Leaderboard

Plugs and wires are both NKG, they really don't cost much more than the cheap stuff.

Backwards and upside down, but the two should cancel out, right? Yeah, numbers are on the coil, and I wrote the numbers on the plug wires with sharpie when I installed them.

Belt marks aren't needed as long as cams and timing cover marks are perfect. 1. Why did you have to use a new crank sprocket? Is there some damage or issue that might help us in this saga? A. Unplug the cam and crank sensor connectors, see if pins are compromised and ensure they're fully seated when plugging back in. B. Verify the correct timing marks were used and they're alignment is correct. C. Check the cam and crank sensors for damage to the sensor, connector, or wiring. If still striking out - verify the crank sprocket you swapped is the right one (there are two for that year).

Do you know for sure it is running cool or is that just what the gauge tells you? I've had sensors that looked fine but had moisture inside the plastic housing giving me all kinds of erroneous readings. It's obvious your engine got hot when it boiled over but after you changed the thermostat you say that is no longer an issue. So how do you know it is cooler than normal unless you have a second data point to confirm? In my case, I got a cheap remote BBQ thermostat temp gauge and taped the sensor tip around the heater hose. While driving, I could see the heater hose temperature rise and stay fairly steady while the dash temp gauge wandered all over the place during a 30-minute drive. A gauge like this is what I used. https://www.amazon.com/ThermoPro-Wireless-Digital-Thermometer-Grilling/dp/B014DAVCP4/ref=sr_1_50?crid=36MF7MSFMYGK&keywords=remote+temperature+monitor+bbq&qid=1675857591&sprefix=remote+temperature+monitor+bbq%2Caps%2C112&sr=8-50

Awesome! I'm far, far away from being a Subie expert but I can look at an issue with basic logic. Why would the factory go to the trouble and expense of using 2-piece drive shaft design when a single shaft would have been cheaper and easier? I look at my own 4WD 87 DL wagon or even my 2WD 87 Mazda B2000. Both use 2-piece drive shafts with a center carrier bearing which at first glance just seem like more u-joints and bearings that are going to fail one day. But here comes logic again. Why go to all that trouble? I'll guarantee you the factories had to solve a problem. Why build that extra cost and complexity into a high-production, low-margin vehicle unless you had no other option? Google can find all kinds of reasons why a 2-piece shaft might be better than 1-piece and my guess in this case it was to reduce noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). It could also have been a driveline drop issue on a 4WD vehicle with the exhaust so close and wheel drop in the rear possible leading to interference. Which one is the reason here does not matter to me. Engineers are constantly pressured to reduce cost and complexity so nothing stays in production long-term if it isn't worth the trouble and guess what? Plenty of new vehicles still come with factory 2-piece driveshafts.