hey guys. i currently have a white srt-4 w/ 400WHP and ive been getting sick of the no traction problem so i have been looking for an evo....so im talking to my girlfriend as we leave IHOP on how much i want a white evo...sure enough as soon as i said that i pass a mint evo 8 for sale at a used car lot...i was like ummmm thanks god haha.


so anyway i go in there and ask the questions...

it was owned by a guy who was in his late 20's early 30's

bought a 08 vw R32

it was a 03 w/ 62k on it for $16,000

it was stock besides tints, DEFI blue racer boost gauge, and a turbo timer.

it also had a different gauge cluster that had very dull lighting. it was blue.



so i take it out for a spin by myself and the clutch catches all the way at the top...so i thought maybe that it was the stocker and it was on its way out....so i go out on the street and i hear this loud *** whine through all the gears....i was like ummmm transfer case whine of death?!

i also got on it from first to second and i hesitated and shifted and also another time tried to quick shift and it grinded every time. then i really hesitated and it was fine....idk im no evo expert so im asking for your help guys and gals. thanks.


i dont think im gonna buy it but just wanted to know if that was the TC for sure...it was bothering me not knowing for sure lol


o and if you know anyone selling a white evo 9 let me know

 

yeah all that don't sound good. i bought my evo 9 with 38k and when i test drove it never hesitated or whine noise. If i were you i would spend the extra money on a lower mile evo.

 

t case my friend..................maybe go down $2000 and get a new shep tcase.....that might work...good luck on your search

 

griding is the tran's, wine is the T-case don't get it unless he drops it 4k -5k

 

the grinding is probably the clutch... if it is stiff then it is an aftermarket clutch but the pedel hasnt been adjusted, if not its stock and needs to be replaced... might or might now be damage to the tranny... the whine is tcase and would need to be rebuilt... with that said, i own a transmission shop and its NOT going to be cheap to fix, ballpark of 4000ish with labor and parts... and thats just there who knows what other hell it has gone thru!! honestly would skip forsure!!

 

sounds like a good car to walk away from. keep looking there are better cars out there, unless you can get him to lower the price like others have said it is not worth it

 

I don't know from the description you made about the whine. I haven't heard an evo that death whines through every gear. I'm almost wondering if you're just hearing the diff spin up and you aren't used to that sound. When I had my whine, it was only in 4th and 5th gear. I'd listen to a few videos on youtube on their death whine and see if it's like that or not.

With that being said, with 62k on it the odds of it having death whine are good. All it takes is putting the wrong fluid in there 1 time and it can be toast.

As far as the transmission, Evos in general are notchy, especially when they don't get the right gear oil. Add to the fact that the clutch may not be adjusted properly and you've got a very grinding situation.

The only real way to tell if the transmission is shot is to pull the plug and see how much metallic is on the plug. There can be up to 1/8 of an inch and it's some what normal.

Also with that being said, the 03 is notorious for their 5th gear problem. The 5th gear doesn't get enough oil delivered to it so 5th gear goes out. If the problem gets worse it can take out the whole input shaft. I had mine rebuilt with an 05 5th gear and input shaft.

In my opinion go test drive a few more evos and compare their sounds. There are too many good deals out there. But use this knowledge to your advantage.

Also, it takes a little getting used to on an Evo clutch. Every Evo I've driven, the clutch engages late compared to other cars.

 

Well I just came from Sheps in ohio and replaced my transfer case ring and pinion gear because of the same problem. It was about 1800 with the ring an pinion with the REM process done and the labor to remove and replace. As far as the tranny if its grinding then its a seperate deal. The tranny needs a rebuild!!! I had mine rebuilt by shep last year for the same reason plus mine had a problem with fifth gear. The basic rebuild is about 900 and then you have to have someone remove the tranny and send it to shep and that will cost about 500 to 750 to do but if you do both at the same time you only pay the one labor once because the TC has to come out to get the tranny out. Good Luck after the rebuilds you will love the EVO. Get him to come down about 2700 or have it fixed before you purchase. Do not buy if he repairs it himself or billy joe bobs tranny repair. There is a reason Shep has so much buisiness thats because he is one of the best!!!!!!!!!

SHEPTRANS.com

 

Also be prepared t replace the clutch while the tranny and TC are out of the car it is the best time to replace because you wont have to pay any extra labor everything will already be out of the car. Do not get an exedy twin if you are not going to put out some serious HP. Something a exedy stage 2 would work fine unless you are prepared to pay when things break.

 

Thanks everyone for your help i didnt think i was gonna buy it either. i told the guy that it needed about 5k of work and if he was willing to bring it down to that that i would buy it hahhaha. 11k for an evo?! hell yeah haha. the only other evo ive taken a ride in is diezilnj's. right before he rebuilt his T-case and it was the same sound.


i also realized that im not going to buy a evo 8. i have nothing against them or anything im not gonna settle less for what i exactly want which is a evo IX wicked white w/ sunroof. i setteled for less when i bought an srt-4 instead of an evo when i wanted a evo. love the srt-4 to death but punching it in third w/ brand new deflated tires and breaking them loose like im sitting on ice is ****in gay haha.

^ sry about the vent there but needed to get it off my chest haha

 

awd for the win!!

 

is that Madison NJ you live in??? and i cant stand this FWD **** anymore. AHH! im ripping out my hair haha

 

My number 1 rule when looking for a car, ALWAYS get a reputable evo workshop to check it out and do a report before buying..

 

yeah i have a shop i know put it on the lift w/ me and check everything out. have done it for all of my cars and have always detected the problems before buying. the guys have a very good attention to detail