montana tom

Jeff; Your test light should go to ground, not the other wires . Connect the alligator clip to bare metal , it MUST make a good connection. Then touch the probe to your wires one at a time . Test light will light up for a few seconds at the correct wire only when the key is turned on. It should not stay on.

#1,2 and three are a strong possibility. The IAC valve normally does not cause a miss but causes the car to idle excessively fast until thoroughly warmed up. #3 seems most likely considering the code you did have. Also your fueling troubles. Check rock auto price on the evap valve. #2 is possible and much more expensive than the evap valve. Removing the carbon filter and weighing it can tell you if it needs replaced. #1 in Seattle I doubt you have a rust thru issue , its the easiest one to check. Do you have starting, idling, rough running issues immediately after fueling ?

Yes , change the pump pickup filter with the pump.and change the engine side fuel filter ,just because its a good idea. Beware of buying the high dollar Bosh OE replacement pump... its poorly designed and will not fit your stock bracket.

DBW or drive by wire means there is no cable connecting the throttle pedal to the engine. Its all electric wiring. There is a pedal assembly and another assembly at the throttle body.They plug in. What symptoms do you have ? My experience with the DBW cars is, if faulty they simply idle , no rev up at all . This can happen at any speed , if the connection at the pedal or the throttle body has a faulty signal the ecm sends it to idle. Not fun at 80 mph in the high speed lane for your car to drop to only an idle... A failing IACV usually has a very high idle, 2000-3000 until thoroughly warmed up.

I agree , check fuel pressure. Sounds like pumps heating up and barely working. Nice that Bennie understood the flashing ECU at least you know you have no codes yet.

Fuel pump is an easy change on that car . Really only takes less than an hour to swap out. If it is a sedan its under the rear seat if its a wagon its thru the back hatch directly behind the rear seats.

Well you could try but... your messing with the evap system. Computer is not going to like it. My guess is fuel mileage will suffer , may be hard to start... and I'm guessing but probably run like spoob. But hey, give it a go you can always fix it later if your bypass mucks up.

If it leaks , it will just drip anti freeze and or oil. The rods if they were damaged will tell you ahead of time. They will give a quick rattle at start up and if your listening at certain rpms and loads you will hear them. Keep driving it. On engines ; automatics and standards are the same block. Intake manifold and the cam and crank gears from your original will need to go on the replacement motor, to match your ecm. EDIT) I see your looking at 2.2 engines not 2.5 good choice but not sure what you would need to modify (if anything) to put in your car

2000-2001 manual transmission had a different cogged crank gear than the automatics, or other year sticks. Most likely that is your problem. Left (drivers) side Cam gear should be checked but I doubt that will need swapped. As Bennie said also double check your connections.

Been doing it for years. Every time I do head gaskets. Roll the cam until either pair of valves opens , stop them just at fully open and adjust the closed pair. Roll again till the pair you adjusted is fully open and adjust the other pair. Then move over to the next cylinder and repeat. I do it twice just to check. I have checked after head install (belt on) and never had to readjust. This is not as accurate as the factory procedure. Do not set them super tight . You can easily recheck after you have the belt on.

Real fun isn't it... On a legacy the battery and the washer reservoir is removed but not the fuel rail. I forget which but one goes down to come out. Valve covers are one of the hardest things to do on a Subaru. Now you see why so many leak or even worse why you find broken bolts where they tried to just tighten it up .

Wow, not heard of the carrier bearing going bad before! Usually its the u joint up at the trans that fails, if it fails at all. My 00 work outback has 298,000 miles on original shaft. wife's 01 outback it failed at 240,000. I have changed out several others usually with more than 200,000 miles on them. Yours going out at 120,000 really is a lemon. I have replaced most bad drive lines with good used ones and haven't had any come back yet. The wife's car got a new one built for it... around $450 or so with grease able ujoints. I have heard that the rock auto drive shafts are variable, some are perfect and some are not properly balanced. I would have recommended going with a new built but you already ordered the SKP . Lets hope you get a good one!

On a 96 wagon the fuel pump is actually thru the rear hatch just behind the rear seats. Under the rear seat you will find the short jumper harness that should be tested to confirm the wiring and fuel pump relay.

A warning on the fuel pump,I just went thru this for a customer. The Bosh OE replacement pump at a hefty $160 + is an "almost" exact duplicate of the original... Unfortunately it does not come with a rubber mount to install it, nor will your perfectly good original one fit it ! For some reason bosh changed the bottom of the pump and did not make a rubber cup to hold it ???? There's a college educated engineer (idiot) with clean hands behind that great idea! I had to buy the $80 china pump (imagine this ) that came with a new rubber cup for the bottom ! It fit perfect & started up instantly! I gave my customer the china part # for the pump. Told him to buy a spare to keep with the car. I then showed him how easy it is to change that pump on the side of the road.

Agreed on the fuel pump. Easy enough to change but they commonly go out with no warning. Starter is usually the solenoid contacts, easy to fix or replace at home, besides its a stick it can be push started MAF is going to go out sooner or later. Ebay a used original and keep it in the car , its another side of the road change... for that matter so is the timing belt if you carry tools and a spare belt. Having a spare alternator is always a good idea. Another ,easy side of the road fix. axles are axles , if the boots don't lose their grease they last for years.

Higher cost than the lower 48 but... a one owner car , extra rims & tires , and you will never have to worry if the timing belt breaks! Don't wait somebody else that knows Subaru's will snap it up.

A one owner 96 MT 2.2 with only 111,000 for $2800 in Fairbanks ... Buy it. Best motor subi has made since the gear to gear carburetor EA engines.

I believe that is a sohc engine. You won't get coolant in the oil. The dohc engines leak into the cylinder, not the crankcase. Most likely damage on a sohc is the rod bearings. Listen for a quick rod knock on start up. If you hear one its short block time. Your 80$ timing set is more dangerous to the engine than anything else. If it is a dohc and heating up , just give it new head gaskets (Subaru only !!!) If you do that then give it an oe timing set and your good to go.

Not serviceable at home. Drive line replacement is common. Used or new .

This item # at Ebay is the timing kit I install on every car that comes thru the shop. $236.95 delivered Koyo ,ntn idlers mitsoboshi belt and in the box OE Subaru tensioner. Super fast delivery. If you want the same kit with a Subaru branded belt its item # is 200858175013 $279.89 delivered.

96 impreza should have a 2.2 ? 08 outback would be a 2.5. I have my doubts but... Easy enough to remove one and compare.

Check out this item at ebay 142713912360 from subarupartsdirect I buy most of my OE subi parts from them. This won't help your head if it was shaved to much but it is an excellent source of original parts at really good prices with super fast shipping.

I'm wondering about sticking calipers. lots of salt air and lately lava... in Hawaii.

If you decide to go with a cheap one ... even with a name you know (likes Gates or dayco) INSPECT EVERY PART , some gates kits are made in usa... most are CHINA ! Not just the belt, every idler should be made in japan anything china made will fail sooner rather than later. If you install a china part and your motor dies well... You get what you pay for.

Both are interference motors. Almost guaranteed to bend the valves if the belt or idlers fail's early .... At the least go with aisin or mitsoboshi timing kit, you can skip the water pump unless yours is leaking. Same with cam & crank seals if they are not leaking DO NOT mess with them.