Setright

So...what did they do about the steering? (Sorry, I cannot comment on fuel quality in the States)

The tracking may be within spec, but you ask them to give the car some (more) toe-in at the front to make it less "nervous". Part of the "problem" might just be the fact that the car is very willing to turn-in and change direction. Lovely when you want a sporty and direct feel, but less pleasant when you just want to cruise. My Impreza sniffs out and follows ruts and cracks that I cannot even see, but then again I have tuned my wheel alignment for moderate track use, so I know why it does it! Feels very alive and always willing to turn-in and even tighten the line mid-bend...but highway journeys demand focus on the helm or the car will wander off. I am not sure what the alignment specs on the new cars is, but it used to be 0.0 toe all-round, and adding just a smidgen toe-in to the front wheels will calm your car down, without reducing grip.

Nitrile gloves for me. At least when handling used oil and brakes parts - the dust gets in my skin and takes days to wear off, so gloves keep things clean. Also on when I degrease new brake discs...that solvent-in-a-spray-can is nasty stuff that I don't want in my skin...and blood.

Fingers crossed :-)

Passing a compression test, would be a good sign...but your problem is intermittent, and you could not be 100% certain that one of the valves isn't too tight. AVCS...doesn't the WRX have "tumbler valves" in the intake too? I suppose a small defect in one of these systems could cause your symptoms. The low mileage doesn't really exclude a mechanical problem :-(

Dang, this is an annoying problem ! Just read the whole thread from the beginning. If I were to place a bet on the cause, it would put my money on the exhaust valve clearance. The "chk" sound, the intermittent nature of the problem, both suggest a tight valve that is in the very early stages of breakdown. You need to find a mechanic you trust to check the clearance and give you peace of mind. Even if valve clearance is not the cause, the cost/trouble of burning and cracking a valve should be outweighed by the cost/trouble of inspection. (and repair.) A local friend of mine had these EXACT symptoms with a n/a EJ20. It developed over almost 2 years, passing through a tendency to idle unevenly, lope during some accelerations...and finally running on 3 cylinders and chugging gas like I chug beer on a Friday night Lifting the head revealed an exhaust valve that looked like it had shrunk because it had burned evenly around the entire seat perimeter. Oh, and with a big crack in it. I do of course understand the slow approach, no need to rip an engine apart just for fun... BEst of luck !!

Yes, it is a GERMAN race driver, but the video is subtitled. I really think Tim says it all :

It will also be easy to get some strong clutches for...WRX/Turbo tuning parts are all over the place. Please post some pictures when you can :-)

Hydraulic, pull. 1994...main bearings were a problem with the earliest generations of the "new" 5 spd. They tend to rumble and rattle and generally let the mainshaft move around too much after they pass ca. 180,000 km. Also, the lock ring on 5th can go loose after losts of high speed driving in 5th. However, both are easy to fix, and any gearbox that age will be in need of some TLC. Depending on your facilities, just fit it, and listen for problems. Valvoline TDL 75W-90 is like a liquid magic for Subaru gearboxes, by the way, Get some :-) Oh, and that is a super cool project!!!

In all fairness...the car is 7 seven years old. Audi/VW products eat bushings in 2-4 years.

If the rectifier (aka "diode bridge") in your alternator is busted, you will get a whining noise too. (The battery and charge light will glow slightly in your dash too)

Back on track: I don't think 15 inch rims will clear your brakes on the front. They might JUST fit, but the balancing weights that are used on the rims might foul the brake caliper. All depends on the balance in the tyre and where the weights need to go. It also depends on the rim design, some spokes will clear, some might not. The brand "Speedline" make 15 inch rims that fit over the old Turbo brakes - 295mm discs, I expect your car has 277 discs. I think Texan already mentioned it, but ET is another very important measurement. This the distance from the geometrical center of the rim, to the face where it makes contact with the hub. This measurement affects how far in, or out, the wheel will sit. Subaru's generally run 50-55mm. This is quite a large ET and allows for longer suspension arms, meaning less wheel geometry changes as wheels move up and down. You do NOT want to stray far from the standard value on your car, which as I recall is 55mm. So...15Jx6.5 ET55 5x100 is probably what you are looking for. 15 inch outer diameter J - the shape on the "shoulder" on the rim where the tyre bead rests. x times 6.5 inch rim with ET55 "rim offset" of 55 millimeters 5 bolts x100 spaced 100mm You might be able to make it work with a 6.0 inch rim, or maybe 7.0. The important thing is to have a rim width of approximately 80-90% of the tyre width. This allows the sidewalls to work as designed. You can get away with an ET of 50, which will move the wheel out by 5mm, compared to stock - and give you a better chance of the spokes clearing the brake caliper, but the inside diameter is still gonna be tight.

Indeed, I agree

I would strongly recommend sticking with the factory 16 inch rims. Not meaning to be cocky or offensive, but since you know little about rim fitments and measurements, you are likely to run into other problems...that will cost you more than you stand to save on lower-priced tyres.

May I quote myself from 8 years ago? Very well...the bold text really is the key to getting it done right: Filling Close up the bottom end of the cooling system, ie. thermostat and lower hose. If possible, perform the next phase on a slight incline, car pointing upward. Get a funnel with about 10 inches of half-inch diameter hose on the end of it and slide this down the upper hose in toward the engine block. I do this because bending the upper rad hose causes it to collapse and that makes pouring coolant into it impossible. Pour your preferred coolant directly into the engine block. Pouring slowly, and pausing along the way will help keep air from being trapped inside the block. It should swallow at about two litres before it starts to rise and threaten to come out of the hose. At that point, attach the upper hose to the rad and continue to fill slowly through the rad cap hole. Once it seems full, start the engine, let it run for twenty seconds and shut it off again. This will dislodge the few air pockets that are unavoidable and the fluid level in the radiator should drop a little after the burp, top it off. Start the engine again, and let it run until the radiator fan starts running, be patient! When then fan starts running, top off the level in the rad and install the radiator cap - and bleed screw if there is one. During the warm up, a small amount of coolant will spill over the rad filler neck, have a cloth to absorb it. Take the car for a shortish run, just a few miles to get it fully warmed up, and park it on level ground. Check hoses for leaks of course, and let it cool. This will take a number of hours, overnight is good. In the morning, note the level in the expansion tank, it will probably be a little lower than FULL. Fill to the FULL mark, and you're all set. Obviously, you should check the level in the expansion tank for a few days afterward, but there shouldn't be any problems. Resist the temptation to open the rad cap, this will only interfere."