GeneralDisorder

The information is out there, but you can't replace experience with information. Some things just aren't going to get learned from an internet forum or a manual. You might get close, but if you're dealing with someone that hasn't worked on a Subaru it will dramatically increase diagnostic times, and there will be missed opportunities for bundling labor and taking care of common failure items when doing seemingly unrelated jobs. You can't replace a lifetime of experience seeing pattern failures and knowing all the weak links that can be addressed "while you're in there". It almost certainly will cost you more in the end to go with a generic mechanic or even the dealership. They have no interest in using a HG that isn't ever going to fail. They use what's called out by the VIN. There are MANY more examples but that's the one most people will understand. GD

And this is why I have so much business. The dealers are having a really hard time finding qualified mechanics. It's so bad here the dealer parts department sends customers to me. GD

Seen many broken forks and blown own pivot points on forks. It happens. GD

I would put a small filter on it.

If it's a tank vent don't cap it unless you are running a vented gas cap. GD

Download the FSM and look at the schematic. Don't hookup foolish devices to your OBD port. Solar charging through the OBD? Really? What's the point of this? I can think of no good reason to hookup anything to that port unless you know what you are doing. Please refrain. GD

It's not the ECU. There are more sensors than just what's on the engine. There are neutral, clutch, and brake switches, map sensor and map sensor switching solenoid. Problems with such as you describe can be due to intermittent problems with this equipment and may not throw a code. You need to get an SSM cable, and datalog all the sensors inputs with EVOScan. I've seen this before and IIRC it was a problem with the MAP and/or pressure sensor switching solenoid. Either incorrectly plumbed or intermittently bad. GD

5 speed D/R. Get one while you can still find one. GD

You'll be replacing the heads. Lifter bore sleeves are not a serviceable part. Take a hard look at the engine overall - it may not be worth the effort. GD

Why do you believe you need a replacement? This is not common. GD

Ebay chinese turbo cartridge. Used non-catted stock uppipe. I wouldn't cheap out on the clutch - Exedy is pretty reasonable really. Might get by with a disc and the bearings. GD

The exact size is irrelevant. You go by fit. You want a snug POP when it goes into place. Without cutting into the o-ring and without being too loose. GD

220 is too fine. This is what we use (150 grit): https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000BPNMZ4/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501738854&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=ali+industries+4245&dpPl=1&dpID=51fKNDNMWqL&ref=plSrch You will find that it breaks down to a finer grit as it's used. One sheet of this cloth backed abrasive will do about 4 typical heads. It cuts fast, leaves an excellent finish, and is tough as nails. There is no other product like it (believe me I've tried them all). Here's a deal on valves: https://www.ebay.com/p/engine-intake-valve-sohc-natural-16-valves-dnj-iv708/76465350?iid=291549252572&_mwBanner=1&trdt=0&rdtsrc=vi Lash is simple - just set it with a feeler gauge. GD

Water in the disty is a common problem when wheeling. Anything is possible. Use WD40 to displace the water. It's non conductive so you can spray all the electrical components with it. GD

It goes way deeper than you can see. Smoothing the surfaces will not restore the clearances that have been lost. It will only increase the clearance and that will result in further issues and more rapid wear. The issues is simple - the oil pump seized and destroyed itself because the oil was either A: not present, or B: heavily contaminated with metal. Here's your scenarios: A: It ran dry of oil. The pump seized. But up to that point nothing downstream of the pump had oil either. So the pump was only the *first* casualty. The rest of the engine is right behind it. Giving it oil once this process has started is 100% futile and is just ignorant of reality. That's living in the same dreamland that all my customers who put oil in the engine after it starts knocking are living in. Last week it was a 2009 Forester. Came in with a full pan of nice clean oil. 86k miles..... I digress. B: The oil was contaminated with metal from a (likely rod) bearing elsewhere in the engine. The oil pump was simply the first casualty that was so obvious it couldn't be ignored..... See A. My money is on B. For the simple reason that the OP didn't hear lifter tick prior. Means oil was there. Just heavily dosed with particulate. Want to see this stuff each and every day? Work at a shop. Or check out /justrolledintotheshop over on Reddit. You can't fix that. Plain and simple. You can't. Walk away. GD

There is no such thing as a bell housing for that swap. It requires an adaptor plate. GD

You don't need a belt to check lash. Set the crank on time and you can rotate the cams at will. It is not an 8 valve engine. All EJ engines, regardless of number of cams, are 16 valve. Lash should be .008" on the intake, and .010" on the exhaust. Ish. If you lost the belt on a 97/98, you may as well order 8 new intake valves. It's possible to not bend them all but the last one I saw bent 6 or 7 out of 8. Don't ask me how just one escaped damage. Slightly different valve spring return rate I suppose. All Subaru manuals are digital. Check SL-I.NET.... there are other sources. Haynes is worse than useless. Will only confuse and misinform. Burn it. GD

Complete waste of time and effort and a potentially good used oil pump someone with a not-f**ked engine could use. Trust me on this. That engine is scrap metal. You can't get to where that is without collateral damage. No. Way. GD

Yes. It should see a 12v from the coil negative until the distributor triggers - when this happens the coil negative get a path to ground through the ignition module and will take that path rather than your test light. Causing it to flash. GD

That engine is likely destroyed. In any case you can't buy oil pumps for these engines anymore. So there's no way to fix it without used parts.... that happened for a reason and that reason is: oil contamination or starvation. Either way if this is what became of the oil pump - what do you suppose the rest of the engine looks like inside that relies in the life giving oil this junk was supposedly supplying? Don't throw any more money away. Get a Legacy or Impreza. The EA82 is a dead platform with no support. GD

You should have a black/white with +12v going to the coil positive, and a yellow tach wire on the coil negative in addition to the wires from the distributor. When you crank the engine a test light on the negative side of the coil (to ground) should flash. The flashing is the signal from the distributor that fires the coil. 1.4 Ohms on the primary (positive to negative) is normal. Secondary (positive or negative to plug tower) should be about 8,000 to 12,000 Ohms. If you jump 12v to the positive side of the coil and then tap the negative with a ground jumper - every time you remove the ground from the terminal the coil should create a spark. GD

Yellow is negative. Black w/white is positive. You can tell by checking for power. +12v goes to positive. GD

Pics of the motor. Top and bottom (intake and exhaust). One peice tensioner pretty much means it's a 97 or 98. Both are the same. Both are interference. GD

Just install new rings. Don't hone it or replace the pistons. It may also need a new turbo cartridge. GD

It's a standard thermistor, not a switch. EGR is generally disabled by the computer till it reaches close to operating temp. What are you trying to do? GD