almost never in 1st gear except when crawling through traffic or starting from a dead stop.

Are you rev matching on your other downshifts or just forcing it in there?

Thanks for the suggestion. I've double-clutched ALL my downshifts for years. Smoother, and saves wear on the clutch.

I don't usually downshift into First. Usually I only start in First. Problem is getting it into First.

Dealer recently put some sort of additive in the tranny that he says may make things smoother. Maybe helps a little. Too soon to be sure.

Not sure your practice of not using First is a good idea. Could increase wear on the clutch from slipping it until up to speed.

Anyone else out there have stiff shifter problems? Anything that helped?

Thanks

Well...more like I don't use first very often in normal driving. But I drive in pretty heavy stop and go so at the same time I probably shift into and out of 1st 50 times a day. What I was trying to get at was other than starting and stopping I usually just leave it in second gear, so car is already in gear, I'm not slipping the clutch or trying to start from second. More like, I don't downshift to 1st unless I'm coming to a stop...which is altogether way too frequently.

If you are rev matching and not just muscling the gears...I would say you probably have a problem. I switched to synth tranny fluid last summer and it seemed to help a little, but I don't think I experienced the same problems you are.

Maybe a local LGT'er can drive your car and see if it is normal?

Dealer recently put some sort of additive in the tranny that he says may make things smoother. Maybe helps a little. Too soon to be sure.

Well, for synchros to work, you do need a little friction to get them to "catch". Perhaps the additive that your dealer put in is so slick that the synchros are no longer doing their job?

My other guess would be that the synchros are worn out and aren't helping the gears get up to speed when you downshift. That's what might be causing you to have difficulty in downshifting.

LaterZ!

Darren!!

I use first all the time in my BK. I have no syncros left on first, second, and fourth.

I had a 2000 Legacy L, and the gearbox in it was terrible. I bought it used, and immediately had every syncro in the darn thing replaced, and still couldn't get it into most of the gears smoothly. The 3.9 final drive made it so you pretty much had to use first, because second was such a tall gear. I'd suggest selling it and getting a 2001 or a 2000 GT or something. >_< Or swap in a GT gearbox and rear diff, easier.