A/T Thrust Bearing Identification

Here are a couple of ideas to help you out if you ever get your thrust bearing placement messed up. First, pull out your Service Manual and refer to the line drawing. For Legacy, it's 3-2 [SOCO]. You can identify which way the bearing goes by carefully noting which way the outer shoulder is pointing in the drawing. Also, as you assemble the transmission, note that the outer shoulder of the thrust bearing always mates with the component that locates the bearing laterally, either through a recess or raised tabs. Keeping this in mind, it's easy to figure out which way a thrust bearing fits, even without using the drawing. This is true for all thrust bearings not just those used in Subaru automatic transmissions. Finally, to keep from mixing up similarly sized bearings with different thicknesses, refer to the applicable Parts Catalog which will list the bearing dimensions.