So after running reliably for almost a year now, I let my buddy borrow my car for the weekend (92 loyale). He says after filling up and gettting up to speed on the highway, it sputtered real quick, spit out a puff of smoke, and the engine died and now won't start. I'm not at the car, so I'm limited in details but are there any obvious cultprits?? haha poor dude's on the side of the road right now. 

Timing belt, the one that also drives the distributor,  most likely broke. Check for spark or just pull the distributor cap and see if the rotor turns when the engine is being cranked. 

its either that or the screw that holds the rotor to the disty shaft. either way, same procedure

Many things come to mind like a broken timing belt. That should cause odd cranking behavior. How did he notice a puff of smoke, I'm assuming from the tail pipe? Since hes on the side of the road and likely tooless lets start easy with a fuse check, especially for the fuel pump and ign circuits. When he cranks can he hear the fuel pump? If not, then the fuel pump, fuse, relay, fuseable link or fuel pump itself are on the list as well as the wiring in the circuit. He needs to check the emissions hoses and lines for a giant leak, like an open pcv line.

its either that or the screw that holds the rotor to the disty shaft. either way, same procedure

Just spoke to him on the phone and confirmed this was the issue. He should be driving in the next few minutes if he can do the trick of installing that piece of crap screw sideways and hidden under the rotor.

 

Joe you gotta EJ that beaach too!

one must find the perfect length screwdriver

yea thanks for all the replies. It was the screw holding on the rotor and he was able to take care of it. Haha the loyale has been running flawless for so long, poor dude just got unlucky with it. good thing I got him hooked up with gloyale on the phone and got him back on the road quick! 

There is a screw driver in the factory supplied kit that is usually in the trunk side compartment. Those screws are a soft metal and can get so they won't stay in. At one time mine got so bad that every other day it would come out because the threads on the screw would wear each time it was tightened down. I finally had to replace it.  I think Subaru meant for those to be replaced whenever the rotor was replaced. Why they couldn't make a snap-on style rotor, as US cars had since the 60's is beyond me.

Edited March 29, 201511 yr by MR_Loyale