the_bard

I'm iffy, now. Wife's sister is having a graduation/engagement party that weekend. If I hit Carlisle instead, I'll have two women waiting to skin me when I get back. I've been given assurances that a yard run will happen, though.

I was just going off the website: http://www.carsatcarlisle.com/events/import/ . Says "Gate Times: Th.-Sa. 7am-6pm / Sun. 7am-3pm". Wouldn't be surprised if reality differs from the website, though.

Yep. Me = Bard = LuckyOne. Had an identity crisis a few years ago, realized I can't carry a tune in a bucket, and I've got a whole bunch of bad luck. Hence the name change. I don't think we've met before, though. I have no idea who Connie is. I haven't disliked anyone yet who drove a Subaru, so I'm not planning on starting. Well, except for that one college kid driving an STI with more stickers on it than it had horses (and it had plenty of horses; took off like a scalded cat on a highway ramp). I expect to preregister by April 15th. My only concern is what time I'd be pulling in... I don't expect Saturday to be an issue. If I leave after work Friday, I'd be pulling in around 10-11 PM, after the gates close. I might be able to talk the boss into letting me out after a half day on Friday, meaning I pull in around 5-6 PM, hopefully before they close the gates. Maybe I can find someplace to crash overnight nearby...

The rubbing noise is constant when the clutch pedal is pressed. It's not loud; highway speeds seem to cover it up. It's not the same high pitched squeal that I got out of my '97 OBW when a TOB snapped and let the TOB wander. The gravel noise appears only in first and second gears. It seems to come and go, like gravel in a tumbler. I would have expected it to be loose heatshielding, except it does not occur in the other gears at the same engine rpm. Could be highway noise is covering it up, but I doubt it. I should be swapping in a new clutch kit next month... I'll check the shaft for play then.

So my new to me Baja has a few peculiar noises emitting from or associated with the operation of the clutch and shifting the tranny. I've got a few ideas regarding a plan of attack, but I'd feel better having someone say "Yeah, sounds good." "Hey, you're an idiot; try this instead" is always welcome. Symptoms: A rubbing noise when the clutch pedal is pressed and the clutch is disengaged. It's middle frequency (not high pitched, not deep down chest rattling either), without any thumping or grinding noises. First and second gears have a "rolling gravel" sound while the vehicle's in motion and the clutch is engaged. Depress the clutch, and the sound goes away. It's almost the same sound as loose heat shielding... except it's only in those gears (I can't hear it in the same rpm's in third and above). Most of the heat shielding has been removed by a prior owner, anyhow. First and third gears can be a bit tempermental to shift into. Second, fourth, and fifth are smooth. First and third can be shifted into quietly, but it takes a light touch on the shifter, a few seconds of patience, and the clutch pedal has to be put on the floor, all the way down. Anything else usually results in grinding. I'm thinking the pilot or throw out bearings are causing the first noise. I'm hoping the second and third issues are being caused by old/improper transmission fluid, compounded by possibly bad pilot or TO bearings. Beyond that, I can only guess that "something done ate itself" inside the transmission. So my plan of attack: Change the transmission fluid. Just gonna go straight to the dealer for this, 75W-90 conventional. I've taken a quick look around some local stores, and 75W-90 is hard to find in anything but Mobile 1 Synthetic (which I've read is a no-no). Pull the engine, replace the pilot and TO bearings. Swap the clutch and pressure plate while I'm in there, for giggles. Start hunting for a replacement transmission that doesn't have cannibalistic tendencies. I think a 5MT from a '00 -'04 OBW (TY754VCDCA) should work. Any thoughts?

Moosens, you've got a good point. I'll probably hit up Carlisle (as long as they don't mind me rolling in at 11PM to crash at a tent site) this spring, then a yard meet later on at the end of the summer. Durham ain't but an hour's drive away for me... a nice relaxing Monday drive, if the wife'll let me get away for an afternoon to go yard crawling. Expect a report if I do.

Might want to put it somewhere other than the Meet & Greet forum ;oD

Do we want to put this off 'til the end of summer? Might give folk more time to make plans to join in.

Another vote for PB Blaster, and heat. Dad always used an oxy/ace torch, though I've had reasonable luck with a simple propane torch. Cheaper and simpler to use, but it takes a heck of a long time to build any sort of heat up.

My fear isn't so much the bumper, but the cladding. The Bajas have that distinctive groove molded into the corners. I don't know how they sort out in terms of dimensions and mounting, though. Aren't the front ends designed similarly to the '00-'04 Legacy's and Outbacks? I'd start there. I feel your pain, too. I'm looking for a rear bumper cover, so I can saw the ends off and secure 'em to the back of my incoming (should get here on Saturday) Baja. I believe it's got one of Mudrat's rear bumpers, but the cladding is missing on both sides. Finding a junked Baja out here is like finding that proverbial needle...

I took a stab at Hazelton's online inventory, hoping for *any* Baja. I just need that rear bumper cover... I can bed liner it black, and it'll look better than no cladding at all on the corners. Sadly, though, Hazelton doesn't list any Baja's. A few early 2000 Imp's and Leg's, though. A campground would be nice, though I'm looking to leave here after work on Friday. Puts me into town around 11PM; a rather late check in. Might just sleep in the Baja, if I can find somewhere that I won't be labeled a vagrant.

Well, considering one of the things I want to get accomplished while I'm down there is letting you take some measurements on that bumper, it looks like early/mid April is going to have to do. I can squeak by on mid April. April 14th or the 21st? And does that work for everyone else?

Please define (or elaborate on) "the engine just free wheels w/o any signs of compression".

Early May would probably be better for me. What with the drive time, I'd be looking at doing this instead of Carlisle. Say April 3, or May 7. It'd give me a chance to budget in parts, too. There's only one thing I'd get the flamesuit out for: a Baja black rear bumper cover. Everything else is a "Eh, whatever" priority: power driver seat, heated side, mirrors, wiring and switches for the aforementioned, odds and ends. Edit: Stupid question, but are there any decent "Pick a Part" yards in MA or CT? Either would be closer to you and I than Harry's, and it may pull those folks from VT out of the wood work. I might be do that along with Carlisle, as long as work doesn't mind me taking two Saturdays off.

Competition? Nah, we're friendly out here in the NE. Especially us New Yorkers. I don't think we'd fight over parts... more like "You help me get this part out, then I'll help you get that part out." If things out of hand, I'm sure we'll find some way to resolve it. Like meeting at a local bar and drinking each other under the table. Maybe that's just the Irish in me speaking, though. Seriously though, maybe I'm naive, but competition over junk yard parts? Pppphhttt.

As suggested by Moosens, I thought I'd get a thread going about a meet at a parts yard. Might be worth using Harry's in Hazelton as a "main base", then hitting the other yards that are surrounding it. Saturdays and Sundays are good for me, as long as I've got enough warning to switch my schedule around at work. Any thoughts on locations, dates?

I gotta move out of NY state. Anything for $200 around here is so rusted I'd be scared to sit in it, much less drive it.

I have no idea if Hocrest is coming to Carlisle or not. Being that close, I wouldn't be surprised if he did. I'd love a wrenching part at Harry's! Pulling parts sounds like a good enough reason to get together. Harry's = http://www.wegotused.com/

Hocrest seems like a good enough guy, not that I've met him yet. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt... he's a Baja guy . He's on my way back from Carlisle, so it's no skin off my back. The earlier I leave on Sunday, the more time I'll have at Harry's

Don't remind me. NYS and its taxes are getting ridiculous. Who's government is it, anyway? Forget I asked. Anywho, the wife's event is the week before. As long as I can juggle my work schedule around, or get the time off, I'll be leaving after work Friday afternoon and driving down. I'll have to put my tent up in the darkness, and I hope I don't wake my camping neighbors up. It'll be worth it to hang with like minded Subie folk for Saturday. Speaking of which, btw... does the event stretch into Sunday? Might be a good reason to bring some extra spending cash with me, and hit Harry's on the way back through. I promised Hocrest on the ScoobyTruck forums that I'd let him take a look at the rear bumper, see if he wants to fab something similar, too.

I dropped the oil cap for my wife's '07 Tribeca the other day. Spent twenty minutes using the end of a window squeegee knocking it around the front of the engine, down to the plastic guard covering the bottom of the engine, then around until I could finally snake my arm up from the underside and grab the cap. Somehow I don't feel so bad now... :-\. Thank you for that.

We can still pump our own in Upstate NY. Not sure about The City. In fact, there's only one shop around here that is "full service". They're a bit of a curiosity. I want to make it to Carlisle this year... once I receive my new to me Baja, I'll have a reason. I think the wife has a NYC trip planned with her dad and sister Thursday and Friday. I might be able to make it down Friday night and Saturday. Gotta see if I can get the time off of work, too.

*choke* The seller never mentioned anything about that. I think he would've... seems a straight forward enough guy. *Google "West Coast Subaru Show 13 Best Baja"* Nah, Snorkeled (over on the ScoobyTruck forums) got that. And he deserves it. Lift, snorkel, etc. His bumper looks like it extends forward quite a bit... kinda hard to tell with the perspective in my photo. Makes me wonder if there's gonna be problems shipping mine. Ah, well. Water under the bridge...

Not that it's much help now, but I would've swapped the clips. They're cheap. I had one snap on me, heading west on Route 7 out of Troy at 70 mph. My OBW was driving fine as can be... clip snapped... what the *$%$ is that squealing noise? Being retained by only one clip let the throw-out bearing flop around enough to squeal. It didn't wear on the input shaft, but it was embarrassingly loud. If it had broke after I swapped my clutch, I'd be crying... pulling it again just to replace that cheap clip would not have been fun.

Just sold my '97 OBW. Paid for a '06 Baja Sport this morning. Gotta wait until the end of the month to see it, though... shipping from WA to NY takes a while. 'Til then...