Off Topic: Forester XT work log

[323]

Grats on the newborn @323! I had a new addition to my family recently as well. Hope baby and mama are doing well!

Thanks! They're doing well. Congrats to you too!

 

[323]

Finally picked up some ATF for a drain and refill.

 

[323]

Not much happening here with the baby boss. Driver window tint started peeling. I'll get it taken care of.... eventually. Already made a clean tear off to prevent further peeling.

Some gas station shots because why not.

 

[323]

Oil changed! I forget I don't need to jack this car up for one. Busted out the jack stands out of habit.

 

[Dpwhitehead1]

It’s always nice working with a stock height vehicle lol

 

[323]

Starting to get a shimmy when braking, especially at highway speeds. Based on my past experience, I checked for a seized caliper and sticky caliper slider pins first. Turns out that is not the case so I guess it's most likely warped rotors.

 

[Dpwhitehead1]

Working on cars is the worst!

 

[323]

Working on cars is the worst!

Yeah, I'm definitely slacking though. Every time I brake I'm reminded I need to tend to the brakes lol.

 

[323]

Got my front brakes changed! Went with StopTech Street Performance pads and new rotors. They feel great. Definitely outperform the mystery pads on the car previously.

 

[Jack Rabbit]

Got my front brakes changed! Went with StopTech Street Performance pads and new rotors. They feel great. Definitely outperform the mystery pads on the car previously.

Any chance you know the weight of the rotors ? Or maybe it was on the box?
Looking to replace mine with lightweights and drop some weight.

 

[323]

Any chance you know the weight of the rotors ? Or maybe it was on the box?
Looking to replace mine with lightweights and drop some weight.

Specs I grabbed from online.

Brand ‎Wagner
Model ‎BD126174E
Item Weight ‎14.67 pounds
Product Dimensions ‎14.67 x 14.67 x 4 inches
Item model number ‎BD126174E
Position ‎Front

 

[Jack Rabbit]

Specs I grabbed from online.

Brand ‎Wagner
Model ‎BD126174E
Item Weight ‎14.67 pounds
Product Dimensions ‎14.67 x 14.67 x 4 inches
Item model number ‎BD126174E
Position ‎Front

Sweet.. was that considerably less than your subie stocks?

 

[323]

Sweet.. was that considerably less than your subie stocks?

I doubt it. Didn't weigh it or anything but they're just factory replacements. Nothing fancy or performance oriented.

 

[323]

 

[jcrout7992]

Great looking Subie! I really miss my ‘04 XT w/ manual. 0-60 in 5.3 and the 1/4 in 13.8 stock. It’s a shame Subaru abandoned the philosophy of the 2nd gen Forester XT. Think of what a modern XT would do if it had evolved from there.

 

[323]

Great looking Subie! I really miss my ‘04 XT w/ manual. 0-60 in 5.3 and the 1/4 in 13.8 stock. It’s a shame Subaru abandoned the philosophy of the 2nd gen Forester XT. Think of what a modern XT would do if it had evolved from there.

Thanks! And yeah wish they'd concentrate more on a modern XT since crossovers are what sells these days. Or maybe even a Crosstrek XT?

In other news, wife has been smelling oil fumes on morning drives. Smells strongest on the passenger side wheel well area. Peeked around before and couldn’t make any sense of it. Revisited it with a flashlight and mirror to confirm either an oil leak from the lower half moon or the valve cover gasket itself.

Here goes the shopping list:

• 13272AA140 - Left Side Large valve cover gasket x1
• 13270AA190 - Right Side Large valve cover gasket x1
• 13293AA051 – Spark Plug Seals x4
• 11051AA070 - Camshaft Plug x4 (AKA Half Moons)

 

[323]

Very slow progress here. Got the gaskets for the passenger side valve cover ordered and waiting for them to come in. In the mean time, been trying to find time in the evenings after the almost toddler goes to bed. Also been sick for the past 2 months so that didn't help.

Here's the valve cover removed. It came right out, confirming again that 04 FXT's do not need the engine raised.

I couldn't help but notice the valve cover kind of looks like a face? I can't be the only one.

All cleaned up and ready for gaskets and RTV

 

[323]

Success! Drove the car around for a few days and it also sat a few days. The heat shield where oil would collect stays bone dry now. The task was more annoying/inconvenient than hard just based on the available space to work with. First prank of 2022 resolved.

 

[323]

Finally got around to changing my diff fluid on lunch break. Only photo I snagged.

 

[323]

Went on a 1500 mile road trip about a week ago. Forester did fine for the most part except for 2 things.

1. The A/C definitely struggles when experiencing 100F weather. I would notice it blowing hot air and if I turn the AC switch off for a couple minutes and back on, the AC would blow cold again for another 10-20 minutes. On cooler days, this was barely an issue. Currently researching if my next action should be to get the AC system checked for leaks or close the gap on the AC clutch (a known thing on Subaru's)

2. Constant uphills on a hot day would drive the engine temp higher than I've seen on my ultragauge but no signs of overheating. Checked a few threads and this appears to be normal due to more load meaning more heat. On cooler days, the engine temp would also be cooler.

Didn't manage to snap too many photos of the forester on the trip.