Deener

Thanks for all the responses everyone!! I will update once it's done.

Hi all, Pops needs to replace the rear brake lines on his 94 loyale. They both ruptured right at some spot that they attach to the frame(?). I doubt the dealer will stock these things, and a junkyard might be the last option he'd like to pursue...so are these lines easily fabricated? Are they a universal size? Is it pissible to find replacements at a local parts store perhaps under a sinilar vehicle etc...?Just curious what im getting into as I will be helping him with them. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Hi all, Im having trouble telling exactly which shocks/struts I need in order to replace what is on my 2010 xt. I have an SH as the 4th and 5th letters of my vin but I still cant tell if I need to get self leveling replacements (not even sure what I have yet) or if I can just get some kyb's from ebay or what. I am towing my boat so do I need to maybe add some king springs too? I dont want to change height if i can avoid it. Anyone know what will fit? Thx

Despite my best judgement, research, and sound advice from board members I got the 2010 xt. It is very fast and very fun and has the premium pkg. I figured that if the engine goes, I'll just drop another one in. After test driving it...you were right...I found plenty of ways to justify it! Thanks for the help though, apologies for not listening.

Thanks man. This confirms my suspicion about the xt. I just really like my 98 dohc right now, hence the interest in the xt. Ill look more towards the sohc.

Hi folks. Its been a while. I am about to buy a newer (to me) forester. I am looking at the 2009 2.5x premium and a 2010 xt. I dont know much about these years and i am just looking for some basic opinions on what to check for...if there are any known issues with those years, turbo issues etc. Thanks Dean

Thanks bratman. I see them on ebay. Ill give them a shot.

Bratman...thats what i thought too...which is why i went with MLS last time. But they appear to have failed rather quickly and im up for whatever works best. Decking the heads for sure, maybe new bolts, but now i dunno about the gasket...lots of different opinions here.

Thanks! I don't know how many times ive followed a GD writeup! Im gonna make that rig for sure.

Interesting. I used the old felpro petmatorques on my ea82s too...and none have leaked. Hmph. I did check them with my straight edge and they seemed good with the feeler gauges. Thanks for your advice. One last question for you...do you recommend new head bolts too?

Sigh...no. I tried to shortcut the downtime by just cleaning the surfaces myself...worked great on my old ea82s but i guess its truly not good enough for the 2.5d. As per your recommendation, I'll try the composite/laser weld gaskets you speak of now AND get the heads decked.

Looks like my HGs are going again on my 98 2.5 dohc. But...the MLS gaskets (i replaced them last year) are made of steel...how could this be? I havent overheated the car ever. Getting what smells like exhaust in the overflow bottle. Bottle is getting full and rad is getting empty. Assuming its an internal failure between exhaust and coolant passages. New rad cap...no coolant out the tailpipe or on the ground and no visible leaks. Using subaru coolant and conditioner too. Has anyone else had the replacement MLS gaskets fail on them?

Thanks ocei77. So...if I was to just take the button out and twist the two ends together, what happens when I disconnect the battery the next time? How do I do the reset? Would that mean that I have to UNDO the connection with the ignition turned to 'on' in order to reset (and stop the lights from flashing)?

Because I am unsure if the "dock lock timer" is known to cause the specific issue I described. Its such an odd thing to happen that I turned to the internet looking for help, read a couple of similar posts and followed up with specifics related to my model. Digging into the dash is time consuming, especially if I have to tear the whole thing out just to get at the unit. Furthermore, I am unfamiliar with exactly what a "door lock timer" is supposed to do, so I don't even know if removing said device would help the situation. Ha ha, I am not throwing anything in any lake. I don't pollute. I fish.

Thanks, the doors are sealed nicely. Switches have been dry for a long time. I guess I could try unplugging the lock switches to see if that makes a difference.

Finished up my heater core job nicely a couple of weeks ago and upon reassembly, I had a acquired a new issue...while driving, the door locks will cycle (sounds like maybe a couple of times...?) and lock on their own. This is accompanied by the "door ajar" indicator light on the dash as well as the interior light turning on. It can happen fairly frequently in a short trip or not at all - seems random. I assume this is related to the fact that something was banged about/loosened during the heater core job. I have a few related questions: 1. I've read the threads related to the door lock timer being the culprit on some Legacy's. I am assuming this is where I should start. Does anyone know the location of such device? Is it under the dash on the passenger side - the same as the Legacy? 2. Am I looking at replacing the unit? If so, I am assuming it's a dealer only part or is there something else I can do to check it/ fix it? Voltage/resistance/connection fiddling tests...? 3. I noticed that the security reset button (brown wire right under the kick panel) was difficult to depress. I had to do so because I had the battery cable off during the heater core job and when I got this car, it didn't come with a key fob. Is it possible that the button/switch is just hooped, causing the issue? Thanks, Dean

Correct, the torx I used was a #40 - security type.

Thanks folks. 71 bucks (tax in) at a local parts store for aftermarket instead of 290 from the dealer for OEM. They look identical, and I just had to swap the pipes onto the new one. Regarding the climate control cables - I figured it out: 1. Routing matters - otherwise the clip can't hold the cable properly and the loop will pop off when you change the selector - especially true with the driver side cable. Pay attention to the routing prior to removal. 2. Positioning of the cable in the clip matters, if its too 'far' then the cable cannot actuate properly.

Yeah I noted the C-clips, they went back into the same spots as before, like right up against the other clips.

Thanks. I didn't have to remove any AC lines, but I had to undo a bracket in the engine to allow for more slack to get the heater box out. The big black AC box sits right on front of the heater box (with a peg sticking into it from the backside), but you can get enough clearance by undoing the bracket in the engine (not sure what the part is called but its a vertical canister with a couple of lines going to it). The whole heater core job took me about 6 hours but I messed up the climate controls somehow. I tried setting them exactly as it stated in the manual before I disassembled it but still managed to mess things up. Now the blend dial won't budge, it's stuck cold and the climate mode dial does nothing - like no change in air routing between any of the selections. Does anyone know if there's a foolproof way/rules for putting the climate controls and blend/vent door levers back together correctly?

One last question...does anyone know if I will have to discharge the AC?

Thanks fellas. Good one about discharging! Didn't think about that. I won't put in used parts during big-ish jobs. I don't mind paying a few bucks more for a new unit, was just more concerned about any junky brands to avoid in case they were known leakers. Good idea about practicing in the JY, however, I am a bit pressed for time so I am just going to dig right in. When it comes to complex/new jobs, I always keep my tablet, a sharpie and a box of sandwich bags with me - taking pics, labeling screws and fixtures in baggies as I go, unless I've done the job a few times. I have a basic manual that covers 1999 - 2001, which I suspect is probably close enough to my 98. Thanks for the advice. Outstanding! Dean

My Heater core bit it over the weekend. I have coolant mist spraying into the cabin regardless of which setting I choose. I have a manual (pdf's) for reference as well as some of these posts to go by, but specifically I would like to know a couple of things before I start tearing in: 1. Any special consideration for the airbags while pulling the dash? I will take the battery lead off and tape the airbag connectors if I need to remove them. 2. Will any torx set do or is there a special size required? 3. The light on the right side of the instrument panel is burnt out. I wish to change it while in in there, so is that a dealer only part or should any half decent parts store have those bulbs? 4. Do I need to go to the dealer for the heater core itself or will an aftermarket one suffice? Any particular brands to avoid? Thank you, Dean

Thanks guys, I'm going with the ebay kit as posted by Naru.

Yup, those online sources are upwards of 450 for the kit (with water pump), but the rockauto (USA) site is showing that I can get it for under 300, including shipping...