DaveT

For SPFI - There is the fuel pump at the back. There is a damper thing in the line, it is not a regulator. It won't stop the car from running. Swapped lines would, I expect, cause no start, from the sound of it. Apply reverse polarity to the fuel pump will make it run backwards, and won't start. That one, I discovered unintentionally, but I know it for certain, as I tested it. Fuel pressure gauge good for at least 30PSI at the filter, good test. Better Teed in. I've never had to do anything with the pressure regulator, it would have to be in / on the throttle body.

I've resealed a few EA82s. Some have been partially disassembled for years, so no oil to speak of in the adjusters. Just primed the oil pump with a drill before installing the timing belts. The ticking goes away after a while, and a good number of drive cycles. On the way out, it comes and goes.

My experience with the ticking is that it takes a few drives to go away mostly. Then intermittently comes and goes for a while.

From what I see mentioned above, thus is an EA82 engine? If so, there are no adjustments for the valve lash. They are automatic hydraulic. Sometimes one or 2 will get sticky or an air bubble.

Spfi or carb?

Some things that might help - EA82 GL & Loyale wagon based: [i am not sure if there may be any differences for a GL-10] Coolant is always pumped through the heater core, even when the engine thermostat is closed - it's the "bypass" so the pump isn't dead headed. If you are so low on coolant that you have no / low heat, you're in for blown head gaskets. The temperature of the air from the vents is adjusted by the lever - it moves a door that directs air through the heater core or around it. It is mechanically moved by a cable. Vacuum powered actuators move the doors for the vent choices. The only difference between A/C and A/C MAX button position is that in max, the blower draws air from the interior of the car, as opposed to fresh air for all other settings. If air flow doesn't change, the problem could be vacuum, actuators door linkage, or stuff in the ducts. I've seen mice eat the sealing material of of the doors - possibly interfering with the air routing?

The pump was working after the reseal, and before the oil and filter change? I don't think I'd pull it. I don't see a cause - effect. Trying to think "what would I do?"... Try installing the old filter. = maybe something is bad wrong with the new one. remove the timing belt, turn the pump with my drill driven 12mm socket. A bunch of work, but you have to go here to remove the pump anyway. I do this when rebuilding, before installing the timing belt, to prime the pump. It takes a while sometimes. You will know when the pump starts pumping, as the load will increase. The lifter tick will not instantly disappear. It will come and go for a while usually.

I've owned several EA82 wagons. The temperature gauges on some read normal at about 1/4 scale, some at about 1/2 scale. The absolute calibration is inconsistent from car to car. BUT if the gauge ever rises significantly above where it normally sits when things are running right, that is when you can have a problem. Sounds like you got most of the other problems hunted down. As far as the vents go, there isn't much fancy about them, so maybe something is blocking or partially blocking the duct.

Any trapped air will get cycled out in a few drive cycles. If everything is sealed up well. A seep that only happens when hot can be hard to find, since it will evaporate. Air could get in while it's cooling likewise.

See if you can move this to the older generation section of the forum. You should get more replies there.

It depends on the leak. If it's seeping to outside the block, it might help. Not much to loose. If it's the bubbles in the coolant system - combustion chamber to coolant leak, it won't help. I've run cars with this kind of failure, but check coolant every day. Sooner or later, it goes bad fast, and you're done.

Take the belt to Napa or the like. Get the next size bigger or smaller as needed. Yes there is supposed to be a tensioner and a second belt.

You can look at the cylinder bores. Look at all the rockers. Best way to avoid snapping a stuck bolt - get the engine to operating temperature, then carefully loosen the bolts. Intake manifold bolts in particular. Head bolts - Not sure when they switched from studs with nuts to bolts. You need to resurface the heads. There's a thread on here on how to DIY, or go to a machine shop. When you put the rockers back on, check that they are all in place correctly, a couple times as you bring the nuts tight. Best if you can turn the engine until they are all released [all valves closed] on the side you are doing. The intake manifold gasket mating surfaces might need resurfacing also.

Floating like you said.

On EA82s there are a couple of small coolant hoses, and one connects in a similar location. I've seen the hose get a pinhole leak, or coolant seep from the nipple. It will evaporate so it'd tricky to spot.

You can also burn coolant via an intake leak or throttle body leak at a noticeable rate without evidence in the exhaust. I am not sure what engine you have, or the coolant passages in the newer engines. This is based on my experience with ea82 engines. Some leaks can happen iutside, on top of the engine, and evaporate before you can see it or dripping occurs. You have to look while the engine is warming up.

There is supposed to be a check valve and storage tank in the feed between the manifold and the heater controls. If the check valve is missing or stuck open, that's what you get. Or if the tank is moderately leaky.

This is not normal. This needs to be fixed before you cook a head gasket.

I just got the 2009. I need the shop manuals. There are a lot of CDs and downloadable listed on eBay, for pretty cheap. Are these for real? Or crappy scans? Anyone know? Would I be better off going to a dealer? Do they even make printed ones anymore? Most of my Subaru experience is with the old EA82s, which I still run. I got real manuals from dealers for those, a very long time ago.

I have a socket adapter that I can put in a drill. Use it to spin the oil pump before installing the timing belt. Oil system primed.

When I have had the slow leak bad headgaskets, I have gotten away with running a zero pressure radiator cap. And I have continued the experiment since resealing the engines in both of my wagons last year. I have had no problems with the cooling systems.

My experience is with the older Subaru engines. You can run with the slow leak bad headgaskets for a while. But watch the coolant every day, or even every drive. It will get worse sooner or later. It's time to reseal an engine and swap it in, or find a useable one..

What I've done, is get the Fel Pro head set. Use all the gaskets and seals in there, except Oem intake gaskets, and the oem o rings for the oIL passage to the cam. Do not put anything on ahead gasket! Resurface the heads with the post apocalyptic method, or a machine shop. Be sure the block faces are good also. I have one head bolt that I ground the end of to make it like a self tapping screw, and use it to clean the threads in the block. Get the engine to operating temperature before trying to remove the intake bolts or the head bolts. A space heater and a heat gun do this pretty well. Meat thermometer to verify temperature.

We just got a 2009 Forester. I need to get a FSM for it. I need to get the fog lights that mount in the bumper. I have a 2001 Forester. Are any parts interchangeable? I need to sell or part out the 2001. I have noticed there are seemingly endless variants of the newer Foresters - what's the best way to find out what I have?

Oh, you do need that spacer!