Rooster2

Don't think that changing the ATF caused or resulted in the problem. Are you sure that your ATF level is not low or over filled? Check the fluid level when the motor is warm, engine still running, and in Park gear, in case you didn't know. BYW, changing the ATF just once, only changed about half the fluid. Suggest you fill and drain a total of three times with some driving between changes to do a thorough fluid change.

Repair with JB Weld, available at auto parts store. Works great!

Agree with others, my money is on a broken timing belt. I can't remember but I think in 96, the 2.2 motor was non-interference, so your valves may not be damaged.

Projects become an issue of time vs money vs value of what you have. Which do you have more of? I agree, if it were mine, I would replace the pan and drive on. As Nipper wrote, change the oil and oil filter and hope for the best.

Here's a few more thoughts/symptoms: When the temp gauge was really high, you could hear the sound of boiling in the engine block (or it sure sounded like it). I was able to intermittently get heat from the interior heater, and the hose on the right side of the rad was hot (normal kind of hot, not super hot). If it was a thermostat issue, would the rad hose on the right side of the rad at the top be hot, or would it stay cool until the thermostat opens? When hot, you hear a boiling sound, intermittent heat, are again indicators of a bad head gasket. What happens on this type of motor is that the bad head gasket allows exhaust gas to enter the cooling system. The super hot exhaust gas gives you the boiling sound, and since the water pump doesn't pump both water and exhaust gas very well, the heater doesn't work well. One guy with your problem loosened the bleeder bolt that is located at the top of the radiator on the passenger side. That allows some of the exhaust gas to exit the radiator to somewhat minimize over heating a bit. It is a bandaid fix, but it can help a bit.

Nice car, looks well taken care of. Enjoy!!

Regarding the low beam out, high beam still works........sounds like a bad bulb to me. Replace the bulb to see if that fixes it. If you do it yourself, don't touch the glass envelope of the bulb with your bare fingers. The slight oil from your skin will cause hot spots on the bulb, and substantially shorten the bulb's life. Clean with rubbing alcohol and paper towel should you accidentally touch the glass envelope.

Yea..........bring on the pixs, want to see your new car!!!

Caught your post that you do not have comprehensive auto insurance, so there is no coverage for your flood damage with your auto policy. Another thought, in your original post, you mention the rain arriving before leaving for work. Was your car at your house or apartment complex when it was water damaged? If so, your home owner's or renters insurance may well cover your loss. It may be worth looking into. As an example, in the past, I have had my car damaged in my home driveway by vandals. Home owner's policy covered the loss. Even though you have done a lot of clean up work yourself, the pictures you have taken are valuable evidence to show an insurance adjuster. Just save your pics!

Well the parts store idea seemed good at the time. Not every idea works out. Hope you get it fixed with little hassle.

Always worth more selling as a whole, vs. parting it out. Besides parting it out takes time, often a lot of time. I guess on the other side of the coin, since you say it runs good without knocking, replace the pan and drive on. Maybe the metalic grit you found is a carry over from the original spun bearing, and everything is really okay with the motor.

maybe more then one rod bearing was bad at the time that you did the work. Did the rod bearing damage result from running the engine, when it was low on motor oil? Any current rod knocking noise?

All the auto parts stores sell wiper arms and blades. If it were me, I would remove the arm, take it with me to a parts store, and match it up size wise with what they sell. Chances are, you will find one that will fit.

Regarding the carpeting that you are drying. Suggest taking the carpeting to a laundromat. They have those large clothes dryers, just the right size for drying the carpeting. Throw in a few dryer sheets to get the carpeting smelling nice and fresh. The home clothes dryers are too small to do this.

Sounds like a nice ride if the price is right. Don't think sway bars are available. Prolly needs shocks/struts at all four corners to firm up the ride. Recommend KYBs. If you check the fuse to the cig lighter, and it is good, then like my 99 OBW, the problem is with the cig lighter receptacle. Replace, or do what I did, bend the prongs down to by pass the resistor thingie in the receptacle. If the motor is running strong, then figure 250 to 300K miles is the running life of a 2.2 motor before replacement.

Nice looking car. I hope it serves you well. I hope you are not the guy that pushes that 1930's era push type reel lawn mower around that I see in the background of the picture! That doesn't look like much fun. I haven't seen one of those in years.

So I should go ahead and buy another ECU? Yea, replacing the ECU would be money wisely spent. I wouldn't trust the broken one you have as far as I could throw it. Subie ECUs don't break often, so easy to get a good one from a wrecking yard. Shouldn't cost much. Just find one from roughly the same year car you have. Match up part numbers, and you should be good to go.

Sorry to read about your troubles. Looks like you parked in a low area for the water to get that deep. If you have comprehensive insurance, you may be covered on the water damage. That much water in the car must have entered under the doors, prolly not from the sun roof. The ecu looks shorted out. Replace the ecu with one from a wrecking yard, then see what codes you have. If you don't have comprehensive coverage, and have to wait for an insurance adjuster to view the damage, then suggest you pull out all the seats and the carpeting. Once out, then you can really get the carpeting dry and the floor pan dry as well. Otherwise, mold and mildew will ruin the carpet. Another thought is to use a "rinse and vac" vacuum cleaner. The type that is designed to vacuum up water, then use a couple of large box fans to blow air on the damp carpeting to complete the drying process.

Same thought.........take your car in for an alignment. The shop will quickly tell you for sure what your problem is. Struts are built anvil tough, and I think other suspension parts would bend or go out of alignment before damaging the strut. My money is bet on that you have some other suspension part bent, but not the strut. My guess is that your car was run up on a curb at speed to cause the bending you describe.

Written above is good advise. Subies don't develop bad piston rings causing "blow by" with subsequent oil burning inside the motor. I think your motor is simply leaking oil, and then it is running down the exhaust system where it is burned. The STOP SMOKE simply makes your oil really thick. It doesn't lube the motor as well, so that is why the oil light comes on occasionally. You are using less oil because the thick oil isn't leaking out of your engine as fast. Suggest really cleaning up the motor, source the leaks, then fix them. Then your problem will be solved.

check the archives here for many past posts on this subject. I replaced my outside latch on my 99 OBW a few months back. It is an easy job. Bought replacement handle on line for about $35. My old one was ruined by rust, prolly the same problem with yours. Good luck fixing yours.

I highly recommend the KYB struts. I have put them on several cars, and have been very happy with them. They perform well, and last a long time. I will buy them in the future. Years back in the 1970's, Monroe got a bad reputation of producing shock absorbers that wore out in a couple of years. That was a long time ago, so maybe with time, and transition to struts, their quality has improved.

Good to hear your success story. Glad all went well. Yea, like previous poster wrote, your smile and thumbs up says it all. Surprised you wore a white T-shirt and white shorts to do the work. Kept it all pretty clean too........!

I have both 98 & 99 OBWs, and have never used the stealership brand of coolant with no ill effects. IMHO, I don't know of any major brand of coolant that can't be used in a Subaru. I have read the coolant labels before purchase, and they say the product is safe to use in aluminum alloy engines. I don't think Prestone or Zerex would chance a class action law suit against themselves, if their product damaged engines. What is so special with a Subaru engine that it requires special coolant from a dealership? I am not aware of anything. To extend the life of antifreeze a few more years, in the Fall of each year, I add Prestone water pump lubricant and rust inhibitor to the coolant. Seems to work great.

With all that clicking, I too, would suspect a bad relay. Relays should be under the hood on the driver's side near top edge of fender in a black plastic box that also holds the fuses. The top of the black box unclips for removal. On the inside of the box lid is a listing of what each fuse does, but am unsure if relay functions are listed. If possible, start the relay to clicking. With the box cover removed, you can touch the relays to feel which one is clicking. Once the clicker is found, suggest replacing that particular one.