ChopperGreg Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Ok, so about 6-8 months ago the head gasket went on my 2003 Outback, so I parked it in the driveway (slight up incline), while I put together the funds to take it to the mechanic. I now have the funds, and finding that it had a dead battery, I changed the battery, but now for what ever reason my Outback will not move. Gears in neutral, brake off and no movement. Start engine, put the car in gear (5 spd manual), start letting off the clutch a little ( just until the engine is starting to strain a little ) and it still doesn't want to move (forward or backward). Can anyone assist? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Will the car be pushed when the clutch is held in? it can be rusted breaks (was it parked with the parking brake on?) The car may not really be in neutral (worn linkage) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
987687 Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 You parked it for 6 months with the parking brake on? It's probably seized up. You're gonna have to just go for it, give it a bit of gas and pretend you're doing a really steep hill start or something. You'll hear a good BANG and the sound of rusty brakes for a few miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bushwick Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 (edited) Hopefully you didn't set the e-brake as those can seize up on basically any car and can be a pain to free up. Disc brakes, the pads can stick to the rotors as the rotors develop surface rust from moisture and are also a pain to free up. Do NOT try and break the seizing by slipping the clutch or "gunning" it. You can actually break motor and trans mounts doing that, along with other stresses including wearing the clutch or even glazing the flywheel. Raise one tire at a time with a jack, and try spinning by hand. If it won't move, put tire back on ground, crack all the lugs loose, raise it back up, remove lugs and tire, then try tapping the pads until rotor spins. Could try pouring water on it aid release. You might have 1-4 wheels locked up. Edited March 16, 2016 by Bushwick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChopperGreg Posted March 16, 2016 Author Share Posted March 16, 2016 (edited) Hopefully you didn't set the e-brake as those can seize up on basically any car and can be a pain to free up. Disc brakes, the pads can stick to the rotors as the rotors develop surface rust from moisture and are also a pain to free up. Do NOT try and break the seizing by slipping the clutch or "gunning" it. You can actually break motor and trans mounts doing that, along with other stresses including wearing the clutch or even glazing the flywheel. Raise one tire at a time with a jack, and try spinning by hand. If it won't move, put tire back on ground, crack all the lugs loose, raise it back up, remove lugs and tire, then try tapping the pads until rotor spins. Could try pouring water on it aid release. You might have 1-4 wheels locked up. I have a buddy that I'm trading labor for assistance in this area, given that he is more mechanically inclined. Tomorrow morning I help him shovel manure for his garden, in the afternoon he is helping me with the car ( jacking up a car on an incline is not exactly my favorite thing to do - even beyond mechanical issues ). Edited March 16, 2016 by ChopperGreg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmdew Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 If you want some help, let me know. I'm in COS, Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bushwick Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 I have a buddy that I'm trading labor for assistance in this area, given that he is more mechanically inclined. Tomorrow morning I help him shovel manure for his garden, in the afternoon he is helping me with the car ( jacking up a car on an incline is not exactly my favorite thing to do - even beyond mechanical issues ). If you know someone with a decent truck or similar and a chain (make sure it's 10k pound rated as it might snap a 5k pound cable and only attach to tow hooks) you could try putting the car in neutral, then pull it to level ground. Stay in the car and have it idling so steering is unlocked and if it does free up, be ready to hit the brakes. Maybe pour some water on the tires so it gets under them, and tires should slide initially. If possible, pull it down the decline so gravity works in your favor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChopperGreg Posted March 18, 2016 Author Share Posted March 18, 2016 (edited) Ok, we pulled the tire from the affected wheel, and even went as far as totally removing the calipers from the disk, and still no movement (even with the clutch in) so it's not the brakes that are frozen. Edited March 18, 2016 by ChopperGreg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 The parking brake operates a set of brake shoes inside the brake rotor, has nothing to do with the caliper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 what he just said - the parking brake is completely separate and inside the rotor - you'd have to also remove the rotors to get it to move. if it's seized then the rotors will be hard to remove. i've broken them before bashing them off with a hammer - but this is in the rust belt where stuff like this happens all the time. so if you put the car in gear it wil just stall? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bushwick Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 You ruled out all 4 wheels? They tend to seize in pairs. Emergency brake lever will only hold the rear rotors. You might be able to knock the rotor's hub (not the area the pads grab) while sticking a bar between 2 studs and work it back and forth ( --`---.-- ) <-- the 2 dots would be studs, the straight line would be a bar, work it clock-wise and counter-clockwise while tapping the center with a dead blow (don't need to over do it as it's possible to crack the center area); water poured on the inside of the hub from the back should help loosen the rust bound temporarily. I wouldn't suggest a PB blaster or similar as it can contaminate the pads and cause an accident. Also, the e-brake cable back where it enters the assembly might be sticking, so worth a drop of oil on the cable and try pulling the lever the cable feeds into in the opposite direction. Once the rotor at least moves, you should be able to put the tire back on and gently rock the car forward/backward until it rolls freely, then drive it around the block a couple times and ride the brakes gently on and off to clear the surfaces, and very gently pull e-brake while holding the button in while going no more than 10 MPH and keep foot on gas to maintain speed. You just want the shoes to engage the pads enough to knock the rust down. If roads are wet, be careful as it can lock the rear up and fish tail easily, though 10 MPH should still be OK. If brakes pulse really bad once moving, apply lighter pressure on and off. Sometimes it'll work itself out in 25 miles, other times you need rotors turned or replaced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChopperGreg Posted March 18, 2016 Author Share Posted March 18, 2016 We started by chocking all front tires and lifting the driver's rear tire off the ground, and trying to rotate it. It moved. We then switched to the rear passenger tire, as soon as we got the weight of the rear passenger tire off the ground, the entire car shifted to the rear slightly as the front tire chocks took up the weight of the car. We took off the tire and removed the brake shoes, so nothing was touching the rotor, and tried to move the wheel and we could not get it to move - even running a bar between a couple of the studs resulted in no movement, manually or with a dead blow hammer applied to the bar ( we put the nuts back on the studs to protect them ). All other tires moved - the rear driver's tire when it was lifted clear of the ground and rotated manually, and both front tires as they settled back into the chocks when the rear passenger tire was lifted off of the driveway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamesama980 Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChopperGreg Posted March 18, 2016 Author Share Posted March 18, 2016 My buddy took the brake shoes off - at least that is what I saw in his hand. The hammer was a typical hard rubber hammer and prior to using the bar on the studs, we put the nuts back on to protect the threads. With the brake shoes off, wouldn't the rotor be free to move, if they were the problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 https://www.google.com/search?q=2003+subaru+outback+rear+brake+diagram&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjD747g5srLAhXMdD4KHfl5CkcQ_AUICCgC&biw=1745&bih=868#imgrc=SiuluVYWJuuebM%3A 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 I am confused now. Pads are on the calipers. Shoes are part of the internal drum paring brake inside the disc rotor. Are you calling shoes pads or shoes? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChopperGreg Posted March 21, 2016 Author Share Posted March 21, 2016 I'm not the mechanic my buddy is. According to the diagram in the link above, I saw items shaped like numbers 12-14 in my buddy's hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Those are break pads for the calipers. He hasnt attacked the parking brake yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChopperGreg Posted March 21, 2016 Author Share Posted March 21, 2016 Thanks. I want to thank everyone with suggestions...its out of my hands now as the truck to take it to the shop, to fix the head gasket issue has picked it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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