Diz

I'm told it's normal 19mm bolt heads that are on it. Also that a few releasing oils were used.

It's Brembos that are on mine. All as per original spec as far as I know. Will need to ask re possibility of removing caliper versus bracket too. I'll have a go at my motorbikes but I'm a self-confessed dummy when it comes to cars.

I do know BF was spraying the bolt for a couple of days in a row but don't know what he was using (although knowing him it would have been something decent, he's in the habit of stripping his motorbikes down to the last nut and bolt). But he can't get to the pit in his garage as there is too much stuff on top of it... so had limited space to maneuver. And we're in Scotland and the weather isn't good for doing work outdoors right now. Pretty sure the garage that changed the back sets would have an impact wrench but they were too chicken to touch the front in case they busted it. Getting the feeling the bolt itself is going to end up needing busted one way or the other though.

To my shame I haven't personally been under the car to see it for myself, but I can ask BF as he has had a go at it.

Having a bit of a saga with a seized caliper bolt on my '04 WR1. Rear brake discs and pads have been replaced, have the front ones to do the job but the upper bolt on driver side is stuck fast. A few amateur mechanic friends have had a go at it but it will not budge. It has been sprayed with all sorts and had a *little* heat applied to it. I saw 'plusgas' mentioned in another older post, is that significantly better than other releasing oils for this job? Failing that, can anyone recommend the best way of going about getting this off? Especially a solution that doesn't involve buying a new caliper, as that itself seems fine it's just the bolt holding it on that won't come off. Drilling it out and dismantling the caliper have been mentioned as possible solutions, would appreciate if anyone can advise on the pros and cons of those ideas. The MOT is due up soon and I want to avoid taking it to a Subaru dealer as I suspect I'll need to take out a second mortgage for the repair if I do that.

All seems well again today - here's hoping it stays that way!

Hey peeps, I read these posts and took your advice, but to my shame and embarrassment I now realize I didn't get back to thank you. So now, here it is. THANK YOU! Gambit, our workshop is making progress, thanks. Establishing a powder coating business is not easy, folks want to see consistently good results on their mates' stuff before they commit so there is a bit of chicken and egg going on, and it takes nerve and determination to keep going. But we have a good reputation, especially amongst local bikers and scooter boys - two wheelers are the fussiest of them all, so we must be doing something right. One thing I would say about getting lightweight alloy wheels powder coated on a high-performance Scooby... research it before you go there. Structural integrity can be altered by heat and can result in catastrophic failure later if they get overcooked during coating, especially during heat transfer on hard braking afterwards. Reports of this are few but they exist. The wheels might have come off the production line powder coated but the original design would have been tight on a car like mine and taken the original coating process into consideration. We take care not to overdo it with anything but that's because we know and care, and handle all parts individually - my degree was in physics so I pay attention to issues such as material fatigue. Maybe it is shooting ourselves in the foot but we have morals and personally I'd get my own spindly wheels painted. A good two-pack paint will be very resilient too, and much easier to colour match to the original. Otherwise most wheels are fine, albeit in truth they are a pain in the ar$e to do - three will come out lovely and number four bubbles as impurities (grease, road muck, diesel and some wheel cleaners, which can strip any coating off from the inside out on finding an imperfection to work its way into) outgass. Redo it or face a pi$$ed off customer when we can be getting on with something more interesting - it's a no brainer, and the variety of stuff people want doing is much more fun: rocker boxes, engine braces, inlet manifolds, calipers, motorbike bits galore, shotgun barrels, fireplaces, life-sized crane garden ornaments, tan stands - you name it, it has come through our door. If you are interested please PM me. After our recent scare my beloved WR1 appears to be going strong once again and I still love him as much as the day I clapped eyes on him. Now I have the Subaru bug full on I can't imagine having any other make of car (although I might be tempted to run a Skyline on the side if I could afford it). I may be a dippy chick at times but defo have the petrolhead gene. Cheers, Diz xx

Well, the thermostat was replaced today by a friendly mechanic who came out to the house. Luckily it was a nice sunny day to be pulling the car to bits in the yard. He changed the coolant too, said to let the car cool down and top up again if the level dropped, and also diagnosed a faulty relay frying the glow plugs in BF's car which was turning over but again wouldn't start. What a man, he achieved a lot in the time he was here and only charged us £100 for the lot, including some second-hand glow plugs. I did the hot water test on the old thermostat and it opened so I wasn't too hopeful when I took it out for a test run. However the moment of truth has passed and after an 18-mile round trip all appears to be well. Don't know about you guys, but I can feel and hear the slightest change in the car - even before the temperature gauge first shot up I said to BF that something didn't seem right, but tonight it sounded sweet again. Gambit, I hear what you are saying about worrying about the issue for 2 weeks, I'll be obsessed with that gauge and coolant level for the next wee while too. However right now I am beyond relieved. Thanks very much for your help guys. Being able to ask questions and have knowledgeable fellow Subaru lovers give me some pointers was much appreciated, as well as keeping me sane when I was imagining all sorts of horrors.

ps The starred out text is the correct term for a female dog. The !Removed! text could be substituted for cigarette, if that is allowed :-)

Thanks so much for your advice and suggestions guys. One more question if you have time, does it need a gasket? Parts shop said gasket was integral to part (pointing to rubber seal), but we have gasket paper and can make one up if need be. Another troubleshooting clue I've just recalled is that the heater wouldn't come on at first on Sunday, so maybe the thermostat was on its way out? Today did indeed go downhill. Our mates were all at work so we had to take a taxi to our workshop as my other half had left his car there and we live out in the sticks. It had a flat battery. Seriously. The jump leads were in my car back home and none of our neighbours had any. Grrrr! At least we have a battery charger at the workshop but it took ages. Finally got to Europarts and got the thermostat, but was too dark to go out and fit it when we got home (we have a large garage but it is full of motorbikes and bits of motorbikes, none currently on the road, both of us guilty on this count so I can't even blame him ). BF has a decent working knowledge of older cars and is watching YouTube vids on how to replace the thermostat - it looks a ******, underneath on the WR1? The guy at the parts shop echoed what Tidgy said about bleeding the system, he reckoned the car is prone to airlocks. I knew how to bleed an airlock in my old Pug. I will swot up on how to do this on the Scoob, as when I pop the bonnet to me it just looks like a spaceship that you couldn't squeeze a !Removed! paper into, albeit a thing of beauty. I say I'm a dummy with cars, albeit I grew up with a cousin who is a time-served mechanic who taught me a lot. But a little learning is dangerous and I'm more than a wee bit wary of this engine and have a huge amount of respect for it. Hopefully tomorrow will be a more successful day if we get a chance to fit the new part and test it. Whatever the outcome I'll keep you posted. As soon as this gets sorted, aside from memories of your help, today will be deleted!

That's the answer I want to hear Geoff, as I can pick one up from Europarts for £12.99. Was just suspicious as it is a bit of a coincidence that this has happened when the coolant got low, unless that can lead to the thermostat sticking which I wouldn't have thought would be the case.

Thanks Tidgy. I've heard of the sniff test but I'm a bit of a bimbo when it comes to cars. Where and what am I sniffing for and what will it tell me?

Hi folks, Not a good start to the day and I fear it's about to get worse. Got about a mile away from home and noticed the temperature gauge had shot right up. Stopped, checked the coolant and it was pretty low but there was still coolant in there (I hadn't checked it for a while - yes, I know - so can't be sure if this happened suddenly or gradually), let the car cool down and nursed it home, put coolant in, ran the car for a while. The coolant level in the reservoir dropped which suggested it was circulating. However on travel attempt number two the gauge started to rise again after the same distance, so once more I am back home. Luckily I have this week off work. The pipes seem to have water circulating in them. I don't want to hear head gasket. The oil appears to be clean, there's no white bits in it, although I've read elsewhere that this doesn't necessarily mean it's not the head gasket. Has anyone else had this happen or have any other ideas as to what might be going on here? I'm really hoping it's the thermostat and nothing worse...

Checked www.importcarparts.co.uk and correct, it is pricey. Also have a front and rear lambda sensor. I could do without buying both, would the engine management test show up which one is faulty?

I know the guys at the garage so they don't charge me for the diagnostic or for helping out with other bits and pieces, which is sweet. I must have some inbuilt charm as even my eyelashes are greying ;-) Good to know re the second hand sensor issue, I'll check that out - thanks very much.

Hi Sara, Sweet-looking car, I'm jealous! As a fellow lady Scoobie owner I'm glad you're enjoying your new ride. Got my first one 2 years ago and I'm still in love with it, wish I'd splashed out and got one long ago. If I had to choose between my car and my boyfriend I'm afraid he'd be getting binned Cheers, Diz x

Hi folks, Well, I was driving home and a wee light that looked a lot to me like an alternator came on, so I stopped into Farmers to get it checked out. Before going in I checked the handbook and it said 'Failed indicator light', so I took that literally and checked all my indicators were working, even the brake lights <sigh>. I wish I wasn't such a diddy when it comes to cars, I suppose at least the guys in the garage get to point at me and laugh One of the guys came out with the engine management testing device which said 'failed lambda sensor'. He cleared it but it came back on. I wonder if any of you can answer my questions. The last three times I went to fill up they only had regular unleaded and this beastie is meant to run on super unleaded. Could that affect the sensor in any way? Last year I had to use some of that stuff you put in the fuel tank to clean the engine to get through the MOT as the lambda reading was too high. It worked a treat. I put some more in tonight and will report back on this. Finally, if it really has failed (the guy said it might clear of its own accord but I wouldn't bank on it) is it worth trying to pick up a second hand one, and if so is the sensor specific to the WR1? If not any ideas on where best to pick one up? Cheers, Diz

Cheers guys :-) As far as I'm concerned I want an idea of the price for an 'As new' replacement. The key was 'as new' so why should I have to knock my pan in hunting around scrapppies. Not that I mind doing that, in fact I enjoy it, but it's the principle of it all.

Gambit, do you ever sleep man? Have this dog for a day and you'll love your own dog more than ever. Cute as he is he makes me appreciate more our rescue collie, who must be the thickest collie ever born but polite and gentle with just the right amount of cheekiness. She moshes in great with the cats and even acts like a cat, laziest besom I ever met! Its the rubber bit around the plastic but the little sod made a good dent in that too. I know he's young and I have calmed down a bit, but do not look forward to having to keep an eye on everything next time I'm on shift. I used to look forward to spending time with these folks, but the dog makes it very difficult to focus on supporting them as it is another random factor in the house, and it is easy to become distracted. On the wages I'm getting I agreed to support people, not miniature Godzillas. Don't see why I should shell out for any of it. Funny how a rubbish hourly rate has focused me on how many hours I have to work to repair the damage done as a result of working! Hope you're well, I've missed you guys xxx

Just noticed it looks like there's a bit of rubber missing. Hope that comes out sideways later, you little rascal. Fwiw I did bring this dog chewable toys at my own expense, which makes this all the more insulting. And sorry for the swear words, they were relatively mild on the grand scale of things ;-)

Hiya all, it's been a while as my life turned upsidedown, but still driving and loving my Scoob. The bottom line question is how much a replacement key for a WR1 would cost, but here's a bit of background for those who like a story/rant. BF and I both got made redundant at the same time and are now running a powder coating workshop (and we're very good, if I do say so myself!), but it's still a young business so I took a part-time job supporting people with learning disabilities in their own home to make sure we have a known amount of regular cash coming in. The folks are great but the long shifts can be draining. Today I was working with two people who share a house, one of whom who has recently obtained a young dog (pic from 4 months ago) with no discipline whatsoever as some of the other staff spoil him. Noting that I am an animal lover with a dog and four cats myself, all mannerly and obedient - yes, the cats too, one of them even does 'Sit - Paw' I could have cheerfully booted this disobedient bundle of cuteness into orbit even before he took my car key out of the pocket of my jacket (seriously) that was hanging on the back of a chair and chewed off a good chunk of the rubber. I know better than to leave things lying even on a dinner table when this wretch is afoot, but didn't expect this. Needless to say I'm really hacked off, the dog might as well have put a brick through my car window. If only he'd chosen my lighter instead... Can anyone let me know roughly how much it would cost to get the key replaced please? I plan to claim it from their house insurance - as if I need one more headache to deal with. Before anyone remarks on how mean that is, just to put it into perspective I am working part-time for crap wages that we barely scrape by on whilst between them they have amassed over £50k in savings on higher rate DLA and could afford a pedigree dog costing £900 without batting an eyelid, so any rise in insurance premium isn't going to break the bank. Yours lividly, Diz xx ps I am presently diving head first into a richly deserved barrel of wine after a 24-hour 'sleep'over shift whilst suffering sleep deprivation... please excuse if I've gone OTT.

Hey all, Enjoying some tropical weather here in Scotland and have a question about topping up my intercooler. As you can see from my avatar I own a car I am too thick to maintain. I cannot see where I need to top up the fluid levels, but have none the less purchased some distilled water to do so. Next question, had major 100,000 mile service done at Subaru dealer and now due next service. Mechanics at local branch of unnamed national firm suggest I get service parts through our own workshop Dingbro account and I need to know what to get. Too ashamed to ask them again as last time it went in one ear and out the other. What do I need guys?! Please help ;-) Yours, Daft Burd x

Me too mate - the hard way. When will I stop embarrassing myself? Car was a bit farty starting up yesterday and today in the morning, and again at lunchtime. &#33;Removed&#33; alarm going off, dash lights flashing and bleeb-a-leeb-a-leeb noises (the technical term for it). Then when I left work earlier, I could tell even by the way the central locking had clicked open that this was going to be a struggle. Tried again after a few minutes and the car fired up - wee bugger! Had a similar problem 2 weeks ago, but it seemed to right itself after a 90-mile round trip down the motorway (in thick fog, lights on, wipers on) to my mum's house. I usually drive about 5 miles and back to work each day, so I thought short journeys were causing this. Two 120-mile round trips to Glasgow last week I thought would keep me right, but I had no lights, heating or wipers on. I really hope that's where I'm going wrong, as I could do with a cheap fix for once!

hey Ash, welcome to the forum. I'm by far not the best to give advice on maintenance except to say these hungry beasties like an oil change on a regular basis. I do my motorbikes myself, but could only PM you info on what the Scooby dealer did at the 100000 mile service on my 2004 WR1. Given the complexity of the engine seemed worth getting everything done right as I look under that bonnet, think wtf and quickly shut it again... could almost double your initial outlay, if you include a coolant change!

In other news, I got my &#33;Removed&#33; kicked while sleeping by a black WRX who was hammering it up the road dodging in and out of traffic on the way home. I can only assume it was !Removed! envy :-)))