forester2002s
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Everything posted by forester2002s
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MilesFox: I agree with what you say about Subaru AWD. But just a couple of caveats: - Ground clearance isn't great for off-road driving, compared to a pick-up truck; - 1st gear in the 5MT manual isn't very low. That means slipping the clutch a lot on very rough and rocky trails. All in all though, I love my Subaru.
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Just another reason why I'm trying to keep my 2002 running for as long as possible. I hate these 'bell & whistles' on newer cars.
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Thanks for that suggestion, Heartless. I see that Harbor Freight have a set of pass-through sockets on sale for $19.99, including the driver. Wow! http://www.harborfreight.com/combo-go-thru-socket-set-sae-metric-21-pc-67974.html
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"The old strut is going to the scrap yard anyway most of the time, just grab the strut rod with a pair of vice grips." Yes, I tried that. But the piston-rod is so hard and so smooth, that my vice-grips wouldn't hold on it. Maybe I need some better vice-grips! But, in any case, that wouldn't work when reassembling the new strut. I wouldn't want to damage the new piston-rod with vice-grips.
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Thanks for the responses. Very helpful. I've just finished replacing the rear-left strut. I'm doing the right side tomorrow. I chose not to have to re-bleed the brakes, and so left the brake-hose attached to the caliper Having removed the holding-clip, I then cut the hose-bracket (on the old strut) with a single hacksaw cut to the side of the bracket. And then I twisted the bracket open to release the brake-hose. Then I modified the new strut, by hacksawing two cuts 15-mm apart, on the top of the hose-bracket. That way I could slide the hose-fitting in place, and reinsert the clip. Worked like a charm. I was going to also to zip-tie the hose in place, but I didn't need to, as the clip appeared to hold the hose in place securely. For others attempting a strut replacement, the other tricky procedure is to get the nut off the top of the piston-rod. Since I don't have Subaru's 'special tool', I did it this way: - 17-mm socket placed over the nut, and held on its O/D using a pipe-wrench; - then insert a 6-mm hex-wrench through the 1/2" sq. hole in the socket, and into the hex hole in the top of the piston-rod; - and turn as required. It's a bit tricky, but it works. Thanks again for your helpful comments.
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- forester
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2002 Forester 5MT 210,000-km I am ready to replace my rear suspension struts. The FSM says to disconnect the rear brake-hose from the caliper, and to tape the hose out of the way. Is this necessary? I would prefer not to have to re-bleed the brakes after I've finished. So can I leave the brake-hose connected to the caliper, and just support the rear-axle and brake hub/rotor assembly? Will this give me enough room to remove and reinstall the strut? I haven't done Subaru struts before, so any help would be appreciated.
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I find it easier to remove the radiator, when doing the timing belt. It gives you a bit more room to play with. But most of all, it is an ideal opportunity to refill with fresh coolant (for which it may well be overdue anyway). Unless the hoses are really in bad shape, the existing ones can be reused without problem. Taking the radiator out is real easy, and doesn't take much time.
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From the FSM for 2002 Foresters - Final Drive Ratios: - 5MT 4.111 - 4AT 4.444
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I agree that it is difficult to get a good reading on a Subaru dipstick. This is a long-standing problem that Subaru should have fixed years ago. I always check my oil at home in the morning, after the car has been standing cold all night. Even then it is difficult to get a consistent reading. One consolation is that, when the oil level gets to about 1-litre below full, it is very obvious, because the dipstick is virtually dry.
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Tighten the wheel nuts (very gently at first) using a 1-3-5-2-4-1 pattern. That will help centre the wheel correctly. The (horizontal) offset should also be checked, and compared to the existing Subaru wheels. Offset is unlikely to be a problem, but in extreme cases could cause the tire to rub against the suspension.
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"...sometimes the clutch pedal doesn't come all the way back up without help?" This is probably because the slave-cylinder (located just behind the engine, on top of the transmission bell-housing) is sticky. Best to replace the slave with a new one. Cheap to buy, and easy to do.
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I think that you're on the right track to check grounds. Whenever strange things happen to lights, especially 'dim' lights, it's quite often due to faulty grounding.
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Yes, great write-up. Thanks for doing it.
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Another 'tool' to buy: - a squeezy-bulb type of turkey-baster (available from your local dollar-store). Use this to get lubricating-oil into awkward places. For instance, into the rear-differential filler-plug; also down into the manual-transmission dipstick-tube. Just make sure to keep the oily turkey-baster away from food.
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It's an aerofoil shape, just like the wings on an aircraft. As others have said, 'rounded-end' to the front, and sharp 'trailing-edge' to the rear. Drive fast enough, and you'll have LIFT-OFF (just kidding).
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Try wrapping some electrician's tape around the metal loop on the door-sill. The latch-mechanism holds on to that loop, and adding extra tape sometimes cures any looseness.
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If it's just a 'light squealing noise', I wouldn't rush into doing anything. Leave for a few days (and lots of clutch operations), and it may go away.
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1/8th turn = 22.5 deg. EDIT: My bad! I used to be good at mental arithmetic. Not any more apparently...
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I had a similar problem recently on my 2002 Forester. Same as you, the diaphram-fingers looked flat when I opened the box. And even after I installed the clutch-cover, the fingers were still flat. When I drove the car, the clutch pedal was biting very high. If I floored it going uphill, the clutch would slip. I returned the clutch (cover + friction-disk + bearings) to RockAuto. Then I bought OEM parts from Subaru (these cost me quite a bit more), and reinstalled. Now all is well, and the clutch bites further down on the pedal.
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Try your local 'Canadian Tire' store. I had my 2002 rear wheel bearings done there. They were cheaper than the 3 Subaru dealers that I contacted, and they did it the very next day, whereas the dealers wanted about a week's notice.
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In my experience, any rotational play is too much. You certainly shouldn't hear a click. An involute gear set is different. Some amount of backlash is inherent in the design, so that the gear teeth can clear each other, as the teeth mesh.
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I don't read it that way. In his original post, he says that he'll buy a used Subaru, for about AU$2,000 to $3,500.
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UPDATING my original post: Yes, I have moved away from suspecting that the rear diff is causing the 'rumble'. I've been monitoring my rear wheel bearings. I've jacked up the wheels, and shaken them manually. At first, I couldn't detect any looseness. Then a few weeks later, I could detect a slight audible 'click', very faint. Then I could detect very slight movement of the wheel, plus the faint click. That was on one of the rear wheels. Then a few days ago, I checked all of wheel bearings, and discovered that one of the front wheel bearings is also loose (that explains the occasional shimmy on the steering wheel at high speeds). I have loosened that long lateral-link-bolt on the rear, and managed to remove it. I am now looking for used hubs, one for the rear, and one for the front. None available locally - I am reluctant to order a used hub online, without actually being able to see it first. My local Subaru dealer wants $500 to replace each wheel bearing (they don't do this on the car; they remove the hubs the old way and press the bearings out and in). My trusty local mechanic has just retired, so I am shopping around for choices. Meanwhile the rumble has got worse, but not by much. I think that I can continue driving for quite a while, before the situation gets too serious. It's just a little noisy.
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You're right! My Forester does that that extra bracket for the prop rod. Right on the right-side suspension 'hat'. I was looking in the wrong place. I was expecting a second hole somewhere on the inside of the hood! Thnaks for pointing this out.