Fairtax4me

ECU is grounded to the intake manifold. On 99 the ECU ground should be right on top by the ignition coil. A loose or corroded ground isn't unheard of, but it usually causes major problems like a No -start or random codes. A bad FPR is usually pretty obvious because you'll get a very rich idle AF mixture which will cause it to run rough and be hard to start when warm. Is the idle rough or too high/too low? Is it constant or does it jump up and down?

235/70/16 is a much taller tire because the 70 in the tire size is the aspect ratio, and its on an inch taller wheel. 235/70/16 is roughly a 29" tall tire. 205/75/15 is about a 27" tall tire. This will vary from tire to tire due to different tread designs.

99 heads are entirely different as far as I know.

96-98 2.2 heads are single port. 97-98 have solid (screw type) lash adjusters. That's the only difference. 2.2 heads are otherwise the same from 90-98.

The resistance of the sensor element is about 560-580k ohms. The resistors simply keep the ECU from saying "where the hell is the knock sensor?" and putting the car into limp mode with no ignition advance. Instead you get full advance (based on the timing map of engine load vs RPM). This is used to rule out a false signal from the knock sensor.

Yes. 90-98 igniters are interchangable. The different part numbers reflect minor changes in the design but they all work the same. As long as it plugs in it should be good to go.

Most people recommend 140 ft/lbs for the crank bolt. I think the most current FSM spec is 130ish. Pretty common for those to come loose so you really need to torque it on there. Like adventure said, make sure there are no chunks stuck behind the pulley. When they come loose the pulley can taper on the edges and not sit flat against the crank sprocket. If the pulley still wobbles after you tighten it it's recommended to replace the sprocket and pulley.

Still a chance this is a knock sensor issue. Go to radioshack and buy some resistors. Wire them up in series to total 560-580k ohms. Plug this get-up in place of the knock sensor and ground the other end to the block. Take it out for a drive and see what happens. Could also be a fuel pressure issue. Have access to a pressure guage you can leave hooked up to it while you drive around some?

Struts have nothing to do with the subframe. Not even remotely attached to it. OB struts raise the entire vehicle because the bottom of the strut tube is about an inch longer than a legacy strut. Think of it like a shackle lift or lift springs for a pickup. Crossmember spacers are the subframe drop. If you're looking for equal length headers there are plenty of options. eBay is a good source. Just do some googling. Most people run un-equal length because it gives a more distinct sound.

Check connections at the coil and igniter. Make sure the pins are clean and connectors are plugged in all the way. You can also try wiggling the wires while it's running and see if it acts up to see if maybe it's just a loose connection. If you can get access to a fuel pressure guage id suggest checking the fuel pressure just to be sure. Let it run and get heated up and actually drive it with the pressure guage installed. Checking pressure when it is NOT acting up tells you nothing. Need to see if the pressure is steady when it acts up.

If that's detonation, that's like a diesel running on ether kind of detonation. Just too loud to be detonation IMO. Detonation like that on a gas engine is going to blow a piston out of the block in a heartbeat.

How big of a bump was this? It would be helpful to know the actual code number, but based on the comments from autozone It sounds like its a P0420 code. There are tons of reasons the 420 code can be set. Most of the time it is NOT because the catalytic converters are bad. Now depending on how big that bump was, the cats could be physically damaged, which could set the code after driving for a few days. If the light came on immediately when the bump occurred that's probably just coincidence.

Head gaskets use the 2.5 Turbo gaskets from Subaru. Felpro doesn't have the best reputation on the 2.5 gaskets. Re-use the original bolts. No need to spend money on those. They get reused all the time. Biggest thing is to make sure the heads get machined on an actual head mill, not a sanding wheel or belt sander like some shops use. These things have to be flat flat to seal properly. Rear suspension on the 00+ legacy is different from the forester so no way to use forester struts. You can buy legacy Outback struts and that will give you an extra inch of clearance to the spring perch. Crossmember spacers lower the crossmembers to keep axle angles within a normal operating range. They do NOT increase clearance, they decrease it. They really only need to be used if you have a set of raised height king springs or more than 1" blocks on top of outback struts. InfernoFab makes really nice dual port headers. There are many other options for headers on eBay and such.

Did you run over anything recently that might have got stuck under the car? Stick? Deer? Bike? Does the noise happen at all speeds or only above or below a certain speed? Does the frequency of the noise change as you go faster? Does turning make any difference in the noise?

Dunno off the top of my head what that wire is for. Glad you got it fixed!! Sorry you had to make 3 trips to the junkyard because of the green crud!

You can try unplugging the MAF and starting it and maybe drive it some to see if the problem persists. It may not run well but if the problem goes away MAF may be the cause. If you still have a code for the knock sensor there may be a wiring issue to the sensor or the sensor may not be grounded to the block well enough. The base of the sensor needs clean metal under it for proper grounding. Check the ECU ground wires on the intake manifold. Make sure they're tight. I think its on the lower rear corner of the #4 intake runner on on those older engines. Also check the main engine harness connectors. Make sure they're plugged in all the way. Other things that can cause problems with heat: Igniter module Cam and crank position sensors Fuel pump going out

No way I'd even try to drop the tank. That's a whole other can of worms. If you have enough room just cut the hose back past the split, put a brass nipple on it and a short section of new hose to reach the pump. If you don't have room to do that, look under the drivers side under where the back seat is you'll see where the fuel lines go up through the floor. Find the hose there and run a length of new hose from that point up to the pump assembly. You may need several feet of hose but it'll be much easier than dropping the tank. If it's the supply hose that's leaking, make sure you use high pressure fuel injection hose.

Yeah you don't have anything to worry about as far as the pickup screen is concerned. As I said, the oil pans realy don't leak, they get the blame for a leaking separator or other leaks because all of the leaks run down and end up around the pan. Clean it off realy well, purple power and a water hose are all I use. Drive it or let it run for 20-30 minutes and check for any signs of leaks around the pan.

A circuit breaker and relay for the power windows are behind the kick panel under the steering column. The same color wire black and yellow is the power coming out of the relay to the windows. All 4 windows are powered from here, so if voltage at this wire is good the problem is going to be in the wiring to the drivers door.

Yes there should be 12v going to the switch. Diagram says it should be a black and yellow wire. That's your 12v source. If it's less than that check voltage on the Black yellow wire in the door harness connector down behind the kick panel. Its a large 24 pin connector.

If it don't look like this, you don't got nothin to worry about: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2739283

Don't bother with the pan. It's probably not even leaking. The separator plate and the wrist pin cover o-ring on the back of the engine leak like crazy and it all looks like its coming from the back of the oil pan. How did the inside of the engine look when you did the valve covers? Slightly brown is fine. If there's no major crusty buildup (like someone poured asphalt in the engine) then don't worry about the pickup tube. Some light buildup/ crud is nothing to worry about, especially at 270k. Half quart of MMO in the oil will take care of most of that if you want it gone.

Have you checked the power steering fluid level? If you reg the engine up some while sitting still and turn the wheel back and forth does it make the same sound? Or does the car have to be rolling for it to make the noise?

I think rockauto still has better prices. RA has also started selling KYB strut kits with the strut, upper mount, and new bellows and bump stop included. You save about 10% buying the kit, and shipping is reduced because the all of the parts in the kit typically come from the same warehouse. Just have to swap over your springs, or put new springs on.

KYB makes the OE shocks and struts for Subaru. They're going to be your best bet. Remember to replace in pairs.