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Some things that may help from my recent experience - Started the car to drive home a couple days ago. I hear a high pitched sqeeeeeeeeeeee. Hmm.... sounds like a dying bearing. It faded after a bit. I got home, not really worried, as it takes longer than that for complete failure. Took off the fan belts, sure enough, the A/C idler's bearing was shot. Replaced it from my stock of contact sealed new bearings, and put it back together. Next day, took it for a drive. Started to notice a similar but less pronounced dying bearing sound. Hmmm. Took off the driver side timing belt. Yep, the idler's bearing is toast also. The seals are dried out and cracking, and crud got into it. Maybe running without the covers allowed more crud in - BUT I would not have heard it's death rattle until it had gotten MUCH worse - and that much closer to being stuck on the side of the road with a broken belt. Just have to install that bearing now, then check the 2 adjuster bearings. If you rebuild these, use bearings with contact seals, not just rubber [or other unspecified] seals.

Intermittent flashing is common. Hopefully you get lucky but usually it’ll come again some day. Ideally you get the codes from the TCU. Now is a good time to learn how to do that when it’s not an emergency.

Thanks so much once again. I saw the location of the weep hole after I got it off again. Replaced the pump, and it looks like it sealed with no issues

Has anyone ever thought an old ( or new - your option) piston would work as a rear main seal whacker-innerer tool? 92 mm std bore piston with full skirt is just a mm or two smaller than OD of a 76*93*10 RMOS !

If the carpet is wet (common this time of year) the moisture can cause the windows to fog up all the time. Is the car dry inside?

The window has the gasket placed on it and then is set on a bead of urethane sealant.

ABS parts from the plumbing isle. Piston would not work without machining. The crank sticks out past the seal. GD

Dizzy ignition module or a lot of shaft play that’s not allowing the module to detect the trigger wheel or the points to open sufficiently as required. All the best with it. Cheers Bennie

EA81 distributor modules tend to give warning signs before leaving you right in it

Could be an intermittent fuel problem. When the fuel pump starts to go out they run intermittently. You can crank all day and it won't start. Next time you try it'll turn over. When the problem happens again, try rapping on the pump with a screwdriver handle. If it gets you going you found the problem. May take more than one try.

Perhaps it is flooding? fuel+moisture+ fog... plug gap, timing,corroded coil wire, what all happened before, ie change anything electrical? Starter alternator cap rotor plug wires, is shooting gas in the carb before starting? Floats could be stuck...

another vote for KYB. might want to possibly get the front tophats at least.. rears don't usually have many problems. fronts - the bearings tend to go.. if you have them on hand and need them, you only have to do the job once... if you don't need them, return them. they are not typically called "inserts" - just strut, and spring - the two together are an assembly.

Winter in Fairbanks, a Subaru's natural environment: Flaunt it by Jason Ahrns, on Flickr 1977 Subaru Wagon by Jason Ahrns, on Flickr 1977 Subaru Wagon by Jason Ahrns, on Flickr

Here's some tips for rebuilding your EA82 optical distributor. I've had the optical pickup crap out causing bucking while accelerating before. Not fun when your far from home. And embarrassing cause you look like a stick shift NOOB. First remove 2 screws & dust cover for optical pickup. Then remove center screw. Remove upper retainer then disc being careful not to bend it. Remove locating tabbed disc & spring washer with "D" hole in it. "T" shaped optical disc retainer is a slip fit on shaft. Might have to use a very small 2 jaw puller if gummed up like mine was. Once "T" retainer is out of the way remove 3 screws retaining optical pickup. Note orientation of two tabs & alignment of hole in distrib driven gear. Hole must line up with nub on bottom of distrib + LH tab in uppermost pic pointing toward optical pickup. Note that there is a nub on side of distributor above mounting flanges & it aligns with nub at bottom. Alignment hole is to left of my thumb at right angle to pin punch. Remove bottom connector from distrib body(2 screws) & pry gently with screwdriver if needed. Remove 3 retaining screws from optical module & lift it out. Upper distrib shaft brg is retained with 2 screws with captive washers. Remove driven gear spring pin (be careful not to lose it - its odd sized metric) & pull gear off. Press shaft out from bottom. Had to retap mine to 6-32 thread because old hardware was pretty corroded & stripped the threads in aluminum distrib body. Bottom shaft brg is a bushing so just need a little oil. Upper brg is Nachi 6200-2NSE9: https://www.ebay.com/itm/6200-2NSE9-NACHI-bearing-6200-2NSE-seals-6200-2RS-bearings-6200-RS-Japan/131652289255?hash=item1ea71682e7:g:MpYAAOSwvt1WR23i Optical pickup is Standard Motor Products LX-653. Can be had here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Standard-LX-653-Distributor-Ignition-Pickup-FITS-NISSAN-SUBARU-INFINITY-MERCURY/262568795460?fits=Make%3ASubaru&hash=item3d2251dd44:g:ObUAAOSww4NXqNFE "Exploded" hardware pic Tabbed drive disc, optical shutter disc only fit on one way so there's slim chance of misalignment. BUT distrib driven gear hole must be aligned with nub & LH tab in upper disc toward optical pickup head.