theotherskip

i'm pretty sure that there is no speedometer cable. it is electronic, so see if you can find a junkyard one and swap it out... also... check the condition of the grounds under the dash. a lot of intermittent, seemingly random problems in different systems can often be traced back to a corroded common ground...

i changed my clutch when i pulled the engine to replace the head gaskets, so i can't tell you how difficult it is to pull the transmission in a driveway. there is a lot going on there, though, with the AWD system. you have to remove the driveshaft and 2 halfshafts. the only special tool i needed was the metric alignment tool, about $20 from pep boys. all of the bolts were easy to access (at least when doing it from the engine side). there were only a few wiring harnesses to disconnect. you should get the flywheel machined, replace the rear main seal, oil separator plate (if it is plastic), pilot bearing, throwout bearing, disc and pressure plate. all parts should run you somewhere between $200-250...try 1stsubaruparts.com. as for instructions, you can download the factory service manuals, with very detailed instructions, from http://techinfo.subaru.com . it is $20 for a 72 hour subscription, well worth the $$...

two dollar bill: it is important to replace all tires at the same time with the exact same tire. if you have 4 xw4's with 30k miles on them, then you replace only one, it's circumference will be different that the other ones with 30k mile on it (due to wear). keeping the same model of tire doesn't help...

bad technique can make any clutch shudder after a while. some are more prone to it than others. subaru has definately made improvements to the newer clutches to fix some problems with the older ones. studder can be bad for the engine and drivetrain. instead of smoothly applying power to it, you will be alternating between the engine jerking the drivetrain, and the drivetrain jerking the engine. it can trash bearings and gears...

i think it falls into the latter category. i think there is enough play in the throwout bearing and travel that it has to let you grind the flywheel a few times, though i didn't actually measure it... the hydraulic clutch will automatically adjust itself so the sweet spot is at the same spot as the old clutch.

the machinist ground the whole surface. he put it on some kind of a milling machine that put a cross-hatch on it. i originally thought that they would lathe it like rotors, but i apparently that's not hot they do it. if you are sending it out, be sure to mark any reference marks off of the surface, as he pulled all of the pins out to mill it (though he did put them back in the same place).

new subaru pressure plate, clutch disc, pilot bearing and throwout bearing was around $200 from 1stsubaruparts.com. i had the flywheel machined for about $20 at a machine shop. 7k mile later, i've been very pleased with the results... as for an act clutch, i don't think i could really justify spending the extra $$... i think it was about double for just the clutch and pressure plate...

one tire here + one tire there = bad for the AWD. i'm surprised a tire shop would sell you a single tire. when you run tires of a different circumference for an extended time, it is very tough on the AWD system because it is constantly trying to compensate for the difference in circumferences. if you have an automatic model, you should always use the FWD fuse any time that you have a non-similar tire on the car. If you have manual, it seems to be less sensitive to this out of balance condition, but you should try to get them all back together as soon as possible... as for tire recommendations, i have been very pleased with the xw4's that i bought my car with. they are wearing very well, and handled all of the snow that the mid atlantic received last year very well. Some of the reviews on tirerack.com seem to go against this, but i have been very pleased...

as long as the engine did not get seriously overheated to the point that the heads got warped, changing the head gasket should solve the leak. make sure that everything gets inspected before reassembly (check the heads for warpage, the condition of the cylinder linings, etc.). the newest version of the head gasket, 11044AA610, seems to be holding up pretty well. i replaced mine a few months ago, and it solved all of the problems. i wrote a page with a lot of info about doing it yourself, and also a guestbook which is trying to keep a running tally of which engines are having problems and around what age/mileage... you can view it here. good luck...

i think that the vc that is used in the manual has more give to this tolerance than the transfer clutches used in the automatic, hense the lack of a way to disable the AWD when using the spare. i just make sure that i keep them rotated and i wouldn't replace just one...

instead of emory cloth, i recommend a pencil eraser. it tends to be very gentle and good at removing corrosion from electrical contacts. it takes about 45 minutes to clean both, and works pretty well. don't be surprised if some of the circuit board has been rubbed off by the contact (as mine was). it doesn't seem as though they are the most robust part...

when i was taking everything apart, i marked a bunch of alignment marks on the pressure plate and flywheel (sharpie makes new metallic markers which can mark on dark surfaces - they work great). when i initially looked, i didn't see any marks on the flywheel. but when i looked again later, i found one on a few of the teeth on the edge. but i basically just lined up the dot on the new pressure plate with the dot on the old one... as for the struts, i've haven't attempted those yet, so i can't help you there... maybe in a year or so! my only advice would be to make note of what you are taking apart, looking for any paint/reference marks, and try to match the new to the old...

the unbalance point marks the part of the pressure plate and flywheel where there is "residual unbalance" as the service manual puts it. basically, you want the point on the flywheel to be at least 120deg away from the point on the pressure plate so they will cancel each other. now how you can get machined casting like a flywheel to have a signifigant imbalance is beyond me... 7000 miles on the clutch and whatever i did seems to be working find... nice and smooth.

the oem pressure plate that i bought had a yellow spot of paint on the outside (transmission side) edge to mark the unbalance point...

you can get service manuals at http://techinfo.subaru.com , or buy a haynes/chiltons at pep boys, etc. i believe that the obs is the same as the leg outback where it has a hydraulic clutch, where there is no adjustment. you probably have air in the system, or a leak. i would try bleeding the system, then check for leaks if the symptoms return.

the seat heaters do have their problems. the butt element on my driver's seat is burned out. i guess it is hard to notice when you are buying a car when it is 90 degrees out. they are wired in a series and parallel arrangement. when they are switched on hi, they are in parallel, with each element getting 12V. when switched to low, 12V is applied across the two elements in series, passing approximately half the current through each. in my car, forward is hi, and back is low (low doesn't work because the one element is open). i've been meaning to switch the seat element out of the passenger's seat... i usually drive alone...

glad everything worked out for you. for others who may read this later, it is possible to get by without the special tools from subaru... if you have a manual transmission, it is possible to put it in 5th gear, have someone step on the brakes and then break the crank bolt loose. as for the cams, the tool would be nice when putting the belts back on, but you can also just rotate the cams away from each other as directed in the manual to avoid collisions. but it would be easier (and less risky) with the tool (it also makes breaking the cam bolts easier, though you can use the hex portion of the camshaft, which requires removing the valve covers).

my heat shields are starting to make lots of noise, i just haven't had a chance to crawl under there and figure out exactly which one(s). the heat shields are another layer of metal which is bolted onto the exhaust pipes and around the catalytic converters and resonators. they help stop the transfer of radient heat, so you won't cause a fire when you park over things like grass and leaves. in order to find which ones are rattling, you raise the car and support it with jack stands, then rev the engine to a speed that causes it to resonate (an assistant helps for this, or you can put a wedge at the throttle body to keep it at a high idle. then crawl under and poke at all of the heat shields while wearing a pair of heavy gloves (some areas get really hot). when you touch one and the noise stops, inspect it and see if you can find any loose hardware or cracks. sometimes they can be resecured with large hose clamps, or are more often removed all together. if you go for the later, just be sure that you don't park over anything flammable! good luck

here's the tsb... APPLICABILITY: 1995~2002MY Legacy; 1997~2003MY 2.5L Impreza; and 1998~2003MY Forester Vehicles. All models have Manual Transmission. SUBJECT: Clutch Pedal Sticking (revised) INTRODUCTION In the event you encounter a customer complaint of the clutch pedel not returning completely after being engaged, or has a spongy pedal feel or a light feel in the shifting pedal while shifting, the following repair method should be followed. This condition may affect certain manual transmission vehicles with a hydraulic clutch system under certain weather conditions. PROCEDURE To correct this condition you must replace the parts in the chart that match your vehicle using the following procedure: For Natural Aspiration models with hydraulic clutches 1) Remove the intake chamber from the backside of the intake manifold. 2) Remove the clutch hose and the clutch operating cylinder. In this procedure it is not necessary to remove the master cylinder, the clutch pipe and bracket. 3) Replace the clutch hose and the clutch operating cylinder with new parts as listed in the chart. Note that two pieces of gasket (P/N 114130151) used on the connector of the operating cylinder must be replaced with new ones when replacing the clutch hose. Tightening torque of the bolt is: 37 ± 3 Nm (3.8 ± 0.3 kgm) or 27± 2 ft. lbs. 4) Bolt the operating cylinder onto the transmission. 5) Add brake fluid. 6) Bleed the air from the system. 7) Install the intake chamber. 8) Check the following items: a) Insure there is no leakage from the line, check whether fluid leakage occurs after the clutch pedal has been fully depressed. Check whether the clutch performs normally. Page 2 Bulletin Number:03-52-03R; Date: 07/15/03 For Turbo models 1) Remove the intercooler. 2) Remove the clutch operating cylinder hose. In this procedure, the clutch master cylinder, clutch pipe and bracket are unnecessary to be removed. 3) Replace the clutch hose that was removed with the new one listed in the chart. Note that two pieces of gasket (P/N 114130151) used on the connector of the operating cylinder must be replaced with new ones when replacing the clutch hose. Tightening torque of the bolt is: 37 ± 3 Nm (3.8 ± 0.3 kgm) or 27 ± 2 ft. lbs. 4) Add brake fluid. 5) Bleed the air from the system. 6) Install the intercooler. 7) Check the following items: a) Insure there is no leakage from the line, check whether fluid leakage occurs after the clutch pedal has been fully depressed. Check whether the clutch performs normally. MODEL * Clutch Operating Cylinder * Hose - Clutch * Gaskets for Hose 02MY~ WRX (5MT) * Unnecessary to replace * 37251AA003 * 114130151 X 2 Legacy (5MT) * 30620AA042 * 37251AC001 * 114130151 X 2 Impreza (5MT) * 30620AA042 * 37251AC001 * 114130151 X 2 Forester (5MT) * 30620AA042 * 37251AC001 * 114130151 X 2 This change was incorporated in production after the followning VIN numbers: Legacy All 36*00000 Beginning of the 03 MY Impreza Sedan 26529238 April 10,2002 Impreza Wagon 26835444 April 10,2002 Forester All 36713250 April 10,2002

its always been my understanding that no manual transmission have syncros on the reverse gear. syncros are needed to change gears while the car is moving. since the car should be stopped when changing from forward to a reverse gear, there is no need for a syncro (the output shaft will not be spinning).

my thinking was that they (subaru) should be the most concerned party about finding a solution to the problem, so they should be working to improve on its design, working from all the lessons learned from the failures (big hopefully). aftermarket vendors don't have the same background with the uniqueness of the subaru aluminum boxer. i used the same as 99obw recommended...

i would definatly try the radiator cap first, but one check is to drive it to full operating temp (usually 30 min on the highway), then open the expansion tank (after bleeding the system fully). if you see bubbles, it is a pretty good indication that the head gasket is bad. but your radiator cap should let it draw fluid back from the expansion tank, so it seems the problem lies there...

the likelyhood of it ruining your clutch are pretty low, as it is on the other side of the flywheel from the separator plate. any oil that doesn't leak straight down the block would just be slung around the bell housing by the spinning flywheel. either way, you have to go by the clutch, so you'll know if it is starting to affect the clutch...

that's right. the viscous coupler seems to be a little more tolerant of tire diameter differences, but the automatic can really get trashed by not installing the FWD fuse...it burns up the clutches fast!

i don't think you are going to get much help from subaru or the warranty company over this problem. chances are, they never saw the problem. they most likely never pulled the engine to replace the head gaskets (most shops will do it in the car). i'm not 100% sure, but i don't think they have to pull the tranny to change the viscous coupler either. since you said viscous coupler, which is found only on the manual models, i'm assuming you have a manual. assuming that they did remove the transmission, did they also change the clutch? did that include resurfacing or replacing the flywheel? they probably wouldn't have noticed it if they didn't remove the flywheel, as the flywheel blocks a good view of the separator plate and rear main seal. it is usually recommended by subaru to change the plate if you are in the area, so they probably never were around it. the plate is only sealed with rtv sealant, so eventually, like oil pans, it will start to leak. when you get it repaired, it would be good measure to also change the rear main, because you will be right there. depending on the magnitude of the leak, you can probably drive it for a while without too much harm (it may start to screw with the clutch, but it will be easy to also change at the same time). sorry if this is a bit disjointed. please let me know if i can clarify anything. overall, they probably never were around it to inspect or change.