1 Lucky Texan

at 208,000 miles, if you can't make yourself confident that chasing the the treads with a tap - or use of a helicoil (or similar repair - others here can advise better than I if that could work) then I'd think a used engine would be a good option. Might find one with 1/3 - 1/2 the miles of the present engine.

might be more feedback for this car at NASIOC.

the car is in limp mode. If the car has been well maintained and oil level/quality is good and there have been no wrecks/recent repairs (have there?) , I would start by clearing the code. A code reader can do this - or, disconnecting the neg. battery terminal, stepping on the brake pedal a coupla times, and maybe also waiting 10-20 minutes (or, disconn. neg. batt. terminal at bedtime, re-conn. in the morning) then, see if the code comes back immediately. If it does, probably needs the attention of a mechanic that could properly diagnose it according to the factory service manual.

^^^ great post for a smartphone, search ' elm327 ' BT adapter as mentioned.

what is the history of the car? our cars NEED an OEM-style t'stat so, that must be confirmed. A bad rad cap could also be an issue. Worst case - bad headgasket.

OBD I isn't likely to work with a handheld - not sure about a laptop with a cable and FreeSSM. THose should be able to use the 'blink code' method if you connect some connectors under the dash. I think you can make an '07 car display the code - I can never recall the procedure. You could also try clearing the code with a battery disconnect. any decent reader should read it - or go to PepBoys, O'Reilly's , etc.

built in.

they can - but it may depend on the actual alt's failure mode internally. not sure though

2 things come to mind; a missing/loose ground wire somewhere, and/or, the IACV hose is loose from the underside of the intake.

suppose some new kid at the dealership screwed-up and put some diff fluid in the trans? anyway - what makes the trans "dubious' ? maybe just start with 3 drain/fill cycles ?

original wires? can you shift the plug wires and swap with another cylinder?

from what I've read, many times actually, first thing to suspect would be a rebuilt alternator. If that's what you installed. If possible, take it and the battery back to the parts store and have them tested. If they still have your original (and assuming you can be wwithout your car for a few days) you can have your original alt. rebuilt by a local rebuilder - ask around at a 2-3 mechanics' shops and see who they'd recommend.

might be a good idea to check the charging voltage.

speaking very generally - yes. It is true the EZ30 is not reported to have hg problems as often, they also are less common so, the actual difference in RATE of hg problems is not easy to quantify. But the impression is, the 6 cyl gaskets are more robust. BUT, the older a car is, the less important it's brand/model reliability when new - and the more important is previous care and current condition. A properly regasketed EJ25D could be more reliable than a mistreated EZ30. ANY 14 year old car could be a ticking time bomb.

um - would that be the OEM TURBO stock gasket or is there an updated NA part?

I'm not familiar with all the connectors, but I'd say an improperly seated one, a missing ground - even a bent or 'pushed-back' pin in a connector seems quite likely. on gen2, it's worth checking for the cap/o-ring problem but, I think that's unrelated to your recent issue.

the classifieds at NASIOC could be good place to check.

at 227K, you might get a used trans with 1/3 the mileage swapped in with less hassle.

if it has 'severely' overheated (yes, I know that is not easy to quantify), get another engine. people have rebuilt heads only to discover soon that rod bearings are going bad.

how long since a brake fluid flush? could brake fluid ever absorb enough water to actually freeze? just a w.a.g.

lots of parts in there - maybe a spider gear lost a tooth or 2 and sometimes 'skips' ??? good luck - let us know what you find.

yeah, from what I've read, engines will only re-align the belt marks after 200-400 revolutions.(depending on SOHC, DOHC, etc.) but lining up the crank and cams, and verifying with a tooth count, is as good as the belt marks anyway.

is there a part number embossed on it?

the rear diff's drain plug has a magnet on it - you could look for 'chunks' I guess.

unless you were running a donut spare or different sized tire, it's not reported as a 'come$go' type of issue - the 5pseeds are often reported as being worse after they heat up. symptoms get worse over time. It stresses the entire drivetrain of course and worn-out/broken parts elsewhere could exhibit problems - wherever the weakest link is - carrier bearing, u-joint, half-axle/CVJs, etc. if it seemed like it was worse on one side than the other, might be useful to swap axles L to R. just, really, doesn't seem like TB. I'd think you would FEEL the stress buid-up/release/build-up/release, etc. is the banging started or solved by brake application? Have you tried lifting the E-brake handle to see if the sound is affected? are the pads on the rear brakes evenly worn? inside pad material not worn a lot more than the out side pad? I only read a lot, others here have the real experience.