GeneralDisorder

97 has no accessible trans filter. Subaru oil is nothing special. In fact it's pretty ho-hum. Get some Amsoil 5w40 Euro full SAPS formula. Subaru engine oil filters are junk. Made by Subaru of America to avoid importing the quality Japanese versions and increase profit margin. They are Honeywell/Fram filters with blue paint. Again an Amsoil or even a WIX filter is much better. And all this is really inconsequential because a 25D with 160k is right about where they blow head gaskets and burn exhaust valves. Be much more worried about that. GD

Check the u-joint assembly between the column and the rack. Ideally remove it and check for loss of motion in one axis. GD

And NO ONE appreciates an inadequate tool. That extra adequacy can mean the difference between a job well done, and an excruciatingly long hand finish. GD

Well my compressor is the exact size of the bore (99.50mm). So when it leaves the compressor the ring snaps neatly into that chamfer., which guides it into the bore. I had problems with tech's folding over the oil control ring wipers with those inexpensive sleeve compressors. Now we use the tapered compressors exclusively and have them for a variety of bore sizes for different engine applications. Company 23 makes an adjustable tapered ring compressor also that is useful for weird overbore sizes. Thanks for the history lesson. I recognized the 5.25's from my early days of software engineering. Those were mostly outmoded by the 3.5's when I was learning assembly back in high school. GD

Subaru still has the filters. Rip off that Hitachi junk and install a Weber. That will solve your problem. Or bring it to my shop and I'll do it for you. GD

Oh yeah that little taper is normal. You probably need a better ring compressor. You did check ring gap on the new rings right? That's not seriously a 5.25 floppy drive I see in the background is it? The horror! GD

There should not be a significant chamfer on the block. Can you post a picture? We use the wiseco tapered ring compressor sleeves. Makes installation a breeze. GD

Statistically - no one. That's why discontinued. Duh. GD

Like I said there may be an option to change the background in the menu somewhere. I'm confident (former software engineer) that's a normal software created background image. GD

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

Coat hanger with a hook bent on the end. Or pull the dash if you want to do it right. Lysol all that ductwork to kill the hantavirus. GD

Yes but you will need more than the trans. There is a whole vacuum/electrical control system for the 4WD push button system. GD

Remove and clean the throttle body. Idle issues are more often a result of the idle control being driven to its limits by a throttle body that is inconsistent, dirty, and isn't contributing consistent airflow at idle. Causing the computer to send max idle pulse widths, etc and it is unable to compensate for changing idle loads when it's already at it's limit. GD

What symptoms were you trying to solve? You never mentioned.....

Shouldn't be much play with a quality rotor. But it's not all that critical since once it's locked down you adjust the timing by rotating the distributor body. Any error in the rotor to distributor shaft position will be accounted for and eliminated in the timing procedure. Put some blue loctite on that screw. And it helps to use a JIS screwdriver to tighten it. GD

Yes you have to swap two wires. I don't remember which ones. Ancient history for me now. GD

Absolutely. They are intended to be ran and driven in D-Check mode for diagnostic purposes per the FSM. It's not the same connector used for pulling codes. You are supposed to run them through a diagnostic that includes driving at I think greater than 15 mph for at least 10-14 minutes? I honestly don't remember the exact params. GD

Sudden stop while running - most common is distributor rotor screw, or d/s timing belt. Fuel pumps don't stop while they are running unless they lose power. Check for spark - just pull a plug wire off the cap and hold it near to the tower with some insulated pliers. Should have a nice blue spark. Check that rotor screw first. GD

Fuel pump cycles because you have the green diagnostic plugs connected. Not related to your no-start. GD

The fuel pump relay is behind and above the interior fuse panel. It is a silver canister relay and has a green electrical connector. You don't need to pull the dash out. You do need to check that the relay is getting 12v switched power and a ground signal from the ECU, and if it is when it clicks off then you can safely assume the relay is bad. If it is not - then you need to determine why the ECU shut it down. Could be that the ECU is bad, or that it lost the crank sensor input and shut off the fuel pump because it doesn't see the engine turning..... or perhaps the ignition relay (brown, square plastic relay with 6 pins) shut off the ECU.... many possibilities. GD

Or call your local dealer, get reman axles by VIN, and be done with it for 100k+. It's not *that* expensive amortized and given the labor savings not rebooting them. GD

No. Doesn't work that way. The low range isn't a separate part you can swap. It's actually done at the front of the input shaft before any of the 5 speed gearing. The single range case is not machined for the low range components. You either rebuild the trans you have (very involved - will require some special and/or custom tools including a press, and may not be possible without parts transmissions due to poor availability of many components through Subaru), or you find a replacement dual range. GD

That engine is known for piston slap more than any other Subaru engine. Nothing you can do but knurl the skirts. GD

Correct the wire clamps only fit the OEM hoses due to their reduced wall thickness. Personally I like the OEM wire clamps. They have very even clamping force. We use the embossed worm clamps with rolled edges and a thinner band if the wire clamps are not reusable. We use exclusively OEM hoses or silicone hoses (bulk or fitted) for performance applications. For anything around 1.25" and smaller we use exclusively tongue and groove Oetiker clamps. GD

It occured to me after posting last time, that your pressure test rig might have experienced pressure drop simply from the compressed air falling in temperature (and therefore pressure). The air is hot leaving the compressor, and will drop in pressure after sitting in that engine. For radiator hoses - buy them from Subaru. They fit the best and last the longest, and they are relatively cheap. Like $25 each. GD