kamesama980

+1 for the clutch not fully disengaging. It could be the clutch itself but that's very rare (typically if it's the clutch, it's in a car that's been sitting so long the clutch, PP, and FW have rusted together). Honestly, I suggest doing the master, slave, and hose all at the same time. At this point I'd say it's 50/50 between a slave that has also failed or a cheap rebuilt master failing prematurely.

Sure sounds like low fluid level or low line pressure (internal leaks or tolerances too loose): either way, at idle you don't have enough pressure to hold the clutches engaged so it effectively goes to neutral. once you rev up the engine (and fluid pump) pressure rises and the clutches engage suddenly. Esp since you say it started all of a sudden, it makes me think a seal blew out inside the transmission.

$30 is cheap for the peace of mind of not having to replace it in a year. I used to work in a parts store and the cheaper brand we had stocked usually came back just outside the warranty period vs ordering the name-brand that usually never came back. Kinda like a lot of parts.

Ah, ok that makes more sense.

Yep, better safe than sorry when messing with gas tanks but nothing to worry about in this case: every fuel pump I've seen leaves the electrical plugs, pins, or studs in contact with fuel.

This. overheating makes hot spots, hot spots change the metallurgy visibbly, changing the color and hardness with significant depth. Resurfacing smooths the surface but as soon as you warm it up a few times (like a month of driving) those hard spots show proud again causing vibration and chatter. Did you replace the clutch or pressure plate? If the FW was bad enough to justify cutting it, the PP would be just as bad. Cutting the PP has the same problem as cutting the FW.

tune up may or may not include wiires. Always get an itemized list of what anyone is going to do/has done whether it's an independant shop, dealership, or brother-in-law under a tree for a few beers. Extended "warrany"s aren't warranties, they're service agreements. As such, you must read the fine print of what the agreement is. You're right, they're generally not worth it for anyone that does their own work, more for newer vehicles with more expensive parts covering major failures that will be fixed by a shop.

At this point it'd be best to take it somewhere that knows what to look for. I'm all for DYI but this is a case where YOU need to find the problem because YOU have the car. We can guess every part on the car is wrong and still miss the one that really is. If you don't feel confident, take it somewhere to have it inspected. Most chains will do free inspections hoping to sell products/services and you are well within your rights and reason to ask them to show you the faulty part while the car's on the lift (in fact, even having worked in a shop, I encourage it)

brake fade will have reduced stopping power/brake effectiveness for the pedal travel/pressure but will not result in the pedal dropping like that. If the pedal is dropping without increasing effort/force then the fluid is going somewhere. May be an external leak (easy to find) or leaking internally to the master cylinder. I'd actually prefer an internally leaking master cylinder than having to run new lines but that's just me.

Don't hit the bar with the hammer, hit the rotor hat (center portion, between the studs, shiny pad area) with the hammer. Don't use too soft of a hammer or hit too gently, the goal is to shock and jar the parking brake shoes loose. Don't use too big of a solid hammer or hit too hard or you can damage things. Don't miss or you'll need to repair the stud threads or replace the studs.

Lesson learned for next time: write it down. I keep an excel file for each car for specs, maintenance, goodies, fuel use, etc and a big compendium excel for non-vehicle-specific notes.

That was my thought. Big sigh of relief after you realized that, eh?

Can't you look up your shopping history and previous orders?

I'll say it's typically on the buyer to get/pay for any history report or inspections. Hypothetically, a seller could get an old carfax report from any vehicle, paste in whatever info they wanted, and present it as their own. and no it doesn't take adobe creative suite to do it MS word and paint are both capable of credible work with a little work. That aside, "too many stupid questions" my hairy buttocks. Can't really disagree with anything said already. Just lowball the bejesus out of any rebuiilt/salvage title vehicle because if/when you get rid of it, it's worth peanuts.

Does it transition from running like crap to running good or is it like someone flipped a switch when you hit the crossover point? Have you done a compression test? basic misfire location test (unplug one spark wire at a time (from the spark plug and place it close to a metal surface to arc to))? actually replace the plugs rather than just looking at them (They can fail without external signs, my last bike was like that. Every spring. ugh)? Vacuum leaks? MAP sensor?

Re: white residue in the bolt threads: several kinds of threadlocker turn white after the application of heat and removing them. Where it is (deep in the threads, polished outer threads, and goobers of it further up toward the head) also indicates it was a sealant/threadlocker.

yep, size/inflation is another probable contributor to the wear: 235/60R16 on 16x7 at 30psi. slightly oversize plus being ATs the tread'll be broader than others of the same size with bigger blocks so they make more noise when they do wear. As the tires belly out a little all around I assume the door-jamb inflation pressure is a compromise: biased for comfort in a relatively stiffly sprung vehicle and a bare minimum to prevent damage with the OE tires.

Even Trucks started going to rack and pinion 10-15 years ago. I think all the mid-size and half tons use a rack, some of the HDs with solid axles might have a recirculating ball gearbox. Even then, "play" is different than "movement". Some shops (rather, techs) are just better at identifying what has play and what doesn't. I helped plenty of coworkers track down which parts were bad or corrected them both ways. CNY_Dave is right: any play=replace

Regarding the GR2s: Hey, that's why I ask. Both rears are just a bit mushy.. front's aren't obviously bad but likely have 136k. Tires are middle-ground all-terrains (BFG rugged terrain) The type of wear (cupping) doesn't indicate alignment issues, moreso struts or bushings, and all-terrain tread blocks don't help. The wear isn't bad actually, juuuuust enough to howl An alignment will be in order after springs/struts.

I used to work in a shop that carried Monroe. Kinda felt bad for ppl when the replacement shocks were only marginally firmer than old parts with 75k miles on them. One case of an S10 with the offroad package that had Bilsteins that actually rode better with 100k on the Billies than the replacements (though the high speed valving was going). My tire wear is slight feathering and cupping full-width on all 4 tires (just enough to make them HOWL). Neither the front or back feel too bad but I can tell the rears aren't damping well going over bumps while driving. I'll take a look at the bushings too next time I have the wheels off. Just did a search on fitting the konis: darn that's simple! Will have to do some measurements/comparisons to see if they have something that'll work for the Baja.

About to start beating my head on the wall... Picked up my Baja this weekend with 136k, struts are so-so. Doesn't feel like a 60's caddy yet but I can feel the truck moving around more than it ought and the not-too-old tires are wearing unevenly in ways usually attributed to weak dampers.. Fronts *may* have been replaced, rears I'd bet are original. I'd like to maintain ride height, maybe go a little stiffer on the spring (I do plan on occasionally using it to truck) and it'll almost certainly hit the autocross track a few times. On top of that, I'll admit I'm a bit of a damper snob: Gabriel's junk, Monroe's slightly better, KYB's ok but GR2/excel-G are their bottom line and that's about it for what's available. The snippits of parts compatibility I've come across usually revolves around using Baja parts to raise other Subarus. Is there anything better short of spending a few Gs for a decent coilover which may or may not last or be happy with or do I just put on "normal" replacement parts and cry quietly in the corner?

Yep, the single-color doesn't emphasize the plastic cladding as much. Some combinations don't look too bad, some do... After putting the beetle engine back together and in (and firing and running well enough to drive around pretty much immediately ) I got the Baja on the lift: -Already knew about multiple hard-to-pinpoint oil leaks. -Exhaust and undercarriage looks pretty good (I'm used to Chicago-area rust boxes) -rotated the tires, noise is just from them being slightly worn AT tires. wheel bearings are good, brakes are good. -both front inner CV boots are split. one doesn't have a spray pattern (been cleaned since it tore!) the other has left it's messy mark. -struts look original, feel it too. So, ordered $800 in parts last night with decisions to make before ordering more. struts... I don't plan on going to coilovers. I do plan on hauling on occasion (like my 550lb motorbike). I wouldn't mind a slightly stiffer (but stock height) rear spring. For the struts themselves, any suggestions on something that's OE fitment but better than run-o-the-mill stuff from parts stores (gabriel, monroe, KYB gr-2 or gas-a-just)?

How I usually check them (this coming from working as a suspension/alignment tech for 2 yrs while getting the first half of my auto tech degree) is face the wheel like you're gonna grab it at 9 and 3 to shake it side to side, but with your hand closest to the tie rods, reach around and grab the tie rod joint loosely (so you can feel if it's moving but not tight enough to prevent it from moving) and shake the wheel with your other hand. Repeat for the inner tie rod (which is a bit harder to get a good grasp of where you can feel it) and for both on the other side. If you have any actual play (unrestricted movement), start planning on doing the repair.

Hi guys. My name's Russ and I bought a Baja yesterday. 03 sport with manual trans, 136k. First impression: It's smaller than I expected but that's fine with me. Certainly doesn't feel like 3700lbs. This is my first Subaru but third Boxer engine: I also have a 1970 Beetle and 01 BMW R1200C. yes, I know I have eccentric tastes. The bad: leaking head gaskets (losing oil externally. *gasp* in an EJ251? NO, you don't say). It's crossed my mind to pay someone to do it but that just rubs me wrong so I'll most likely do it myself (HG and bolts from six-star via awd autos, everything else victor-reintz or other name brand from rockauto).