mattri

Just wrapped it up, thanks to all for the good suggestions. The bolts on the gouard over the rear diff really didn't want to come out and had to undo the rubber hangers to drop the exhaust a few inches but other than that it went pretty well. I don't have a good place to work and it's ridiculously cold here but still only took about 2hrs. Test run in FWD went well so took the AWD fuse out and all is well. Thanks again, Matt.

Sourced a drive shaft, should be able to do this tomorrow or this weekend at the latest. It looks to be pretty straightforward mechanically, unbolt the rear flange, the carrier and the gaurd around the rear diff, slip out the old, in with the new- anything else? Also, it looks to be a tight fit to getthe shaft out past the exhaust and the floor pan, will I need to drop the exhaust, if so how? Any other tips/suggestions?

Thanks for the heads up. A local(ish) yard said they have a complete unit they'll sell for $125 but they need to inspect it first. If it's a direct swap I can do that no problem. For now my biggest concern is that I'm really not in a position to park the car until I can do the work which will be Thurs at the earliest, maybe the beginning of next week. I'll look tonight if I can get the rear section out for now.

Good to know, thanks. I'll look at removing the rear section first.

The other day my wife's Forester started having a little off idle shudder, not at all noticeable at driving speeds just at take off. It seemed to be coming from the rear drivetrain so I put the FWD fuse in and it lessened dramatically, it's still there but not bad. Got it to the shop today and they diagnosed a bad rear u-joint and explained you need to replace the entire shaft. How difficult is this to do? Seems pretty straight forward, any special tools etc? How long can I leave it in FWD and continue driving it? I don't want to tear up the rear housing of the trans but need a little time to sort out whether I can do the repair or schedule it with the shop. Do I have days, weeks?

Turns out is was the rear right wheel bearing- thanks for the help.

06 Forester non turbo, at, about 160k. The other day when cold noticed a "tinking" noise coming from what sounded like a loose exhaust shield, after the car warmed up it went away. Noticed in another day or two, always when cold, seldom when warm. Took it to a shop and they agreed it sounded like a loose heat shield, but after test driving it and further diagnosis they determined it was coming from the trans/rear diff so they put the 2wd fuse in, bypassing the rear drive and the noise seemed to go away. Now after a week or so it has come back intermittently, even though the car is still in 2wd. The shop says it needs to go to a trans specialist, that it isn't super urgent but something to do "sooner than later". Trans shifts and drives fine, has been serviced at proper intervals by same reputable import shop. Thoughts?

Thanks for the reply, after doing a little digging I am definitely farming this one out. Anyone know a good shop?

06 Forester with appr 140k. Car has run perfectly from day one, regular maintenance has been done including t-belts etc. The other day while having it serviced we were told that the head gaskets have started to leak. The tech said it wasn't critical at the moment but that obviously they need to be changed. 1) How big of a project is this? I've done head gaskets on a straight six ford but never a Subie motor. Is this within the realm of an electrician with decent mechanical abilities? 2) I'm guessing probably not so what is a ballpark that this should run? 3) Anyone know of a good shop in the southwest Iowa area? We live in a small town that doesn't cater to imports all that much but we get to Des Moines and Omaha fairly often, and Kansas City isn't that far either. Any tips appreciated, Matt.

Thanks again for the replies, sorry in the delay getting back. The timing belts were changed because we lived very far from any decent shops and were going to be back in Denver where there is an awesome independent suby shop. Had the belts, idlers, cams water and oil pump done. Looks like I need to change the ATF, check the boots and look at the alternator, starter and battery.

Great indformation thanks. Best ATF to use?

Good to know so many are having good luck with their Foresters. Is the front diff not part of the transaxle? Changing the gear oil is a good call, will add that to the preventative maintenance list. The suspension and steering parts are something else I've considered changing out. This car has been driven very easily since day one, just like to get things changed out before they go. Should I be looking at head gaskets? What about electrical? Anything else to watch out for?

Thanks for the reply. What all have you done to your Imprezza? If we were to keep the car, what would be some thing to look a in the way of preventative maintenance?

Have an 06 Forester LL Bean with the 2.5 with 120k on it. Car was bought new and has been maintained pretty well. Did the timing belts, water and oil pump at 85k, regular oil changes, trans was flushed at about 80k, have changed spark plugs and wires at regular intervals, bled the brakes and new pads around a year ago. It's been a good car, nothing to complain about really, but now that it is getting up there on miles we're debating whether we should sell or keep it. I've owned a number of older subies (80s/90s gls, loyales etc) that ran well past 200/250k, but really don't know anything about Foresters, the 2.5 or their overall longevity. This is obviously a Subie fan site and we do like the car, but what is a realistic expectation for low maintenance life out of this car? At what point are we better off selling it now, when we can get the most out of it instead of hanging onto it too long? Thanks, Matt.

Have an 06 Forester that is going to need new pads soon. No issues with the current ones, no sounds etc, they're just getting thin and I'd like to do them sooner than later. Will replace all four while I'm at it. I've done brakes on other vehicles numerous times, but never on this one. How much different, if at all is it to do pads on a Subaru? I've heard that you have to turn the piston on the caliper as you compress it, is that still the case, does it apply to front and rears? Any special tools or procedures? Thanks, Matt.