Mr B

Calls to local breakers and a few Subaru specialist breakers may come up with one and your colour if very very lucky. eBay will have odd few ... I would not be over concerned on Colour and go more for a good priced bumper with no torn fitting points. Many used come with some scrapes and handling marks and if refinishing colour it no concern but if pay premium price and it marked it don't work out easy way go. Rough price would be 50-80 for used bumper, painting would be around 120, fitting not hard and 1hr or 2 pending on any fitting hassle to get nice end alignment result. Last one we done was £240 painted and fitted Inc some new clips etc. If handy with screwdriver you can remove and refit yourself so would only need get a local painter spray a supplied used bumper, if real lucky and you willing wait a bit you may find one tidy enough right colour but can be slow going that route .

As you say the squeal happens as lifting off the clutch (engaging drive) I would say it the friction plate spring hub squealing as taking up the drive . Release bearing normally makes noise as pressing it and it engages with cover fingers and put under load . Is always best do a high mileage clutch as complete kit anyway . Doesn't sound anything too serious and not overly costly .

load 87 speed V if proper winter tyres, as in snow & ice, you best on dedicated 16" rim & 205 width. if more cold wet weather rubber formula winter tyre then 17" fine. Dedicated snow winter tyres generally have lower speed ratings, if using lower speed ratings best contact insurers & get written approval as they can be funny on things like this at claim time .

yes is sad , the diesel has cost them a lot of reputation points. Amazed how slack the engineering was on it & how poor customer service has been on all the diesel fault areas . Trouble also will be as diesels age & cost fortune to fix it will hit reputation even further making the legendary reliability & 250,000 mile with ease a thing of the past . Ideally want go to subaru dealer in person & do some research first, even if help you out bill will be as much or more as options from non dealer specialist . best option is later model diesel swap but sourcing can be slow .

I prefer oem or blueprint as quality is far far better & they don't leak, if use cheaper pattern ones you run risks of hassle with poor fit & light leaks . Blueprint can be found cheap if shop around, even oem subaru comes up cheap at times . Hard to beat oem gasket & seals for stuff like this. Lightly greasing them holds in place & helps them smoothly bed in as bolts tightened. Review manual for your specific model for any finer points .

If using oem gasket set I would not use silicone & if do use a quality gasket silicone neatly & minimal application. I've done 2 engine builds directly due to diy sump & rocker silicone use so be careful with the stuff as once gasket seated & clamped silicone got no where go besides outer or inner edge of gasket & in time these bits of silicone break off & work through oil passages & are very good at blocking them . I only use oem or blueprint gaskets, most others more hassle than the small saving in price worth .

Glad you getting somewhere. Unfortunate the diesels so expensive & prone to some nasty problems ...

Check the bonnet sensor has not been bent out of position or wiring damaged .

key with transponder chip programmed (copied from other oem key) is about £30 If have the sigma m30 alarm then you can get fobs off ebay & they can be programmed to alarm easily by yourself, don't fall into dealer trap or silly money fees . fobs are anything from £15 range . Do be aware you have two alarm parts, the subaru oem transponder chip in key head that controls ecu inbuilt immobiliser (eu cars must have this) second is the cat1 alarm fob (sigma made the cover & board to fit standard subaru remote locking all in one key & fob) *Any decent auto key cutter can do the key cut & key transponder programming. *Any matching button (have 1 button & 2 button option) m30 fob can be programmed to your sytem *You should also have a manual 4 digit code to use in alarm keypad found in coin flip down tray near driver right knee , don't panic if don't have code as easy program new one as long as have at least one working remote (sort pin code first/quick to save serious hassle ;-) ) Your car dealer should indeed refund cost but it easily sorted . I do at least 2 key/fob jobs a month, is also possible buy built in fob key from breaker or online & swap the key shank (cut, lapped & rivet, & swap/fit small transponder chip into the button fob section . links below to help > m30 alarm manual > https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7Ub2apq5-pfcjJhSm5XUHNyUzQ/view?usp=sharing

Pic 5 looks like a jecs map sensor for original engine (take part numbers off it & google them) igniter job is controlling voltage pulse to the primary winding of coilpacks. biggest area of fault on those ignitions was igniter unit itself or wiring/plug harness or coilpacks split/insulation failing .

stripping out & making new cowl to suit . couple threads on here but not sure how much detail in them, really not hard & potentially massive functional benefit to the XT . If vehicle is a good one it not a concern and potentially a nice little personalization tweak .

they are pretty much junk, best option is removing it & custom fitting something that you like . Android based would be good & could display ecu obd2 data too . Not too hard to do but space will limit options .

Blueprint bearing kit or Koyo or NTN will only be £30 region . They the only 3 brands we use, Blueprint easy enough find online at decent price, Koyo or NTN best sourced via bearing retailer (we use Bearing-Shop exeter) Cheap bearing tool set which looks same as one we bought from machinemart vat free day is below http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wheel-Bearing-Removal-Professional-Tool-Set-Kit-For-Front-Wheel-Drive-Heavy-Duty-/262347012598 bearing tool allows removal & fitting on vehicle and as supports bearing correctly during fitting assembly you don't ruin bearing fitting it. We charge £40 for fitting unless have issues & need remove hub . It prety simple with right tools & once done 1 or 2 you can do them quick & as good as factory built hub . Standard 3 leg & clam shell puller also handy as is a press, cheap home use 6tonne press can be had for £50, 12tonne around £90 .

The extra constant heat from brake dragging would of damaged bearing .You can buy bearing hub (blueprint do it, £115 roughly) You can buy quality bearing for £30, buy a wheel bearing removal fitting tool set (about 35-45 £ on likes of ebay) We use a removal fitting tool set & if use quality jap bearings never get issue . Have a cheap £45 bearing removal/fitting set too & it works as good as our £300 set but probably not for as long lol but it good enough for occasional use ... Rough fitting or using cheap bearings like febest, optimal etc lead to constant hassle Good bearing fitting tool set/press & koyo, ntn, blueprint etc lead to proper reliable rebuilt hub .

just buy a double or 2 single 12V usb car chargers & wire them directly from fused supply ideally acc switched.. Just buy reasonably decent branded ones not 99p junk. if you just added a double usb socket to a single charger then it probably overloaded it. Circuit for converting 12V to 5V usb is quite simple & board inside the cigarette adaptors is small & easily removed & custom mounted if wanted .

When you contact springcoil for your springs they will be able calculate height changes from data that they already have so just telling them you drop range front and rear should be all needed, I would drop front more than rear as helps keep some balance when rear loaded as you no longer will have SLS . Tell them your usage and requirement for stiffer springs & all should be good. Try roger clarke motorsport for group n top mounts, they not cheap but good way go if standard rear top mounts not serviceable, modding front has way more gains than rear so should be priority . camber bolt kit (2 bolts, 1 each side) for rear strut to hub uppermost bolt hole is super useful at setting perfect rear camber . other top mount option could be whiteline top mounts . pillow ball camber plates are for front strut top mounts. Bit of tweaking required to combine it with standard top mount spring platform from old top mounts . ideally need do this prior to ordering springs as they tend make the top spring platform sit lower so that distance change needs measuring & added to your spring drop requirement . pillow ball mounts come up used, new can be had starting around £100 a pair . You can make up a block to raise the HD brackets you have (that why I mod standard brackets to HD) Strut braces from impreza will fit, massive amount around new or used so best hunting about for a nice one/price, cusco or ultra racing are couple of names. The sti titanium top strut bar is nice, any good H shape 4 point lower brace will be good . Check out condition of your wishbones as do corrode bad, sti alloys are nice if need replacements but not a must, good polybushes on wishbones help a lot but more cabin noise & vibration is the negative factor . another good mod is poly mounts for steering rack or even better the 2004 impreza sti rack . Keeping with standard style struts is key factor for daily on B roads though so your excel-g is sensible choice & all other mods will keep things tight & aligned & improve feedback to the driver without ruining daily drive-ability & safety. i've had some coilover cars come in that just damn dangerous on real roads & owners only too glad go back more standard via softer springs on coilovers or switching back to standard struts .

Double posted so thought would edit & make it bit useful . Meyle HD drop links (front & rear not sided, same part number does left or right) - links> front>http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MEYLE-Front-Right-Stabiliser-anti-roll-bar-DROP-LINK-ROD-No-34-16-060-0003-HD-/361074352328 rear>http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MEYLE-Rear-Right-Stabiliser-anti-roll-bar-DROP-LINK-ROD-Part-34-16-060-0004-HD-/351190480626

other thing review is drop links, they make a lot of clunky noises on bumpy or wavy road surfaces when worn, Meyle HD do decent robust drop links at sensible price. Some squeaks could be struts such as front top mounts or coil spring base rubber pads corroded/fallen-out so worth a look while you in the area. front nuts & bolts tend be better than look & easily cleaned up, rear can be different story but most are reusable, an anti-seize paste makes future work hassle free ... Do follow strongflex/polybush guide on lubing bushes correctly as polybushes can squeak real bad ...

Assuming you just a non turbo 2.0x all you need is one of these kits> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Subaru-Forester-2-0-SG-2002-2008-Silencer-Exhaust-System-858-/400637858938?fits=Model%3AForester|Cars+Year%3A2007&hash=item5d47e0947a:g:HxEAAOSwG-1WzAy1 Quality is pretty good too, steel is quite thick & resists corrosion quite well (better than what available at any of our factors & cheaper too), gaskets & bolts handy too, prefer original rubber hangers but these handy if you missing 1 or got broken 1 . Have a back box fitted almost 2yrs on a sf farm forester & it still perfect, they could do 5 to 8+yrs easily in most cases besides salt water boat towers etc. They'll probably take £50 or £54 if put in offer (had few systems SF SG Legacy and a Justy . Fitting can be done in a hour unless got other exhaust issues that need a fiddle to get everything perfect . Old thread on it here >

Spring platform is lower on SF than SG , they direct bolt on, SF can be bolted to SG & SG can be bolted to SF . Due to Spring platform difference you ideally need custom springs to set a desired ride height and as you want lower & increase spring rate mildly it no extra expense . Springs to be used with SF ultra sr would need be longer than specific SG excel-g's due to differing spring seat position on strut . Unfortunately easy options are limited on struts, you got sf ultra sr, sg excel-g, sachs (bit firmer than excel G) or pedders kits . You can custom fit Bilstein inserts but not cheap for decent effort. Excel G's are superb for the cost, no hassle fit & easiest to specify custom springs over phone. sti or wrx wagon struts can work out cheap upgrade if find decent used set but ideally want custom springs especially rear to get sit right . Most people really like the excel-g's, i've used them on XT with custom springs lowered 30mm & owner been very happy with setup, throw in group n rear mounts-pillow balls mod to front mounts, rear stabilizer mod, strut brace & lower brace & make sure bushings good or replaced, allignment setup & it should feel far more stable/precise at speed but remain compliant for devon road daily use so won't fatigue you from harshness . wrx or sti struts are worth considering especially if aiming lower 50mm+ . Done one with inverted struts modded with greasing nipples, standard wagon springs lowered 65-80mm & rear was too low to front so we got springs made up off of the wagon springs . Choices are up to you & your budget and your use, if carrying load or sometimes towing you need build this into your final package spec .

turret hole pattern is 100% same, what differs is spring end style from SF to SG .

KYB's tend be best price from motor factor dealers on ebay, sf fits sg using custom springs. ultra srs are damped more fore performance & work well with stiffer rate springs Is hard justify cost & hassle when sg specific excel-G can be had as cheap as £49 a strut, sr is better fast road damper though . alloy control arms sourced from foz or imp sti pillow balls are available from many suppliers, cusco do them & cheaper options can be found online . Polybushes, I like strongflex red (80shA), good value for money too, Nolathane also good . Other options can be inverted impreza struts with custom springs .All comes down to your final goal & how much you want spend on it & how easy you want it to be to achieve . If want lower over 30mm you best looking at impreza struts to achieve it .

KYB ultra sr are available for SG too . Mix them with good custom springs to suit your usage and you get good results for road use. Bilstein is good stuff, i would still be wary of coilovers if you tend use lot of bad B roads or similar . Rear arb not a bad mod for fast road use XT, standard mounts can be reinforced similar to purchased ones Front lower arm is good place start with bushes as keeping alignment on high loaded front suspension is critical, alloy control arms is good upgrade . Standard bushes in good order perform well, If going Poly don't go too hard for road use . I would be inclined go with pillow balls on front as gives good benefits (feedback & more camber adjustment & not too harsh on good dampers. Done a handful of XTs with Ultra sr & custom springcoil springs & result is pleasing, quite expensive as unfortunately sr struts never get discounted prices like the excel-g's . custom springs work out close to £65 each . Keeping realistic is important for road use as excessive rate springs & poor damping of low cost taiwan style coilovers don't make a vehicle easy live with on real roads & daily usage .

KYB ultra sr have ones suitable for foresters (324054 324055 rear , 324052 324053 front) . Main downside is price (£95 each roughly) . You will need change rear struts as lowering springs won't work with standard SLS struts . Standard struts are pretty good for road driving, drop it about 25mm on custom springs slightly higher rate & you get good balance between ride comfort & high speed stability.Go too stiff & on short stroke coilovers & you loose a lot of grip .

I would go with custom springs from springcoil.co.uk on standard shocks or kyb ultra sr shocks if budget allows . coilovers on uk roads are not great, I got involved in a test on standard style struts over likes of miester R & BC etc & stopping distances & grip on rougher surfaces like B roads is worse as stroke , coilovers & 18" rims on UK roads generally don't make for good handling . stroke on cheap coilovers is awful, Meister R & BC valving is quite awful when compare to better stuff from Bilstien & Ohlins, if go coilovers be sure have height adjustment separate to coil lower perch as if not it impossible set spring preload & corner weights.They can be ok for track use on budget but for mainly road use I recommend avoid .