amm203

Yep this appears to be the cause - saw the same issue opening up mine. The metal arms cut grooves into the conductive coating over time. This likely means that 6-8 years from now the issue will come up again and I'm guessing it'll be very hard to find new replacements in 2030. I've read there may be a way to replace the conductive "lanes" with something else to repair the bad actuators. I'm keeping the old ones around to tinker with at some point

Thank you for this info/walkthrough - good to know it is possible! I've had a new driver temp actuator sitting for over a year in the garage. Might try to tackle it this weekend. The clicking is getting so damn annoying

Just twiddling my thumbs waiting for the Invidia DP to come in before going FBO. Ordered it over 3 months ago. Damn pandemic

Thanks for the info. I'm with you on heat shields - I've resorted to stuffing DEI exhaust wrap into the voids to help with rattling. I've also heard that the accordion/flex joint in the OEMs can literally disintegrate after a while though that seems rare in general. Won't really know until I tear into it to replace the up/manifold/turbo & downpipe. Hopeful the 321SS v-band uppipe from Killer B will last the life of the car

Dang! I'm convinced my OEM up with 130K+ miles is in the same boat. Besides being unable to hit target boost, did you notice anything else like smells/sounds?

One step closer to FBO wildness. The finish is gorgeous (at least for now). Only took a few weeks

Photos seem to show a big difference. However, I think part of that was the lighting. In person it is hardly noticeable. Passengers can't tell either

Got my dash replaced back in 2018. I also thought it looked slightly lighter gray at first but the difference in shade is not noticeable at all between the dash and the doors. I can post some pictures tonight or tomorrow. I'm in the camp that humidity and chemicals are the biggest factors. I've been using nothing but microfiber cloths and occasionally a light mix of Dawn and water to wipe it down and it still looks brand new. Time will tell if they used a more robust material this time around.

FreightQuote.com for the win to get shipping estimates. GLWS - nice tranny!

Just noticed a post on Facebook with someone selling a non sticky, non cracking dash in Erie for $275. It's from a 2005 Outback XT and has the cubby/clock display setup. Not sure if he/she is willing to ship, though. I can share it if wanted.

Replaced the leaky OEM power steering pump with a reman one. Process wasn't too bad - just tight quarters working in that area. The front two pump bracket bolts thread onto lugs on the block. I didn't even get to the specified 15 ft/lbs before they sheared the aluminum threads right off. Quick trip to Home Depot for some Grade 8 bolts; the right-side longer bolt was replaced with an M8x1.25 x 50mm and the left-side shorter bolt was replaced with a 30mm long bolt (I think OEMs are about 40mm & 25mm respectively). Added some blue loctite and was able to properly torque them down. According to other forums, not all of the threads on the block lugs are used with the shorter OEM bolts so longer bolts are an option if you run into what I did. Now to find a gasket kit to repair the OEM pump.

I have the luxury of working in an office connected to a 25,000 ft2 shop floor that fabricates heavy industrial projects. It's nothing short of amazing what those welders can do out there. Whether it's carbon steel, stainless, aluminum, or exotic alloys like Inconel/C276, they make it look stupid easy pouring down welds. They're so good & consistent we're able to use a simple coefficient to price up the labor cost based on inches of weld alone. The sad part is we don't see younger guys coming in who want to weld or learn to weld. It has this stigma of being a non-glamorous job or one that doesn't pay well. That's the farthest thing from the truth. We offer to train these kids but no one wants to do it. Our welders are all 50+ years old. Partly because it takes that long to get THAT good and because young kids are not picking up the trade like they used to.

Agreed - JRTuned and especially Matt Cole over there are great guys. Hope they're not getting too screwed by these EPA regs. I lucked out on eBay and picked up the KB header/uppipe ewg combo from a private seller for a good price. I missed out on the warranty but I'm happy to have the full setup. Your comment a year or two ago is what convinced me to just get the full KB EWG combo. So KB isn't going to modify your existing UP now?

Likely Six Star. These new EPA crackdowns have me concerned, though. Have any suggestions?

Purchased a Tial 38mm and Invidia catted DP. Parts list is complete: Killer B header, FP Blue, EWG and DP! Might add an FPR for good measure. Killer B header will be sent for Swain coating. If all goes well she'll be on the dyno with an IPT trans by June/July.

If you haven't tried yet, you can isolate exactly which sensor is having issues using the odometer code-reading method. See that method HERE. This should give you chassis codes that common scanners don't pick up. You're looking for a C0XXX code (last three numbers will designate which sensor is malfunctioning). Using vacation pix or googling the C-code will tell you exactly which sensor it is. I had the exact same issue as Max while changing my bearings. One of the sensors looked like someone sanded it down. Only thing I can guess is the failing bearing had a little play which allowed it to rub against the sensor, slowly eating away the plastic housing and rendering it useless at some point.

Cleaned and lubed the Turbosmart recirc valve. Also threw the snow wheels on it and will be driving it temporarily. Steering rack on the Sequoia exploded fluid due to a combination of failed bushing, metal on metal rubbing and corrosion. I figure replacing that should be good practice for the eventual STI rack replacement on the GT

Thank you for the info. The Sequoia suffers from the notorious Takata passenger airbag defect so I'll be taking it in for that and asking them to make sure the frame is in good shape.

Not so much a Subaru thing but the Pathfinder is no more. Picked up a 2004 Sequoia in very good shape. Has about 160k miles on it so the 2UZ-FE is basically just getting broken in. Best part is it can tow 6,200# so the GT can be moved around pretty easily if needed

Snagged an EWG FP Blue for 10% off over the weekend. Holy header and turbo are set - just need the Tial and new DP. Cannot wait until Spring

Replaced the rear diff carrier support. The old original bushings were in rough shape. I want to say I'm getting slightly firmer and quicker shifts but it could be placebo

Brake shoes aren't too bad at all. Hardest part is getting all the damn spring retainers back on while keeping everything in place Finally got around to replacing the rear links with the toe bolts. Was able to get the nuts off but the bolts were seized to the bushings. Sawzall with 6" Diablo general purpose carbide blades made quick work of the Grade 8 bolts. New arms are in just in time for new tires and an alignment Saturday.

I've got one for a 2008 automatic - I'll check this week and text you

DAMD wheel still has the original leather. It's less than 2 years old and holding up well. I left the old cover on the center console lid. Booze my bracket was also broken in two pieces but the new adhesive coupled with the thicker leather stiffened everything up and locked it in pretty good. I was looking on eBay for replacement boots w/brackets but they're running $40-$70. Decided to take a chance using the old bracket and it worked fine. Depending on how yours is broken it may still work. Mine was broken at the top "ring" portion where the 3 tabs are

Installed some Redline Goods - cover for extended armrest and e-brake boot. Their black leather with dark-red stitching matches the DAMD wheel perfectly. Very happy with the quality of these pieces and it was a lot easier to do than expected. I used 3M Hi-Strength 90 spray adhesive for reference. It isn't too forgiving once contact is made but it is very easy to clean off the leather from any overspray once complete. Seems to work well for this application