Build Chicken's GX

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

I ticked 196k miles on the GX over the weekend :)

The Trek needs an oil change this week, so I was going through my cupboard of fluids.
Realized I didnt have any oil filters for the GX, and I still needed to buy some power steering fluid for the new lines/res.

Well, World Toyo is having another sale.
So I got
-5 oil filters
-10 qts of WS ATF (to continue drain/fills with oil changes)

everything shipped for $116... crazy!
1770654926829.webp


For the power steering I got a jug of Valvoline Maxlife full synthetic off Amazon for $25.

WT seems to have better pricing on about everything over Bell Lexus. The shipping time sure takes longer from the east coast to CA vs Arizona... but if it's not something I need in a couple of days... the savings is well worth it.
 
Welp, we are getting HAMMERED by rain for the next 10-14 days... so was a good day to do all the power steering stuff.

Was using a pick to try and break the hard hoses off the nipples everywhere. Pick slipped... then thought "hmm I havnt touched ATF yet... ahhhh its blood filling my glove" lol
1771339007496.webp


new vs old.. the old is empty, just stained for nasty old fluid
1771339047952.webp


This is the hose to the power steering pump.. Im wondering if there is a different part number I should have got since the new one was so much longer than the old. Both have yellow stripes to the res and pink stripes to the pump. I ended up just cutting 3-4 inches off and it fit in fine.

Jacked the front end up so the wheels were off the ground to bleed the system while the car was off, then again with the car on. Went smooth. Then took it out to pickup the kiddos and put 5-6 miles on the car, no noticeable leaks or drips anywhere when I got back home.

My biggest issue of the whole job was trying to get the old hard line out. Just wasnt worth the hassle IMO. I ended up just taking the old hoses off the hardline and the new hoses off the new hardline and just replacing them while the old hardline was still sandwiched in there between the frame and rad.
1771339335223.webp

Other than that, nice easy job!
 
chipsanddip1234 said:
Just wondering how you bought black ones ? I think they discontinued black trim :/ . Can you share where you bought them
Click to expand...

PartSouq Auto Parts Around the World

We present to your attention our wide range of quality auto parts for many brands of cars. Our genuine parts catalogs and search by part number will help you!
partsouq.com partsouq.com

the part numbers for all 6 are here along with the pricing of them from July 2024:
1771343380546.webp
 
stupidchicken03 said:
Was using a pick to try and break the hard hoses off the nipples everywhere. Pick slipped... then thought "hmm I havnt touched ATF yet... ahhhh its blood filling my glove" lol
View attachment 4087912
Click to expand...
Been there and done that way too many times. I now view it as, "if I don't draw blood when I work on the vehicles, the automotive gods won't be happy" and all is well in the universe.
 
OG Zuninja said:
Been there and done that way too many times. I now view it as, "if I don't draw blood when I work on the vehicles, the automotive gods won't be happy" and all is well in the universe.
Click to expand...
oh it wasnt the only blood draw either lol
1771345179702.webp


the hardlines under the front bumper put up a good fight.. finally broke it loose but my thumb took the impact between the frame and the wrench. That one hurt..
 
aztoytec said:
Got to give you props on that Subaru in the background! Looks like a really cool build.
Click to expand...
Thanks! It's a 2018, ordered it brand new, picked it up Sept 2017. 8.5 years later ive got 64,4XX miles on it. Thanks to the pandemy, Ive been able to WFH and save tens of thousands of miles from not commuting lol!

Full build journey if you've got a few days of spare reading time :p
Ive done WAY more to the Trek since I bought it. A lot of 1-off custom mods. Pre-kids, I had A LOT more modding time hahaha. Im slowly getting there with the GX.
www.subaruxvforum.com

Chicken's Crosstrek

I had been wanting a Crosstrek for a few years.. I almost pulled the trigger and got a 2017 in the tan khaki, but decided to wait as the 2018's were going to be the new platform. After seeing the new specs, I decided to wait. About a month in a half ago, I put an order in! 2018 Premium...
www.subaruxvforum.com www.subaruxvforum.com

Last weeks oil change, 5 tire rotation, and cabin filter replacement.
1771364985232.webp


It's a 6-speed manual trans too :)
 
I had one of those Primitive Racing 3/16" skid plates on my 2000 5MT Forester, and we also had on on our 2014 CVT Outback. My niece has that Outback now and I'm confident the skidplate is still protecting that low-hanging Subaru oil pan :). My old Forester got wheeled a ton - Subaru does a great job of having everything tucked up very nicely under the car - the only damage inflicted was breaking the welds on the resonator. It was always unsettling when you would feel the floorpan deforming upward when going over a rock or ledge :). I certainly miss driving a MT Subie with the 50/50 torque split, but overall I've found Toyota products to be much more reliable. My EJ25 came out of my Forester multiple times - luckily they are super-easy cars to work on.
 
Last edited:
Rednexus said:
I had one of those Primitive Racing 3/16" skid plates on my 2000 5MT Forester, and we also had on on our 2014 CVT Outback. My niece has that Outback now and I'm confident the skidplate is still protecting that low-hanging Subaru oil pan :). My old Forester got wheeled a ton - Subaru does a great job of having everything tucked up very nicely under the car - the only damage inflicted was breaking the welds on the resonator. It was always an unsettling when you would feel the floorpan deforming upward when going over a rock or ledge :). I certainly miss driving a MT Subie with the 50/50 torque split, but overall I've found Toyota products to be much more reliable. My EJ25 came out of my Forester multiple times - luckily they are super-easy cars to work on.
Click to expand...
I had Primitive skids on my STi too, well worth a few hundred bucks for the protection they offer!

I couldnt say much about reliability on my WRX nor STi as I did big motor builds on both lol.
The Trek on the other hand, has had zero engine/drivetrain issues! Biggest issues ive had with it are the infotainment system - it's garbage. I havnt plugged my phone into the car to use Google maps in at least 5-6 years.. had gotten all their firmware updates, phone updates, the works. Just put a RAM mount and used my phone lol
 
stupidchicken03 said:
I had Primitive skids on my STi too, well worth a few hundred bucks for the protection they offer!

I couldnt say much about reliability on my WRX nor STi as I did big motor builds on both lol.
The Trek on the other hand, has had zero engine/drivetrain issues! Biggest issues ive had with it are the infotainment system - it's garbage. I havnt plugged my phone into the car to use Google maps in at least 5-6 years.. had gotten all their firmware updates, phone updates, the works. Just put a RAM mount and used my phone lol
Click to expand...
Out Outback was actually very reliable, other than needing a CVT valve body at around 140K. It's other repairs were limited to eating lots of light bulbs and serpentine belts, along with rear shocks. My old Forester was sold to my hippie neighbor, who turned it into an art car and is still driving it. It was built in July '99 so it'll turn 27 this year. Subies certainly require maintenance but are easy enough to repair that you can keep them on the road indefinitely.

What really turned me off to them in terms of reliability was constant oil burning - we bought the Outback new, I was meticulous with 4K oil changes (Mobil 1 and a Subaru Filter) and the early-production FB still started burning oil by around 130K. My EJ was also an oil burner, while my 2UZ does not burn a drop. Hopefully your later-model FB has improved pistons/rings and isn't an oil burner.
 
We have had a bunch come through work and I’ve never seen a manual CrossTrek. Honest did not know it was even an option. The cvt is the one thing I did not like. I’ve been wanting a newer fuel efficient daily and what you have built is pretty dam cool!
Maybe time to start looking…
 
aztoytec said:
We have had a bunch come through work and I’ve never seen a manual CrossTrek. Honest did not know it was even an option. The cvt is the one thing I did not like. I’ve been wanting a newer fuel efficient daily and what you have built is pretty dam cool!
Maybe time to start looking…
Click to expand...
6MT Foresters were made up though 2018 as well, with the larger FB25 engine. Honestly the 2.5/CVT isn't terrible to drive, but Subies are downright fun with a manual. A 6MT Crosstrek would definitely be a good driver due to the size.
 
Marketplace strikes again lol.
Was browsing and saw that a mint set of taillights had been listed less than an hour ago. Dude was about a 30 min drive from me BUT was heading to a local 4x4 shop that is less than 10 mins away from me :)

Nabbed the set with the sockets for $50.
My driver side has a broken off chunk where it was hit at some point - honestly cant remember if it was like that when I bought it, or something that happened since its been mine.

1772055174705.webp
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom