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no worries about the cam snapping like that, happens all the time and it can be unnerving but since you're at TDC you won't get impacts between the piston and valves. just turn it back to line up the vertical hash mark on the outer rim of the cam to the mark on the plastic cover. do you have a procedure of how to line up the marks? search the board or http://techinfo.subaru.com/index.html. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=116854 welcome to the board. (sorry for redundant post!)

Compression check (done cold, I know should have done warm) Removed injector and coilpack connectors, removed all plugs, checked each cylinder one at a time while cranking until the reading peaked on the gauge (about 7-8 cranks), while flooring the pedal. results 1: 200 psi 2: 180 3: 205 4: 90 Help me decipher whether #4 has troubles (wouldn't be surprised) or whether a tooth or two off timing could be the cause (kind of doubtful at this point). Wish I had done a compression check the last time I did plugs 45k ago. Did that. Hard to see the tiny mark on the crank pulley. If I'm looking at the right mark its 14 degrees to the right when the big arrows on the cam 'spokes' are straight up. Lots of paint splashes on the crank pulley but these don't appear to highlight any marks. Also, lining up the other sets of marks on the cams (the painted lines on the outer rim of the cams) to the notches on the back cover shows that they line up together so it doesn't appear that the cams jumped relative to each other. Its easy enough to remove the crank pulley and center cover... The light wasn't the only thing confused that day So what are these old timing lights good for on distributorless ignitions?

Thanks all! FairTax, that's a relief, was thinking bad things were happening down there and its just a product of the wasted spark and too many miles. yep, green lettering on $1.54 plugs. plugs came out mostly like butter, only one screeched a little, maybe antiseize when I put them in helped. Checked all plug wires while running using a timing light, saw some bizarre patterns. Sometimes regular flashes, sometimes nothing at all, sometimes regular spacing with random bursts of speed. All the cylinders seem to have different patterns. Went over to another EJ22 that runs smoother and saw similar types of patterns, although not as erratic. I'm thinking my timing light has a bad pickup or something. Replaced plug wires with OEM. I imagined it made a difference at first (you know, how the car runs better after a wash) but it was wishful thinking. Still vibrating at idle, maybe a little less. To get a sanity check I checked vibration on a '96 OBS (one year different EJ22 SOHC engine) no vibration at idle or other weirdness like in the '95. Here's some new info. Timing belt has been in for 53k. I forgot to mention this but at startup while cranking it sounds like it skips or misses once or twice, which I chalked up to maybe the starter going. Could it be a slipped t-belt, maybe on one cam? Its probably the original tensioner. Could be something amiss on cylinder 4, was ash-fouled last time I changed plugs too but it just started running bad recently. It doesn't feel like its lost power but just the same its been 7 years since BG44K and 2 years since seafoam treatments in the gas. Corrected the rpm's on the initial post.

95 OBW 181k 5-speed 2.2l years ago I bought into the gleam of long service life on NGK platinums bkr6egp. recently idle has been running rough (shakes the car) so figured it was time for new plugs. well after 45k here's the platinum spark plug gaps in mm and cylinder numbers front DS----------------PS #2 [1.1] ------- #1 [1.6] #4 [1.8] ------- #3 [1.2] weird how unbalanced the gaps were...on cylinders 1 and 4 the electrode was just about gone. #4 ground electrode was ash fouled, others look fine installed NGK BKR6E11 coppers today set to 1.05 mm running a little rough at idle around 600 rpm warm gets worse at 750 rpm smoothes out at 1000 rpm coilpack is probably original air filter new, knock sensor replaced not too long ago, no codes will try plug wires and fuel filter, pcv valve I don't think its motor mounts because the vibration was happening before the new plugs and it would come and go could a failing cat do this? maybe a vacuum leak somewhere Since this is a '95 it has HLA's and therefore no valve adjustment. going back to 30k intervals on copper plugs

Loading one side in a moderate-speed turn can also help to isolate which side it is. If a slight turn to the right produces more noise, its the left rear. Another way is to jack up the rear, disengage parking brake, and turn each rear wheel while holding a breaker bar against the strut/coil and up against your ear like a stethoscope. You'll hear the vibration loud and clear if its the wb.

yah maybe drive over a rocky mountain pass to find some SNOW!!!

find an empty parking lot drive slow figure 8's listen for clunks from center diff, tires skipping (grabbing asphalt and hopping) make sure tires are equal sizes and makes all around with normal wear

In case you still need it, here's a procedure for bleeding air from P/S from the overkill department, done on a '96 OBS. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=107972

So true! Hijacking for sure, or giving credit to the owner. Maybe some clever retrofitter has engineered this idea since then? Will check offroaders, thanks! If mounted and plumbed right it should be rollover safe. Will offer the car for crash testing at the right price. The thought of dropping the tank in my driveway fills me with...rust flakes in the facial orifices...doesn't sound like fun although only one bolt sheared off on the filler neck job so how bad could it be? One can only run on the 'only fill half way option' for so long...

Looks like a novel idea compared to pulling the tank. Anyone do this job? Looking into this for a '97 OBW that has the pesky fuel leak at the tank inlet (already fixed the leak at the rotten fill pipe, which by pulling on the inlet hose during removal of the fill pipe probably made the inlet begin to leak or get worse...)

Many thanks for this post. I used your idea on a '97 OBW. Was able to get it to work after I 'modified' the pipe ends in order to fit the 1.5" ID hose on the 1.66" OD filler pipe. The hose has two reinforcing wires wound around it which don't want to expand much. I used part number 23924 Gates fuel filler hose, sold in 3' lengths from Rockauto for about $36. Enough for two jobs easy when the rusty swiss cheesed section cut out is less than 1 foot. There is a non-wire-reinforced version, part number 23964, which might be easier to get over the pipe or try the 1.75" ID version. This hose doesn't see significant pressure and both the wire and non-wire versions are rated at 20 psi. The plastic cover (the cause of the problem) fits over the 23924 hose easily. Thought I'd write this down before I forget.

Thanks for the posts. OTC-6574 tool did the job as everyone said and saved me hours of dealing with rusted splines in my old method. I left the brakes on and bolted it over top of the rotor using the included plate. I could see the tool being used without the plate, with the rotor on or off. I didn't try this, but I could see that by removing the rotor it won't see any stresses from accidentally hammering the center pin past the point of travel on the center donut, and also the center pin would have more thread travel to push more of the axle through the hub instead of having to remove the tool to finish pushing out the axle with a handheld punch.

Drooling over the magnetic tipped shouldered punch but 3/16" punch from HF works on passenger side. Its 8" long and 0.555" dia knurled handle fits between exhaust on '96 OBS. Wish it was 10" though.

Its a trifle bothersome when parts store axles knock the day you replace them. I now use CVO. UPS them the bad axle and it comes back rebuilt. $55 + shipping both ways. Good turn around time. http://www.cvaxles.com/rebuild_and_return.htm

Here is my writeup on the fix in a '96 Impreza OBS, blunders included. Hope it helps some. Symptoms were audible relay closure heard but no wiper motor activity. Researched on Subaru website noted problem at rubber hose in hatch hinge joint. Inner plastic body panels removed to expose wiring harness on right side and relay near right tail light. Circuit check at 4 pin motor connector shows no voltage. During subsequent removal of harness, the harness was nearly completely severed at the hatch hinge at a stress concentration point inside the flex hose. Wires were all severed at the same location. New harness from Subaru genuine is $62 (not purchased). New harness would require installation hatch door connector removal to insert harness down wire tray. This contributed to the decision to splice & repair rather than buy new. Due to the difficulty of the repair this decision may not have been the best one. Harness power conductors were melted together and resulting heat & oxidation damage to neighboring wires required cutting out damaged sections however due to limited exposed length significant oxidation remained and even with application of flux and 40 watts heat soldering was still difficult and cold solder joints may exist in harness. Harness was spliced with 18 AWG hook up wire power conductors were spliced with 2 18 gauge conductors each. Due to shrink tube & tape wrapping the resulting repair diameter was significantly larger than original harness diameter. At this point it was observed that the harness repair technician should have gone to bed & got some needed rest because the protective rubber hose was not threaded into harness before splicing. This blunder required the removal of 3 connectors & the threading the harness through the hose with difficulty. Harness test: Harness was mated at both ends turning wiper switch on, motor sounds were heard however sounds like excessive loading or bogging down or binding or intermittent shorts were heard., like the motor was running at high speed , low speed, high speed or not at all. At this point the motor assembly was removed from hatch it was noted that with power applied to motor by wiggling the white plastic two contact housing motor would appear to have a momentary internal short. Motor assembly was disassembled and white plastic contact assembly was observed to be melted, spring contacts were bent & offset with heat damage, white plastic connector was removed from spare motor assembly (purchased salvaged motor assembly for $35 Impreza year unknown does not match existing motor assembly) Existing damaged spring contacts were bent in approximate shape of spare motor contacts & sanded down. Installed motor gearing was regreased. Reassembled and passed test. Previous shorting or bogging down symptoms disappeared & motor was observed to run much quieter due to the regreasing of the gears.

center threaded sleeve must slide through the donut hole to allow hammering, nice idea.

that can work but if not, try a bull pin if you want to save the ball joint boot. insert the pin between the control arm and the pinch joint and hammer away 1-5/16" X 12" Standard Bull Pin klein-3259

suggestions for a hub puller? I've tried a 3-jaw puller, often they break. +1 for air hammer

+1 click is normal. relay is likely good. look for melted wire insulation under the rubber flex conduit.

wheel bearing noise is a peculiar animal whose temperament varies with speed. At 62 mph my left rear wb resonates through the unibody sounding like crazed hornets at the top of the b-pillar.

valve cover bolts bottom out at 5 ft-lb so 3.6 sounds right on. thanks for the doublecheck. btw driver's side rocker bolts were all snug. pass side rocker was hanging on by one snug bolt, one bolt only

had to look up the torques on the eight rocker bolts, everything was super loose. spec is 8.7 + 0.7 ft-lb. http://www.sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=20509

thanks for the torques, found a pic of the tightening order, just like you said, inside to outside. I've read stories of these bolts bouncing around inside the cover. Was a close one for sure. Don't wait 200k like me before diving under the cover. Now onto the other side...

first time I looked under the valve cover on my '95 EJ22 outback, glad I did. gotta find the torque's on these, anyone know?

This might seem obvious but one wire will eventually make its way to ground (negative terminal) through the depressed washer switch on the steering column and the other will get 12 volts from a fuse block (FB-x). I don't have a wiring diagram of the '91 otherwise I could be more specific.