Cammo
Forum Member
- Joined
- May 4, 2017
- Messages
- 7
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia
- Car Year
- 2006
- Car Model
- Forester
- Transmission
- Manual
Finally took off for the intended trip on May 21st. The the first day was uneventful, just travelling to Wyperfeld and making camp in the late afternoon at Snowdrift camp ground.
Next morning we climbed the sand dune to witness sunrise and take in the beaufiful vista. Also had a chat to the Parks ranger who we bumped into.
We then did a leisurely lap of Wirrengren plain including stops at O'Sullivan's lookout, the old redgum tree and Kelly's lookout.
Then headed up Gunners track and turned west into Firebreak Trk which jags along the northern boundary of the national park and borders vast expanses of wheat fields.
It soon got sandy and about 10 - 15km in we struck a fairly big hill which stopped me short a little from the top; so I reversed down, let another 5 psi out of the tyres and gunned it to the summit.
But on the way up things didn't feel and sound right and as soon as I got to the top I could smell burning - my clutch was frying !
I had to rev the engine really hard to budge the Foz off the top of the dune, then basically rolled to the bottom, around a bend and finally coasted to a halt on a flat, hard part of the track.
After waiting half an hour another attempt at moving proved we were in big trouble.
Being late afternoon we camped the night where we stopped. I had an uneasy sleep and the only consolation was getting a mallee root alight to bring us some warmth and cheer to the dire situation.
I was hoping for a miracle with the clutch but the next day it was still rooted with absolutely no grab at all.
To cut a long story short we eventually found a farmer in his wheat field and he gave us a tow out through the paddocks via an open gate which we fortunately found in the fence line.
We were towed through the back blocks to the town of Underbool on the Mallee Hwy and then, after making contact with the RACV, we were trailered to a garage in Ouyen.
Not being able to get the repairs done straight away it was a slow bus trip home, and after a week, another slow bus trip back for me last week to pick up the Foz.
Here is a video of the hill that killed my Foz:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11yYWuqZXqEM7dvHuKTop_n9EjYUqrXQ5/view?usp=sharing
A picture from the bottom;
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KbKZJ7WSmfWfH18x2iX177_Q1M5drYfs/view?usp=sharing
Next morning we climbed the sand dune to witness sunrise and take in the beaufiful vista. Also had a chat to the Parks ranger who we bumped into.
We then did a leisurely lap of Wirrengren plain including stops at O'Sullivan's lookout, the old redgum tree and Kelly's lookout.
Then headed up Gunners track and turned west into Firebreak Trk which jags along the northern boundary of the national park and borders vast expanses of wheat fields.
It soon got sandy and about 10 - 15km in we struck a fairly big hill which stopped me short a little from the top; so I reversed down, let another 5 psi out of the tyres and gunned it to the summit.
But on the way up things didn't feel and sound right and as soon as I got to the top I could smell burning - my clutch was frying !
I had to rev the engine really hard to budge the Foz off the top of the dune, then basically rolled to the bottom, around a bend and finally coasted to a halt on a flat, hard part of the track.
After waiting half an hour another attempt at moving proved we were in big trouble.
Being late afternoon we camped the night where we stopped. I had an uneasy sleep and the only consolation was getting a mallee root alight to bring us some warmth and cheer to the dire situation.
I was hoping for a miracle with the clutch but the next day it was still rooted with absolutely no grab at all.
To cut a long story short we eventually found a farmer in his wheat field and he gave us a tow out through the paddocks via an open gate which we fortunately found in the fence line.
We were towed through the back blocks to the town of Underbool on the Mallee Hwy and then, after making contact with the RACV, we were trailered to a garage in Ouyen.
Not being able to get the repairs done straight away it was a slow bus trip home, and after a week, another slow bus trip back for me last week to pick up the Foz.
Here is a video of the hill that killed my Foz:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11yYWuqZXqEM7dvHuKTop_n9EjYUqrXQ5/view?usp=sharing
A picture from the bottom;
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KbKZJ7WSmfWfH18x2iX177_Q1M5drYfs/view?usp=sharing
. thats why many upgrade clutch before they go anywhere. 
