nitroman58 Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 My son is planning a summer cross county trip this spring. Back in December I bought a Forester with 81,000 miles. The local mechanic suggested replacing the timing belt and the radiator hoses. I had that done and currently have about 83,000 miles on the car. Aside from changing the oil and plugs, and checking the breaks and tires, is there any thing I should have done before this trip? The car has a manual trans. Is there a way to check out the clutch before him starting out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikec03 Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 (edited) Your question is really "is there any catastropic event that could happen on an 01 Forrester with 83K miles on a cross country trip? I have an 02, which I assume is the same motor as yours [2.5 SOHC] and nothing has happened to the car from 00 to 100K that would have stopped it from running. So that should be reassuring to you. However, I did have a HG repair and the muffler did need repair during this time. The HG doesn't start to leak precipitously so that shouldn't be a problem. The exhaust could develop a nasty leak, so you should check it out, especially the flange before the cat and replace/weld up if it looks bad. The only other thing that might be a problem is the brake line rusting. On my 02 sedan legacy, the metal tubing to the rear brakes is short and while not looking good, seem OK. On my older subarus, and possibly on your forester, the rear brake lines were long, from the rear seat, over the gas tank, to the rear wheels. I've had two subaru like this where the brake lines rusted out and started to leak. On the old subarus, from the rust belt, everyone should check the power brake reservoir when they check the oil level so that they don't get an unpleasent surprise. Edited February 5, 2015 by mikec03 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitroman58 Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 Thanks for the tip. I will check the brake lines and the exhaust out. Fortunately, the trip will be from May to late July. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventureSubaru Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 The only thing these cars would be known for in that mileage range is the failure of the head gaskets. Usually before 150,000 miles. If the engine is not overheated and the job is done right, it will only need to be done once. 83,000 miles probably has plenty of time left. A coolant change will help prolong the life of the head gaskets. Subaru sells a coolant conditioner available at any of their dealerships that aids in this. All the same, be sure your son has a routine habit of watching the temperature gauge of the car. Catch it before the engine overheats and headgaskets are a a small bump in the road for a motor that will last 300k and beyond. (Been there done that) let the motor overheat and you will be either shopping for a new motor or possibly doing headgasket jobs every 10-20,000 miles due to warped heads. Exhaust and brakes rusting out are not specific to subaru or the age/mileage. They are specific to road salt. Lived in Southeast Pennsylvania as well as wisconsin and salt will quickly eat at such things. If your subaru is showing rust and seen plenty of salt, it's worth taking a peek to see what's going on under the car. if it's not showing rust and not been charging through snowstorms too often, then it's a long way down the road that rust will require its own repairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 ideally the timing pulleys are replaced as well - particularly the lower sprocketed pulley is prone to failure. Gates kits on amazon are $120 for an entire kit with belt, tensioner, and timing pulleys. but too late for that. no way to inspect the clutch - just tell him not to drive it nuts. if he doesn't beat it up and there's no slipping/issues now there shouldn't be any for such a short trip that would prevent him from getting home. drive gingerly at the first sign of symptoms and you can go a long time. clean battery posts and terminals...unless they look pristine. hard to say without seeing it - but check CV boots for cracking, low brake pads, sticking caliper slide pins are commonly an issue, clean and regrease them, check fluid levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forester2002s Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I would change, not just the engine oil, but the transmission and rear-diff oil as well. Cheap & easy to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 cheap and easy to replace the fuel filter, that sits under the hood. I just replaced mine, and was surprised how much better my engine runs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keith3267 Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Personally I'm a check the tires and light the fires type of guy. I keep all may maintenance up to date so if I suddenly have to leave on a road trip, I check the tire pressure and inflate about 3 psi above the recommended to reduce heat build up in the tires due to high speed driving, then go. A long trip is nothing more than a series of short trips all at once. If you would not worry about anything happening with the next 5000 miles of local driving, then don't worry about a 5000 mile trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moosens Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Radar detector , proper working tunes and cup holders , easy to grab cubby for drive thru / tolls. The network of folks here will help in a pinch. As mentioned , these guys are great here. Timing , the usual... Best of luck on his adventure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitroman58 Posted February 7, 2015 Author Share Posted February 7, 2015 Okay thanks. We did use the Gates timing belt kit, but bought the water pump separately. I did buy the coolant conditioner which was added to the new coolant. I was going to change the front brakes and oil before the trip. I will ask the local mechanic about the other fluids, fuel filter, and CV boots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocei77 Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 Have him take a spare alternator belt and tools needed to change it (12mm socket). If he doesn't know how, show him. Few things worse than being stuck in the middle of nowhere and being hosed by someone over a $15 belt. O. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keith3267 Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Be sure all the maintenance is done at least a week before the start of the trip. That way, if there is a problem like a bolt not tightened or an alignment not quite right, you hopefully can catch before leaving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'nucksfan Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 You can get a decent idea of clutch condition on your own by feeling it when you drive. If it doesn't grab until it's practically fully released it's pretty well worn, if it grabs right away when you begin to release it's in good condition as far as wear. noise while its engaged is a bad sign too. really with stock motors and normal driving the only thing that causes clutch problems is wear. start adding more power or driving like you're an extra from Fast and Furious may cause component damage and premature wear. with 80k+ I wouldn't expect it to grab immediately so don't worry if it doesn't. having a manual makes things more reliable and easier to tell if things are beginning to go wrong. I.E. my 4EAT just gave out on the freeway with no signs of anything being wrong, damn the luxury of auto transmissions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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