Dee2

Either way, the head has to come off. You will see the problem then for sure.

look at the timing belts. When the crank (#1) piston is at TDC, the dots on cam sprockets, 1 should be up and 1 should be down Also, check the plug wires to make sure they are in the correct order.

It may be necessary to tell your browser what to do with .mpg files. Some updates. I tried an engine oil flush and followed with a 3:1 oil/ATF refill and a new filter. I thought if this made an improvement then I would know it's the lifters and not the oil pump. The noise has been substantially reduced and is no longer a loud, steady tap, tap, tapping. Now, it is a much quieter, random pattern tapping. Best I can determine, it is coming from the passenger side. I tried to use the old steel rod to the ear, but it didn't help much. I believe the noise is from the lifters near the front of the engine. If the noise doesn't go away completely in a couple of days, I think I will just try to pull the cam off and replace the lifters since it should be easy access on that side.

Looks like coolant mixed into the oil. Maybe a blown head gasket

+1

The attached video hopefully reveals the sound. I don't hear any bass. I did replace the oil pump seals about 3 years ago. I suppose it's possible it failed (?)

updated post

something like this: https://www.harborfreight.com/1-inch-travel-machinists-dial-indicator-623.html

Yes Never hurts to use new ones, if you can find them I would try the shims first... then go from there

Sounds like you replaced everything, hubs, axles, rotors and pads. You might try some thin spacers to get the rotor to spin true.

It sounds like this, which I think is a valve train knock. Probably the hydraulic lash adjusters (lifters). noise.mpg YouTube video owners posting similar noises cite the problem as "lifters". Does anybody recognize this noise ? I am hoping to confirm the source of the problem before attempting any repairs. The alternative is a failing oil pump, but there seems to be good pressure, so I am thinking this is not the likely source of the problem. Any comments or thoughts are welcomed.

This is pretty loud, I'm afraid it's more than a tick. Other than the sound level though, I'm not sure how to verify the difference

Yeah that's my concern. Even if i were to get the engine out, I'm not sure what I need to do to fix the problem.

Good tip on the PCV, I'll check mine. I'll give the bolts a check in a couple of months if I still have the car. I've got some more things to do, starting with getting rid of an engine clicking/clatter. I was hoping the oil change/filter would help but no such luck. I did the pump reseal about 3 years ago, oil pressure is normal and the engine has been running great. This is very new and it looks like it may be serious. I'm not looking forward to the prospect of having to pull the engine.

I would start working backwards from the spark plug to see where power stops.

thanks All cleaned up and reassembled. New oil, filter and gasket. Inside of oil pan was surprisingly clean. I expected a real sludge pile but really there was almost nothing.

Update: Good news: I got the pan off the engine. The trick is to turn the pan 180 degrees so the drain plug is facing the drivers side instead of the passengers side. Lifting the engine was not required, (yet - we'll see how replacement goes). Bad news: Old gasket is baked on like epoxy and requires some serious time for cleaning. Any tips for removing this old stuff ?

I got the pan to drop down a fair amount, it was hung up against the motor mounts. But now it's the intake tube that won't clear the internal panel inside the pan. No matter how I manipulate it, I can't get the nozzle of the tube to go through the slot opening. Unfortunately, I did not know the engine had to be lifted to take the pan off. The chilton manual indicates nothing about having to lift the engine and I have no tools now to lift the engine. Can the intake tube be removed ?

dumb question. I got all the bolts out of the oil pan and now it's loose but I can't get it to come down off the engine. Acts like it's hung up on something inside. I don't want to damage the intake tube. I looked in the chilton's manual but there's no information beyond removing the bolts. I did some searching here, but the only problem mentioned is in regard to getting the bolts off. Is there a trick to maneuvering the pan off the engine so it won't damage the intake tube ?

would this contribute to the issue of stalling - Should I replace the fuel pump or does this not matter? --The fuel pump could be going out. Humming noise is common to these older models. Mine hums but it still works. Should I also consider having all the lifters rebuilt, or replaced, -- any diagnostics to warrant the repairs ? I would try just resealing the pump along with re-sealing the oil pump? -- Resealing the oil pump is a common need for these engines. You also may want to switch to a 10w40 oil Should I just ditch the car? -- depends on the overall condition of the car and how much you like the car

We need some data to help you. Vacuum test is the easiest to do and can reveal a problem in a number of possible areas, or point to best subsequent testing.

Patience and persistence. Use advice given above, you will prevail.

How much less? Variations could be from driving / location / route changes How long have you monitored ? Variations could be from fuel itself Rebuilds in general should make things better Run a vacuum test on your engine and see if there are any issues to be considered.

Since we can't answer questions about your car, according to the chart, which axle should you have ?

This should help you select the right axle http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/73038-axle-replacement-for-ea-series-cars/page-2?do=findComment&comment=629117