MJJ

Thanks guys, I got it sorted out. There was nothing on youtube for this year/model, surprisingly. The secret, which I finally figured out with the help of a parts schematic I begged from the dealer, is this: In order to get this unit out, you do NOT remove the pump from its mount. You remove the *mount* (with pump still attached) from the block. There are two 14 mm bolts accessible from the front, just below the p/s pulley, and one accessible from the top, using a long extension, behind the pump. You also need to remove the 14 mm bolt from the alternator adjusting slider. Once the assembly is free, you can swap out the bracket and any other parts you need.

It makes a howling sound, and I can rattle the pulley fore-and-aft. The replacement doesn't have any play so I've concluded that's not normal. It does not leak, thankfully.

Heh. I see from my profile I have not been the most attentive member But I do still have my Forester, and it is finally needing some work. I'm trying to replace the PS pump, which looks like it will be easy once I remove the entire top half of the engine. This seems silly, but then again we all know what it's like to change a spark plug. Does anyone have a reference or some tips to guide me along the way? Cheers

It's really nice that every other poster seems to love his or her OBW or WRX or XYZ but we just bought an '06 Forester and so far it's just the peach. How come no one posts about their Foresters? Would like to pick the brains of anyone willing, there are a couple of things about it I want to chew on. Or just rave about them for a while.