[mtg]

Subarus: yes, head gaskets failing is common. But, replacing the coolant as called out in the service schedule reduces the chance of that happening. Mine has eaten a set of transfer case bearings a couple years ago, which I fixed. The transmission is starting to whine again now (may be related to bearing shavings floating around in the oil previously), but even if I have to replace the whole trans, the cost of maintenance over 10 years has been cheap. The timing belt and water pump replacement was easy; took no more than 2 hours to do both. The leaking valve cover gasket wasn't very easy though.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Subarus: yes, head gaskets failing is common. But, replacing the coolant as called out in the service schedule reduces the chance of that happening. Mine has eaten a set of transfer case bearings a couple years ago, which I fixed. The transmission is starting to whine again now (may be related to bearing shavings floating around in the oil previously), but even if I have to replace the whole trans, the cost of maintenance over 10 years has been cheap. The timing belt and water pump replacement was easy; took no more than 2 hours to do both. The leaking valve cover gasket wasn't very easy though.

You've only had to replace the valve cover gaskets once?

How many miles you have on that 2.5l? Our '97 got to 140K-ish before the head gaskets went. And to be honest, other than the oil leaks and a few CV joints, the maintenance on it hasn't been terrible considering it's now 20 years old and has 200K+ miles on it.

It's gonna be the kids' car... 'cause it's a stick.

 

[mtg]

You've only had to replace the valve cover gaskets once?

How many miles you have on that 2.5l? Our '97 got to 140K-ish before the head gaskets went. And to be honest, other than the oil leaks and a few CV joints, the maintenance on it hasn't been terrible considering it's now 20 years old and has 200K+ miles on it.

It's gonna be the kids' car... 'cause it's a stick.

Yep, one replacement on the valve cover gaskets. So far.

Mine is an '07 with 126k miles, bought it new in Jan. '07.

 

[dcamp29]

At correct sag, I haven't found a combination of volume reducers to provide support through the entire stroke that doesn't leave it feeling harsh. The open setting seems very overdamped (granted it's a meduim tune) for my Turner RFX. If I could change anything I THINK I'd reduce the compression damping in open, running 4 reducers (5?) and use the mid setting for a little bit more low speed compression. Right now the baseline just feels over damped in normal riding conditions. I looked for a Low tune compression valve on line but wasn't sure I wanted to rip into it.

I've borrowed/tried a CCDBA which I liked, (in fact I bought a new CCDBAw/CS but it was DOA out of the box) then tried an 11-6 which I run now and love. Only downside to the coil is the weight. It shines in every other way.

Thanks.

Gotcha. Yeah- ML does open up the high speed and can eliminate some harshness on hs hits.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Yep, one replacement on the valve cover gaskets. So far.

Mine is an '07 with 126k miles, bought it new in Jan. '07.

Ahhh... crap. Sorry we brought it up. You should anticipate the oil/coolant commingling in the next 6 months or so.

 

[mtg]

Ahhh... crap. Sorry we brought it up. You should anticipate the oil/coolant commingling in the next 6 months or so.

So you're saying I get to rebuild it as a higher compression 2.7L? Sweet.

 

[captainspauldin]

No, the trick is to buy a WRX, not a Forrester/Outback

If you rather blow up engines/pistons than deal with head gaskets, then yes WRX is the way to go

 

[SkaredShtles]

So you're saying I get to rebuild it as a higher compression 2.7L? Sweet.

You know... you could probably make some good $$ in this town doing just that.

 

[djjohnr]

If you rather blow up engines/pistons than deal with head gaskets, then yes WRX is the way to go

As I said, trade 'em in at 90k.

 

[Toshi]

So you're saying I get to rebuild it as a higher compression 2.7L? Sweet.

Engineer-son, I am disappoint. Thicker head gaskets to bump 2.5 to 2.7L would decrease compression, unless there are some magic GG-shimz involved that I didn't account for.

 

[mtg]

Engineer-son, I am disappoint. Thicker head gaskets to bump 2.5 to 2.7L would decrease compression, unless there are some magic GG-shimz involved that I didn't account for.

You are correct, but my theoretical plan has been an overbore with oversized pistons and a thinner head gasket. It's probably not likely to actually happen with the cost/availability of such an overbore, but it would be awesome. No turbo in the mountains is....limiting.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Engineer-son, I am disappoint. Thicker head gaskets to bump 2.5 to 2.7L would decrease compression, unless there are some magic GG-shimz involved that I didn't account for.

Homeboy never said anything about thicker head gaskets...

Ah, sniped.

 

[Jm_]

Ran my 2.0L WRX at stage 2 to 130K miles, when I sold it. No issues really, a few that were my fault while servicing (like not getting power steering bled, had to go back a few times and get it right-turned out it needed a stronger hose clamp, installed coolant line too close to belt after doing timing chain, had to re-bleed coolant and install new hose). Steering bushings wore out and I replaced right before selling (normal wear) and the timing belt is supposed to be done at specific intervals. I put that car through the ringer. Fun, except the massive understeer followed by snap-oversteer.

 

[SuboptimusPrime]

Negative bro rep to @jackalope for starting this shitstorm and filling the GG stoke thread with Subarus.

Back on topic. GG bike in axxxion (with freedom plaids)

And a fycking old Toyota. Take that you anti-bro bastards!

 

[SkaredShtles]

That Toyota doesn't appear to be old...

 

[Jm_]

Street cred if it's the 3.0 V6.

 

[roflbox]

Negative bro rep to @jackalope for starting this shitstorm and filling the GG stoke thread with Subarus.

Back on topic. GG bike in axxxion (with freedom plaids)
View attachment 124502

mmmm freeride plaid

 

[mtg]

Freeride plaid is the preferred riding kit.

 

[SuboptimusPrime]

That Toyota doesn't appear to be old...

Just turned 15, not a classic or antique but still.

Street cred if it's the 3.0 V6.

3.4L in the 3rd gens. 3.0's blew up a fair bit...

 

[6thElement]

Freeride plaid is the preferred riding kit.

View attachment 124503

Top of White Ranch?

 

[kidwoo]

Hey @kidwoo what is your specific complaint? Harsh? Mushy? I know a guy who can make changes to these things.

I don't have the time on a super duper to say it's literally as bad as all their previous dampers in that regard but it certainly felt similar. Namely that pretty much all RS dampers have a mid 2000s feeling low speed compression damper only. And that there's no smooth blowoff. You can get stiff and supportive or almost non-existent. Not a whole lot of leeway. I mean come on, it's a 3 position lever. That should have been outlawed 10 years ago. Not to mention I've pretty much been told by tuners there that yeah, they don't bother with a developed HS damper on the air stuff because they give you volume spacers which "do the same thing™"

You've ridden a recent (IE last 3 years) fox RC2 damper I'm sure. That. Every compression damper setup should feel like that.

You working there these days?

 

[kidwoo]

DC


VVVVVVWhat he said VVVVVVV

"It doesn't have any compression damping but it's plush, so I like it"


Who are you and what have you done with @kidwoo?

There's definitely a feel that RS big neg chamber air shocks have. It's not all bad because you do get a really supple feel out of them. But they don't have sophisticated enough comp dampers for when you really want to fine tune mach ludicrous support over genuinely rowdy stuff. Hence my comment about pairing it with a well developed suspension curve on the frame.

FWIW, I've got a fit4 Fox fork and it sucks for the same reasons.

 

[mtg]

Top of White Ranch?

Yes

 

[kidwoo]

Your tramp stamp looks swollen.

Might need to get to a dermatologist.

 

[sbabuser]

I was gonna say that my '02 wrx made it to 199,800 mi before I sold it with no issues, but I did replace the shortblock at 98k. I blame that on my brother's driving and oil starvation, tho. The killer b oil pickup and sti oil pan (along with an sti 2.5 shortblock) solved all that.

I have absolutely no complaints with my Monarch + rc3 w/ ML tune on my HD (also ridden it w/ CCDBA and Fox Float ctd). But you know, 26" wheels...

 

[Westy]

Engineer-son, I am disappoint. Thicker head gaskets to bump 2.5 to 2.7L would decrease compression, unless there are some magic GG-shimz involved that I didn't account for.

I am disappoint son. Thicker head gaskets do not change displacement, just static combustion chamber volume.

 

[kidwoo]

I am disappoint son. Thicker head gaskets do not change displacement, just static combustion chamber volume.

Sounds like the kind of thing that would reduce compression.





BOOM!


Yeah tosh. You an me bro. We got westy handled.

 

[dcamp29]

I don't have the time on a super duper to say it's literally as bad as all their previous dampers in that regard but it certainly felt similar. Namely that pretty much all RS dampers have a mid 2000s feeling low speed compression damper only. And that there's no smooth blowoff. You can get stiff and supportive or almost non-existent. Not a whole lot of leeway. I mean come on, it's a 3 position lever. That should have been outlawed 10 years ago. Not to mention I've pretty much been told by tuners there that yeah, they don't bother with a developed HS damper on the air stuff because they give you volume spacers which "do the same thing™"

You've ridden a recent (IE last 3 years) fox RC2 damper I'm sure. That. Every compression damper setup should feel like that.

You working there these days?

That is suprising to hear... Generally speaking RS rear shock product has a lot more high-speed damping than similar product from fox. Both product generate similar low speed damping but around 20 in/sec the fox start leveling out and RS curves stay pretty much on the same trajectory. This is data from shock dynoing a whole bunch of stuff.

The in-line air dampers are certainly very different from the vivid dampers and different from monarch plus... mostly due to spacial constraints.

What tuner said that about hs dampers on air stuff? Is the vivid air an air shock?


Edit: Sorry to GG for junking up your thread.

 

[Toshi]

I am disappoint son. Thicker head gaskets do not change displacement, just static combustion chamber volume.

Ok, thicker head gaskets with a longer stroke. I'm all about the derailment.

 

[dcamp29]

ok to further derail- here's my wrx. it's going to explode soon. 152k miles.

 

[Westy]

Ok, thicker head gaskets with a longer stroke. I'm all about the derailment.

Increased displacement with the same head gasket thickness will provide a higher compression ratio than the original configuration. Increase the thickness and the CR goes down from there. Get the numbers right and you will have a higher displacement engine with an acceptably higher CR. However if this is too high you risk detonation and will need to increase the combustion chamber volume. This is best done by means other than a thicker head gasket. Most cylinder heads have some flat spots parallel to the piston. The clearance between the piston and head ideally is set as small as possible, connecting rod stretch and manufacturing tolerances need to be considered. This near interference section is for purposes called “squish”. As the cylinder reaches TDC this gap rapidly closes sending out a high velocity jet of fuel air mixture. This causes significant turbulence helping rapid surface area growth of the flame front ultimately providing a faster combustion burn times. This lets you run less timing providing more power with a lower risk of detonation. Increasing the squish gap reduces this affect and can drastically increase the combustion burn time leading to less power and a higher risk of detonation.

 

[Toshi]

I think I just provoked Westy to go full syadasti.

 

[Jm_]

Increased displacement with the same head gasket thickness will provide a higher compression ratio than the original configuration. Increase the thickness and the CR goes down from there. Get the numbers right and you will have a higher displacement engine with an acceptably higher CR. However if this is too high you risk detonation and will need to increase the combustion chamber volume. This is best done by means other than a thicker head gasket. Most cylinder heads have some flat spots parallel to the piston. The clearance between the piston and head ideally is set as small as possible, connecting rod stretch and manufacturing tolerances need to be considered. This near interference section is for purposes called “squish”. As the cylinder reaches TDC this gap rapidly closes sending out a high velocity jet of fuel air mixture. This causes significant turbulence helping rapid surface area growth of the flame front ultimately providing a faster combustion burn times. This lets you run less timing providing more power with a lower risk of detonation. Increasing the squish gap reduces this affect and can drastically increase the combustion burn time leading to less power and a higher risk of detonation.

Just fill your tank with 100LL.

 

[kidwoo]

Both product generate similar low speed damping but around 20 in/sec the fox start leveling out and RS curves stay pretty much on the same trajectory. .

This sounds like what I'm talking about when I say no transition or blowoff. Most of the LS dampers I've had just feel like they're doing their thing no matter how hard you hit them.

Mostly I'm saying it based on having owned a bunch of them. And I'm not going to tell you who said that because you'll go be mean to him. But let me rephrase: obviously there are base tune compression dampers. They have no meaningfully adjustable comp dampers.

I'm primarily talking about the monarchs with piggy backs. I might be a little unfair because I'm kind of comparing monarch stuff to a fox X2. But the fox stuff blows away any incarnation of vivid air as well. They could really benefit from some compression damper tuneability by the user. It's not that you can't get a good baseline tune, I've had some done. One of your coworkers did one for me a few years back that was one of the best damped shocks I've owned. But I couldn't fine tune it beyond that.

#moarnahbs

 

[Westy]

I think I just provoked Westy to go full syadasti.

Never go full Syadasti

 

[mtg]

This sounds like what I'm talking about when I say no transition or blowoff. Most of the LS dampers I've had just feel like they're doing their thing no matter how hard you hit them.

I haven't heard any tuner say this. I'm saying it based on having owned a bunch of them. I'm primarily talking about the monarchs with piggy backs. I might be a little unfair because I'm kind of comparing monarch stuff to a fox X2. But the fox stuff blows away any incarnation of vivid air as well. They could really benefit from some compression damper tuneability by the user. It's not that you can't get a good baseline tune, I've had some done. But when going from bike to bike or even types of trail, some more adjustability a la fox RC2 would be bitchin.

#moarnahbs

You could take one a part and modify the HS shim stack yourself

 

[kidwoo]

You could take one a part and modify the HS shim stack yourself

What's even dumber on my part is that I have dry nitrogen at work.

You fiddle with these things?

 

[StiHacka]

What's even dumber on my part is that I have dry nitrogen at work.

You fiddle with these things?

I use gas with 80% nitrogen.

 

[djjohnr]

I use gas with 80% nitrogen.

 

[mtg]

What the fuck?