Fairtax4me

Timing belt tensioners on those engines will knock around when they get old. Did you replace the tensioner when you did the timing belt?

No starter relay. There is a main relay that controls power to many of the cars electrical systems and ECU. Probably what you hear clicking. Intermittent starting can be a sign of worn contacts in the starter solenoid. There are quite a few threads here detailing how to replace the contacts and save some $$ vs buying a rebuilt starter. Could also be a poor connection in the neutral start switch (manual trans), Inhibitor switch (Auto trans), or ignition switch. The clicking under the dash could indicate the ignition switch is bad.

A good flare nut wrench should get that loose. I bought a $35 Matco flare nut wrench just for that fitting on my wagon after I rounded off two sides with a crescent wrench. Cleaned it up with a file and slid the flare wrench on, quick tap with a 3lb hammer and it cracked loose immediately.

That third line is for the Evap emissions control system. It's thinner than the two fuel lines. You'll probably get a CEL with a code for evap system leak or incorrect purge flow. Fuel vapor from the charcoal canister will leak out of the hose, probably make it smell like gas under the hood, but most likely will not affect overall driveability of the car.

Probably one of the evap system lines. I've never seen the hard line with the T in it like that though, so I can only guess where it goes. I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with the airbox though. Is this engine original to the car? You can look on the bottom of the hood there is a sticker/label with the routing diagram for all of the vacuum hoses.

Well that could be either the rear or center diff. See if it acts the same with both wheels off the ground. Get a friend to help, turn both rear wheels the same direction at the same time to rule out the center diff. If the pop jerk clunk is not present when turning both rear wheels, the rear diff is at fault. If it's still there, it's the center diff. The center diffs don't typically fail from what I've read, so a junkyard part has a high chance of being good. They also cost about $465 new from a dealer. Rear diffs are the same (rarely fail) and cost about $600 for the LSD assembly from a dealer. But then you have to set the backlash, pinion depth, and pre-load, or the ring and pinion gears will be toasted in no time.

Timing doesn't jump and then just magically jump back. It's not timing I can assure you. You have what sounds like a fuel delivery problem. A failing fuel pump can cause symptoms similar to this. A fuel pressure gauge will tell you if the pump is not making the correct pressure. Other than that, a sticky idle control valve can cause issues like this, as well as several of sensors on the engine. Throttle position, coolant temp, cam/crank signal. No CEL on an OBD1 car is no surprise. I always say the engine could be on fire and OBD1 still wouldn't throw a code.

I know the newer models have trouble with wheel bearings. The other side could be bad as well. Rear diffs rarely make noise on these. Typically they see no load, so unless the oil has all leaked out there is rarely any wear. Differentials can often make noise without there being any serious damage. But they typically do this only when under load.

Just run a rubber hose straight down there to the fuel pressure regulator. That's how it was done on the older cars.

I saw mention of head bolts. While Subaru does not require replacement of the head bolts during installation of a cylinder head, they do recommend tapping the threads of the bolts and the threads inside the block to prevent the bolts from sticking and giving inaccurate torque readings. The block surface is rarely machined during head gasket replacement. It can lead to future failures, but the chances are slim. There are many causes for repeat head gasket failures, improper cleaning, improper torque, poor quality gaskets. Warped block surface is pretty low on the list of probabilities. Will replacing the gaskets a second time fix the problem? Only if the job is done properly and all steps taken to ensure proper form of the gasket to the cylinder head and block surfaces. If you don't want to spend the money to fix it, your next best option is an engine swap, which means spending money on it. Selling it in that condition would get you maybe $1000 - $1500 depending on the market in your area.

All 2.2 engines this side of the big pond are SOHC iirc. The engine code isn't really all that important.

X2 The heat doesn't need to be on, coolant moves through the heater core at all times when the engine is running. Rev the engine to about 1500 rpm and hold it there for a while to get coolant moving through the system and push any air out to the radiator.

Carbon on your exhaust valves will not be cleared off by fuel system cleaners, the cleaner is already burned by the time it gets to the exhaust valve. Fuel system cleaners clean intake valves, because the fuel is sprayed over the face of the valve by the injectors. Heat cleans exhaust valves. Engine heat burns the carbon off.

Any kind of petroleum base oil will work. Fuel system O rings are silicone which is impervious to petroleum.

That many codes is almost always a wiring issue. There are three connectors on the top of the bell housing on the passenger side. These three connectors contain nearly ALL of the wiring between the engine/sensors and the ECU. If there was a problem here it would be corroded, dirty, or wet contacts inside one or some of those three connectors. Another possibility could be mouse damage.

Really it can probably go indefinitely with the torque bind. It's not something that will eventually break and leave you stranded, but it can become an issue in snowy/icy conditions. It will tend to make the car drive just like a 4wd truck, which if you've driven one in the snow you know they can be tricky, especially around curves and corners.

Head gasket problems are not as common on the Ej22 as they are on the Ej25, but they can and do fail from time to time. I have one that has a failed head gasket. Check other simpler things like the coolant level, radiator cap, thermostat before condemning the head gaskets.

Yeah timing is easy to check. An exhuast cam off a tooth might do something like that. A burned valve will generally cause a misfire (unless a very minor case), and show a loss in compression on the cylinder with the burned valve.

That's a hell of a story. Glad you got the fuel issue straightened out. That's one I've definitely never heard before, but the design of these fuel rails certainly allows for it. Lesson learned, be careful installing fuel injectors.

The biggest gripe I have with the Ej25 is the complete lack of lower end grunt. My Ej22's out pull 25s on the bottom end no problem. In the higher RPM range, you have to get the 2.5 up to 5000 rpm tog et that full extra 25 or 30 hp. It's really not that noticeable of a difference. The change in gearing going from an outback 4.11 gear set to an L's 3.9 fdr makes a bigger difference than the extra HP of the 2.5 IMO. A set of cams in a 2.2 alon with some other minor/bolts on mods will bring it up at or near the power of a 2.5 anyway.

Probably a leak in the exhaust, or the cat is gutted. Any CEL on? Honestly I wouldn't worry about it unless you notice the gas mileage is really bad or have other driveability issues.

I assume you made sure the trans fluid is topped up? AT fluid level should be checked w/ engine running. Small amounts of coolant in the trans you may not be able to see visually. With the cooler disconnected you can pressurize the cooling system (just run the engine to operating temp), and watch for coolant to leak out of the lower port on the cooler. A small leak may take some time to run out but there should be evidence of steam or coolant smell from the cooler if it is leaking. Another thought just occurred to me. You had to hold the transmission up somehow to pull the engine out. You didn't by chance put a jack under the transmission pan did you?

If you can see the valve leaking, tighten the valve and refill it.

If an injector is bleeding down, checking resistance will tell you nothing. Sniffing the plugs for fuel will tell you which cylinder is being flooded. A bottle of strong fuel system cleaner in the fuel tank can sometimes clean the varnish off of injectors and the insides of the rails and clear up issues like this.