Forester Should I seal up my bell housing?

macc_attacc

macc_attacc

Forum Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2022
Messages
13
Location
United States
Car Year
2002
Car Model
Forester
Transmission
5MT
(yes this is copy and pasted, I posted on subarforesster . org as well, hope that's okay)

So here's the story so far:

A while back I took my '02 5MT offroad rig through a mud bog. It performed incredibly, upstaging a few 'real' 4x4 trucks, and becoming a crowd favorite in the process.

Here's a few photos for good measure:


Sky Plant Tire Wheel Car



Sky Plant community Ecoregion Vehicle Slope


Water Sky Plant community Plant Natural landscape



On my encore run, I lost clutch engagement halfway through the pit. I had the wrong clutch kit on the car anyway (long story), so I decided I'd pull the engine, do head gaskets/timing/valve cover gaskets, and then evaluate the clutch situation and throw in a new clutch kit. Standard maintenance, really.

Well wouldn't you know, I got it open and found a nice healthy amount of grass and weeds wrapped around the throw-out bearing and clutch fork, preventing the clutch from engaging.

This is very expected, as Subaru likely did not expect anyone to full send a family hatchback up to its wipers in mud.

So here's the bottom line question:
I fully intend to send this thing into mud bogs again, but I'd rather not have to crack open the bell housing every time I do. So I'm in search of a solution to prevent this from happening, and I'd love to hear everyone else's thoughts. Here's two possibilities myself and some friends have come up with:
  1. Modify the bell housing bottom vent/inspection plate so the 'vent' portion is covered by a mesh or screening of some sort. This would allow hot air and clutch material to exit, and would allow water and such in, but would NOT allow larger pieces such as rocks, grass, or small children.
  2. Seal the bottom plate up entirely, which would keep water/rocks/grass/infants out, but would not allow hot air or clutch material to exit. This could be mitigated by removing the top inspection plug (the rubber one next to the clutch fork hole) during regular driving (and reinstalling to keep water out during mud bogging). I've been assured by a few friends that this is done by old school chevy and ford truck owners for similar reasons with no ill effects.
I'm not sure about either of these options, so please let me hear your input, I'd love to know if anyone has dealt with this and how.

Cheers!
 
macc_attacc said:
hope that's okay)
Click to expand...
No worries! Welcome aboard!

I have an auto and I do remember having to flush sand out of the bell housing a long long time ago. I cannot recall exactly but I may have stuffed foam in the holes. But it's had a remanned engine since then so I'm not sure if anything is in there now.

I assume you have skid plate protection underneath?
 
> I assume you have skid plate protection underneath?

I have a stop sign (read in the cadence of 'we have a hulk').

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It doesn't offer much protection but does keep the oil pan from getting smashed.

That's interesting that your bell housing was foamed up. But having an automatic you also don't have to worry about clutch dust....so hmmmmm....
 
If you close off the bottom, could you manufacture a vent pipe, from the top inspection plug hole on the bell housing to some place where water etc wouldn't get in?
Something akin to diff breathers.

Nice to see you going up against the real 4x4's, but I had to have a laugh at the "wannabe" 4x4 in the first picture sitting it out. :lol1:
 
subyroo said:
If you close off the bottom, could you manufacture a vent pipe, from the top inspection plug hole on the bell housing to some place where water etc wouldn't get in?
Something akin to diff breathers.
Click to expand...
That's a neat idea. I'm sure I could booger weld up something like that. Sure!
 
Okay, so after much hemming and hawing, and getting a lot of different opinions, here's what I ended up doing:


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pxl_20220312_173628724-jpg.565952


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Went to my local home depot and grabbed some aluminum screening. I cut it roughly to size/shape and folded over the edges to keep from fraying. Then I grabbed my harbor freight aluminum pop rivet kit and a drill and went to town, pounding in the backs of the rivets so the plate will sit flush were it needs to. I was careful about where I put the rivets because the flywheel ring gear comes in VERY close proximity once this is on. We're talking millimeters. In the last photo you'll see I added two in the 'dip' part as an after thought, but I was very careful to flatten the tails of the rivets with a punch and hammer to prevent them from fouling on the ring gear.

My thinking here is the screening will allow hot air and clutch dust to vent out, but will prevent grass and other debris from getting in should I submerge again.

I'm still reassembling the car at the moment so this isn't tested yet, but I'll try to update here once I do another water/mud crossing.
 
Good solution; got me curious now re mine. It's due for an oil change so after I take the sump guard off I can check it out.
 
macc_attacc said:
Okay, so after much hemming and hawing, and getting a lot of different opinions, here's what I ended up doing:

I was careful about where I put the rivets because the flywheel ring gear comes in VERY close proximity once this is on. We're talking millimeters. In the last photo you'll see I added two in the 'dip' part as an after thought, but I was very careful to flatten the tails of the rivets with a punch and hammer to prevent them from fouling on the ring gear.
Click to expand...
I was thinking why not fix it inside inside, then I read the above, which put an end to that thought very quickly. (y) :lol1:
 
subyroo said:
I was thinking why not fix it inside inside, then I read the above, which put an end to that thought very quickly. (y) :lol1:
Click to expand...
Haha yeah that was my first idea since it'd be neater, but then I test fitted the plate and saw how close the ring gear was.
 
Kevin said:
Good solution; got me curious now re mine. It's due for an oil change so after I take the sump guard off I can check it out.
Click to expand...
Just be prepared for some tight working quarters. In the sf5/sf6 the plate basically sits directly above the engine cross member.

I made it a bit easier by using my engine hoist to lift the engine and trans up a bit, and you could do the same, but you'll have to unbolt the top 'dogbone' and lower engine mount bolts.
 
I’ve not ever had this issue and I’m surprised at your efforts to get grass and mud wrapped around the throw out bearing and clutch fork from that little hole.

Not only is that hole small, it’s also in close proximity to the engine crossmember.

Are you sure a real 4wder didn’t shove all that crap into your bell housing through the clutch fork dust boot to sabotage your final run?? <- this seems more plausible to me!

Cheers

Bennie
 
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