Bluestone

You may be missing the point. Head gaskets on the 2.5 engines are too often failing way too early......sometimes at 30k miles (or even sooner!). And once Subaru's extended warranty on the heads expires, the owner has to foot the bill for head gasket replacement, an expensive job. Labor rates at repair shops in my neck of the woods are now around $100 per hour, and a lot higher at dealerships. If the head gaskets would routinely hold up for, say, 150k miles (not an unreasonable expectation), having them replaced would not be that big a deal. But on the EJ25 engine, some owners may experience three or four faliures during 150K; the latest head gaskets don't seem to hold up much longer than the original ones.

According to a well regarded local independent car repair place that I connected with, Art's Automotive in Berkeley (they specialize in several Japanese marques including Subaru), ALL Subes with the EJ25 engine, including the later ones, are subject to premature head gasket failure. It's because of a design flaw in the engine and none of the newest head gasket versions have been able to successfully overcome the problem. Apparently, there's just too much stress on the head gaskets at certain points in the engine. Don't know, though, if Subaru has made any internal design modifications on the newest EJ25s to address that issue. While some of us may luck out with head gaskets lasting well past 100k miles, most of us will just have to expect head gasket grief before then, even with the newer EJ25s. Do you guys agree or disagree?

I recently upgraded my Subie's front brakes with DBA Series 4000 slotted rotors. Flushed/refilled the hydraulic system (including clutch line) with Até Super Blue fluid and fitted a fresh set of PBR/Axxis Ultimate brake pads, too. I originally had PBR/Axxis Ultimate pads fitted on all four brakes and that, alone, noticeably increased braking effectiveness. But the slotted rotors make braking even better. I decided to pass on stainlesss steel brake hoses (for now, anyway) feeling that it would be a bit of overkill for my needs. I don't really drive in a competitive style but just want strong, fade free braking when the need arises. And I left the original rotors at the rear. I'm really pleased with my Sube's braking now:clap: . I'm getting fast, straight stops and these rotors do pull the Sube down from speed quite nicely. I just drove about 50 miles in spirited fashion through some winding roads in the hills and the brakes performed beautifully. And in heavy rain, there's no lag when braking; the slots in the front rotors apparently clear the rotor surface immediately. DBA (Disk Brakes Australia) makes only brake rotors, nothing else, and they adhere to the highest standards in research and quality. Check out their website, it's got some interesting info. http://www.dba.com.au

Been using full synthetic motor oil in my Subie, exclusively, since the 3000 mile mark, with changes every 5k miles. Valvoline SynPower 5/40, or Castrol Syntec...both 5/30 and 5/50. I'd prefer Valvoline 5/40 but no one around here carries it anymore; apparently that viscosity isn't a big seller. I'd like to go to Red Line 5/40, but Red Line costs about 50% more than the other synthetics. Red Line says 10k to 18k miles (or one year) between changes for their oil. Does anyone see a problem running Red Line for 10k miles before changing it? Don't know if I want to pay $9 a quart and change it at 5k miles. By the way, what are your opinions of Motul Synthetic oil. I think it sells for about the same price as Red Line.

Well then, why did most car manufacturers move away from timing chains? As I recall, timing chains were generally more durable and lasted a lot longer than timing belts do. Years ago, I had a Citroën DS-21 and drove it for 220k miles with no timing chain replacement, and the engine was still going strong when I parted with it. Them were the GOOD days, sigh.....sure miss them(sniff, sniff). Cars, then, didn't call for chain replacement at certain intervals; ya just drove the car until the chain showed evidence of noticeable wear, if it ever did.

I've got only 51,000 miles on my 2000 GT Wagon; I've been outside the States a lot and haven't had occasion to rack up the mileage on it. Timing belt replacement is 105,000 miles or 105 months. I've owned my Sube for 90 months, now. Is replacing the belt really an issue at 105 months, even though the actual mileage on it would be far, far less than 105k miles? I would think that mileage on the belt would be the critical factor.

The oil pan drain plug head is 17mm; the 17mm crush washers are a buck a piece at the dealer. Just remembered that the gearbox drain plug head is 22mm, and those 22mm crush washers are over three dollars each at the dealer, special order. Since the gearbox drain intervals are 30,000 miles, many of us don't need more than one or two at a time. I change my Subie's engine oil (I use full synthetic) every 5000 miles, so three or four washers at time is all I really need.

The point I was making is that the Subaru parts dept does NOT keep the gearbox washers in stock; they're special order only. I'd have to place an order for one...strange, since they do keep oil pan drain plug washers in stock. So either the service dept techs reuse the old washers when refilling the gearboxes or they have their own special stash of them. I guess I'll either get a plain ol' non-crush copper washer or reuse the old one. Actually, if I could find a source for readily available copper crush washers of the correct size, I'd be delighted. But copper non-crush washers seem to be easily available while crush washers aren't. I just called several local auto supply stores but none carry crush washers, only flat ones.

Went to my local Subaru dealer's parts dept to get a drain plug washer for my Sube's gearbox. They told me that it's a special order item. Apparently, the service dept just reuses the old washer. Hmm, anyone think there's a problem with doing that? I've reused the washer for the oil pan drain plug before without problems, so I'd imagine it's ok for the gearbox. Anyway, just double checking here; ya never know. By the way, anyone know the washer size in case I'd like to get a hold of one at a general auto supply place?

Hmm, didn't think of it, but it does sound like a good idea! I just checked around on-line and found that Goodridge makes a front and rear set for my Sube; Goodridge seems to be a good, quality brand. Think I'll go for it. Thanks, Skip, for mentioning the SS braided lines! And thanks, Legacy777 and Nipper, for replying, too.

Well, I just got a hold of some factory manuals for a 2000 Legacy/Outback and it states that the brakes take 16.9 ounces of brake fluid, and the clutch takes 2.4 ounces, so that's a bit less than 20 ounces in total for the whole hydraulic system. I already ordered 2 liters(33.8 ounces per liter) of Até Super Blue fluid, just to be safe, so I guess I'll be awash in brake fluid. Anyway, I just got some DBA slotted rotors for my Sube's front wheels, and ordered a set of PBR/Axxis Ultimate brake pads(I've already got Axxis Ultimates installed on all four brakes, and they're great!) along with the Super Blue fluid, so I should have some powerful, fade free brakes when everything's installed.

How much brake fluid does the hydraulic system (both brake and clutch lines) take. I'll likely be getting some ATE Super Blue fluid and want to flush out the old fluid. The ATE fluid comes in liters only, so will I need more than one tin of it? I'll want some left over when I'm done.

I haven't yet bled my Subes brakes myself(it's been done at a shop, before; I've got back issues so don't do as much under my car as I'd like) so I don't yet know if the bleeders take an 8mm or 10mm wrench. I checked on-line at a Subaru parts place and it seems that Sube Legacies from '97-'01 use the same front calipers, while rear ones were the same from '90-'99 with '00-04 using different ones. It's essentially the same with OBWs. I think #SB7100 Speedbleeders would work for my front brakes and SB1010 probably for the rear, but I'll look into it further.

Thanks! I'll keep it in mind.

I'd like to get Speed Bleeders for my 2000 Legacy GT Wagon but their website http://www.speedbleeder.com/ lists part #s for Subes 'till '97 only. http://www.speedbleeder.com/automobile_applications.htm#Sterling I emailed them a while back about bleeders for my 2000 but they haven't a clue. Duh!:-\ Does anyone here know which ones (for both front and rear brakes) would fit my Subie? http://www.speedbleeder.com/size.htm

Just checked the Primitive website. You can order the skidplate with a 4" oil filter access hole for an additional $15. But don't know about access to the oil pan drain plug.

Can anyone recommend an independent Subie garage in/near Berkeley, California for competent, honest work? I know that Askim Auto in San Rafael is highly thought of but I'm looking for someone close by, in my general neighborhood. Don't need any work done on my Subie at the moment but would like to know of a place should something come up.

Since installing PBR/Axxis Ultimate brake pads on my Subie a while back, I've experienced nothing but superb braking....excellent performance all the way around. Since these pads ARE fairly abrasive, I'll likely need to replace the front rotors at some point (and, of course, the Subaru stock rotors are not of the highest quality, anyway; I understand that they are of fairly soft metal). I'd like to upgrade to either drilled or slotted rotors, Brembos for example. Here are some questions: 1) Why would one choose one over the other?, i.e., a drilled over a slotted, or visa versa. 2) If I went to a larger diameter rotor, I'd also have to go to a different caliper as well, am I right? 3) What other brand rotors, that make Subaru drilled and slotted, are good....Brembos, I hear, are good but what are some other quality manufacturers?

What size socket do I need for the (manual)gearbox drainplug on my 2000 Legacy. Also, the differential filler and drain plugs take a 1/2 inch square "male", right?

My Sube has got the clutch judder issue; it's not really bad but has been there since the car was new. The judder doesn't happen too often, mostly when the Sube is driven when cold or when my usually impeccably smooth clutch using technique is out of synch. Tne Sube has only 48,000 miles on it and the judder has not worsened. Does the judder (which I think is due to a weaker spring) mean that the clutch's life expectancy will be reduced? Bare in mind that I'm pretty good using a clutch, don't use it harshly or abusively. I had an '86 Peugeot 505 ( very unreliable...cost me a fecking fortune in repairs), but the original clutch was still going strong when I got rid of at 180,000 miles. But can I expect my Subie's clutch to fail prematurely because of the judder, regardless of how good I am with it?

Let's see now, Subaru's general reliability and dependablity vs Jaguar's propensity for breakdowns, problems and horrendous repair costs? Well, if you've got the hots for a Jag, and are willing to accept it's liabilities, go for it. But always keep a Subie on hand for those times when the Jag is in the shop. By the way, is "reliable British car" an oxymoron?

If just the left front tire is cupping, then there's gotta be a problem with the suspension, or possibly a wheel abnormality. Something's just not right with the left front side. If the camber is off and can't be adjusted, find out why; although I'm not sure if an off camber would cause cupping. Possibly your Subie was once in a collision, or have been hit by another car at the left front wheel area? Or suffered a severe, traumatic jolt by hitting a really bad pothole? When driving, do you notice any kind of irregularity in the steering, or any kind of vibration? If you take your hands off the steering wheel when the car is going down a flat, level road, does in pull or drift to one side?

Well, could be, but I kinda doubt it in my case. First, my upper torso was not jolted forward by the crash's impact; the airbag was deployed instantaneously upon impact and prevented that. Remember that the deployed airbag meets one's body with such speed that it occurs just before the force of crash impact meets one's body, certainly so at lower speed collisions. Most late model cars, especially those designed since airbags became mandatory, are structurally designed to absorb maximum head-on impact in lower speed collisions before those forces reach the passenger compartment. Many structurally well engineered cars of the past 8 or 9 years can easily handle a lower speed head on collision without resulting in any physical trauma whatsoever to the car's occupants, provided seatbelts are worn. And Sube's since the 2000 models are one of the more crashworthy cars. My attending doctor told me that the force of an airbag's impact on one's body can and has caused broken ribs, even with the later modified airbags. A triggered airbag's velocity of about 300mph is more than enough to cause some trauma when meeting one's upper body, even though it deflates instantly afterward. I'd say that the impact of a deployed airbag against one's chest is roughly equivalent to a good jab to one's chest by a heavyweight boxer.

Cupping occurs when a tire continually bounces, usually a result of a bad shock absorber. How many miles on your Sube?

Several years ago I hit a car that suddenly made a left turn right in front of me. I was going about 25mph at the time of impact and was driving a 2000 Subie, the identical car to my current Sube. Since I was wearing my seat/chest belt, the airbag was superfluous at that low speed. But the airbag did deploy resulting in extreme bruising to the interior wall of my chest, which was extremely painful for a couple of weeks; I couldn't take a reasonably good breath or sit up from a lying position without extreme pain. Felt like a had cracked some ribs but xrays didn't show any. Airbags are helpful if one is not wearing a seat belt. Or possibly in a high speed imact even when one is wearing a seat belt. But, I for one, would rather do without them. Airbags should be optionally installed, not mandatorily. They add thousands of $$$ to the cost of the car, and are useful only in a limited range of circumstances. I've been seriously thinking of having mine disconnected.