There is probably a transmission shop in almost every town in the country that can build a bulletproof transmission for American made vehicles. Whether it is a late model Mustang or a 60’s Chevelle, there are lots of aftermarket components and many years of technology available for the transmission rebuilder to utilize.

The same cannot be said for the 4EAT automatic transmissions found in Subaru vehicles. In factory form, these transmissions demonstrate several problem areas that can cause failure in as little as 20,000 miles with a stock engine and even sooner in modified applications.

Poor shift quality, anemic factory components, and above all, improperly configured torque converters plague the automatic transmission equipped vehicle. This is in conjunction with the automatic’s propensity to burn out the high clutch pack (third gear) and the 2-4 clutches (second and fourth gear) with even moderate increases in engine output.

Realizing the need to take import and sport compact automatics to their fullest potential, IPT Performance Transmissions- a New Jersey based company, committed a large portion of their research time and dollars toward improving the Subaru automatic transmission.

First up on the hit parade of internal modifications is the need to address the issue of valve body calibration. The valve body mods are really the foundation of any performance trans rebuild. An automatic transmission utilizes a network of valves, servos, solenoids, orifices, accumulators and passages that control and route hydraulic pressure to the appropriate places to apply the clutches and bands.

Without going into elaborate detail which would fall outside the scope of this article, suffice it to say that modifying the valve body effectively changes the rate of clutch apply and also increases the clamping force with which these components have to work with. This is why shift kits and modified valve bodies produce that firm, performance type shift that increases the transmission’s overall capacity for power handling.

Next, all critical support bushings need to be replaced to insure that the centerline of the transmission runs in perfect alignment with the centerline of the crankshaft. Ignoring this step puts a lot of undue stress on the internal transmission components.

Many of the other parts also such as the pinion shaft, the front differential ring gear and the planetary gearset undergo various metallurgical processes such as heat treating, Meta-Lax stress relieving, and cryogenic treatment (freezing them in liquid nitrogen at -300 degrees Fahrenheit to ‘reset’ the part’s structure on the molecular level).

Lastly, all of the required seals and gaskets are changed to materials that are better able to cope with the heat and stress that is common in high powered applications. Performance clutches and steel reaction plates are installed and their clearances set to much more exacting specifications than those that are used by the factory. Most importantly, IPT utilizes a proprietary six disk high clutch pack and a five disk 2-4 clutch pack which increases the second, third, and fourth gear torque capacity by over 25% versus the factory set up- this is the key to getting a high powered vehicle make a 1-2, 2-3, and 3-4 shift instead of just bouncing off the rev limiter.

As for the modifications outside of the gearbox, the next thing of importance is of course the torque converter. In an automatic equipped vehicle, one of the most important components in the entire car in regards to optimizing performance is a correctly configured converter.

In addition to being made with many strength improvements over the factory piece, a performance converter enables a vehicle to better take advantage of the RPM range at which maximum power is made. In simple terms, a properly designed converter will allow a vehicle to launch under more power by increasing the rpm at which the launch takes place. In essence, a torque converter is an infinitely variable transmission in and of itself, and altering its torque multiplying characteristics becomes absolutely necessary when other variables in the vehicle are changed (bigger turbos and bigger cams).

Even in otherwise stock turbocharged Subaru vehicles, ET reductions of over one full second are not at all uncommon with the addition of a properly configured converter.

Transmission, torque converter and valve body upgrades are not only for American made vehicles anymore. Increased performance, durability and more efficient shifting is now available for the vehicles of almost every manufacturer- thanks in part to the few companies that are willing to do the research and development work required for this rapidly growing segment of the automotive aftermarket.

For more information, please follow this link: http://www.importperformancetrans.com/subaruauto.shtml

-John Lombardo, IPT Performance Transmissions

There is probably a transmission shop in almost every town in the country that can build a bulletproof transmission for American made vehicles. Whether it is a late model Mustang or a 60’s Chevelle, there are lots of aftermarket components and many years of technology available for the transmission rebuilder to utilize.

The same cannot be said for the 4EAT automatic transmissions found in Subaru vehicles. In factory form, these transmissions demonstrate several problem areas that can cause failure in as little as 20,000 miles with a stock engine and even sooner in modified applications.

Poor shift quality, anemic factory components, and above all, improperly configured torque converters plague the automatic transmission equipped vehicle. This is in conjunction with the automatic’s propensity to burn out the high clutch pack (third gear) and the 2-4 clutches (second and fourth gear) with even moderate increases in engine output.

Realizing the need to take import and sport compact automatics to their fullest potential, IPT Performance Transmissions- a New Jersey based company, committed a large portion of their research time and dollars toward improving the Subaru automatic transmission.

First up on the hit parade of internal modifications is the need to address the issue of valve body calibration. The valve body mods are really the foundation of any performance trans rebuild. An automatic transmission utilizes a network of valves, servos, solenoids, orifices, accumulators and passages that control and route hydraulic pressure to the appropriate places to apply the clutches and bands.

Without going into elaborate detail which would fall outside the scope of this article, suffice it to say that modifying the valve body effectively changes the rate of clutch apply and also increases the clamping force with which these components have to work with. This is why shift kits and modified valve bodies produce that firm, performance type shift that increases the transmission’s overall capacity for power handling.

Next, all critical support bushings need to be replaced to insure that the centerline of the transmission runs in perfect alignment with the centerline of the crankshaft. Ignoring this step puts a lot of undue stress on the internal transmission components.

Many of the other parts also such as the pinion shaft, the front differential ring gear and the planetary gearset undergo various metallurgical processes such as heat treating, Meta-Lax stress relieving, and cryogenic treatment (freezing them in liquid nitrogen at -300 degrees Fahrenheit to ‘reset’ the part’s structure on the molecular level).

Lastly, all of the required seals and gaskets are changed to materials that are better able to cope with the heat and stress that is common in high powered applications. Performance clutches and steel reaction plates are installed and their clearances set to much more exacting specifications than those that are used by the factory. Most importantly, IPT utilizes a proprietary six disk high clutch pack and a five disk 2-4 clutch pack which increases the second, third, and fourth gear torque capacity by over 25% versus the factory set up- this is the key to getting a high powered vehicle make a 1-2, 2-3, and 3-4 shift instead of just bouncing off the rev limiter.

As for the modifications outside of the gearbox, the next thing of importance is of course the torque converter. In an automatic equipped vehicle, one of the most important components in the entire car in regards to optimizing performance is a correctly configured converter.

In addition to being made with many strength improvements over the factory piece, a performance converter enables a vehicle to better take advantage of the RPM range at which maximum power is made. In simple terms, a properly designed converter will allow a vehicle to launch under more power by increasing the rpm at which the launch takes place. In essence, a torque converter is an infinitely variable transmission in and of itself, and altering its torque multiplying characteristics becomes absolutely necessary when other variables in the vehicle are changed (bigger turbos and bigger cams).

Even in otherwise stock turbocharged Subaru vehicles, ET reductions of over one full second are not at all uncommon with the addition of a properly configured converter.

Transmission, torque converter and valve body upgrades are not only for American made vehicles anymore. Increased performance, durability and more efficient shifting is now available for the vehicles of almost every manufacturer- thanks in part to the few companies that are willing to do the research and development work required for this rapidly growing segment of the automotive aftermarket.

In a campaign that began online in July 10, Subaru is promoting the 2008 Impreza WRX by exuding the history, heritage and popular culture of its home country, Japan. With an estimated budget of $10 million, the campaign features aspects of Japanese anime films and manga comics; movies like ?The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift,? ?Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? and ?Blade Runner?; and television series like ?Heroes.?

A tale of a man from a futuristic city ?in a land of forbidden secrets? ?a line from the teaser trailer on the site ? who is destined to become the master of a powerful jungle creature, the WRX, will be told on three commercials that made their debut on the Subaru Web site (subaru.com/legend). Also, consumers will be able to watch the spots on cell phones and television.

The headline of a print advertisement showing a dragon perched atop a mountain reads ?Somewhere in the jungle, the legend is reborn?. The intro of the text runs: ?From the East it comes, conceived in thunder, born in lightning?.

A story told in comic-book panels and dialogue balloons about a man named Hiro, whose food at a noodle shop is disturbed by the arrival of a WRX, is shown on other print ads. The ads have the line ?Prepare to meet your destiny?.

Timothy J. Mahoney, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Subaru of America in Cherry Hill, N.J., a division of Fuji Heavy Industries, said that the men whose ages are from 20 to 34 are the intended audience for the WRX ? which has features like all-wheel drive and a turbocharged engine. As such, they group of audience like what is coming from Asia and the ads epitomizes that.

He continued that such audience group was the kids who grew up playing video games and many of which were, of course, sold by Japanese companies such as Nintendo and Sony.

Subaru joins a list (that is continuously growing) of advertisers who are capitalizing on the rising interest in Japan among younger American consumers.

The three WRX commercials, each utilizing 30 seconds, are to become available online in three stages. The first two was in July 10 and July 17 while the third stage will be available on July 31.

The commercials are set to start running on television next month, during programs that will include coverage of the X Games on ESPN, wherein the WRX is the car sponsor of the games.

Though not affirmed by the manufacturer, we expect the Impreza WRX is equipped with more improved Subaru catalytic converter.

Japanese automaker Subaru recently honored seventeen of its dealerships in the United States for their 25 years of marketing Subaru vehicles in the country. The celebration for the 25th anniversary of the seventeen dealerships was held at the Subaru National Business Conference in Las Vegas.

These dealerships are keys to the automaker?s expansion in the United States. With Asian automakers gaining momentum over American automakers in the country, Subaru is in a position to become a major threat to other automakers in the market. With the help of their dealerships, the Japanese carmaking firm is reaching out to more consumers.

Tim Colbeck, the vice president of sales for Subaru of America, congratulated the dealerships saying: ?On behalf of Subaru of America, I’d like to congratulate our twenty-fifth anniversary dealers. We appreciate the commitment and investment that our dealers have made in the Subaru brand over the years, and we know that they will continue to lead the charge in enabling us to reach new levels of success.?

The seventeen dealerships recognized at the event have been marketing Subaru vehicles for more than two decades. The Japanese automaker is known for its use of boxer engines and all wheel drive powertrains. Boxer engines are flat engines with the pistons positioned horizontally and reciprocating in opposite directions. The name of the engine came from this arrangement as the pistons are said to akin to a boxer?s punching motions.

Aside from that, the Japanese automaker is also known for the use of all-wheel drive configurations. With the use of this technology, stability, handling and traction of their vehicles are known the world over. The Japanese firm uses this expertise in motorsports as they have entries in the World Rally Championship. For conventional drivers, the use of all-wheel drive system is very much welcomed by performance enthusiasts.

Reliability is also a trademark for Subaru. With auto parts such as Subaru mufflers, drivetrain components, transmission and other system components designed for a long life, Subaru vehicles have become known as reliable cars.

All these attributes are what the seventeen and other Subaru dealerships are using to attract consumers. Although not as popular as other Japanese carmakers such as Toyota and Honda, Subaru is slowly becoming a major force in the United States auto market with the help of the seventeen dealerships.

The Earthtimes reported that the seventeen Subaru dealerships celebrating their 25th anniversary are: Lamb Subaru, Prescott, Ariz.; Downtown Subaru, Oakland, Calif.; Schaller Subaru, Middletown, Conn.; Classic Subaru, Atlanta, Ga.; Subaru of Countryside, Countryside, Ill.; Tom Wood Subaru, Indianapolis, Ind.; Dwyer & Sons Subaru, Commerce Twp., Mich.; Clements Subaru, Rochester, Minn.; Jim Armstrong Subaru, Hickory, N.C.; Lynnes Subaru, Bloomfield, N.J.; Miller Subaru, Lumberton, N.J.; Stocker Subaru, State College, Penn.; LaRiche Subaru, Findlay, Ohio; Gentry Subaru, Ontario, Ore.; Hanson Subaru, Olympia, Wash.; Roy Robinson Subaru, Marysville, Wash.; and Dahl Subaru, La Crosse, Wis.

These dealerships have been with the company for a quarter of a century and with their efforts being appreciated by Subaru, it looks as if the relationship between automaker and auto dealers is going well.

These seventeen dealerships along with other Subaru dealerships will soon be marketing the newest models of Subaru vehicles. Included in the lineup of the Japanese automaker for the 2008 model year is the refined Legacy. The Subaru Outback will also be hitting showrooms soon. The legendary Subaru Impreza and its WRX have also been upgraded for the new model year.