GeneralDisorder

Subaru used to have axles like that back in the 70's on the early 4WD's. Sure you can build them but the next weak link is the hollow diff stubs - which you will twist right off with enough torque. You would need to use a newer model R160 with female stub axles - 95+ have this style. This will cost a LOT of money to have made. You need a u-joint yoke with a Subaru rear axle splined male stub built onto it. Then you need similar for the wheel side. Then you'll just end up breaking the little baby ring and pinion if you make the rest of it strong enough. Remember it's only a 6 1/4" ring gear and little baby pinion. A better idea is to just put a solid Dana 35 or Toyota/Nissan axle under the back. You can get any gearing you would need (cheap) to match your front. Then your only fabrication is the driveshaft (easy), and some leaf spring shackles. Plus you can have lots of brake and wheel options. GD

I've seen it done. I have a bearing at home that had its OD race custom ground to fit a custom self centering sleeve - both were ground spherical to allow the bearing to move in its "pocket" on the machine. The bearing started life as a $65 6xxx series radial ball bearing. After machining they were $1,000 each. Intel New Mexico bought 10 of them for 5 Ross-Cook centrifugal blowers we rebuilt for them. GD

With the factory filter, yes. Debris that has already been trapped can *theoretically* be washed back into the engine during a bypass "event". With the WIX upfront bypass this is not possible. That, in conjunction with the cheaper price point and correct bypass PSI setting per Subaru makes it the clear choice for the most superior "cheap" filter. As I said, it doesn't matter in practice. But, in the one-in-a-billion event where a filter may stop something truly engine damaging, the WIX is a better design at a cheaper price point. That makes it the best choice. Again, it doesn't matter. But if you want to spend more and get less, even theoretically...... then perhaps logic escapes you...... I can't help with that. GD

WIX came out with a filter that meets the bypass spec and has an upfront bypass valve. It's also cheaper. Both are non sythetic media that couldn't hope to trap particulate sizes that cause the majority of damaging engine wear any better than 50%. So you be the judge..... The old VW air-cooled aluminum block engines had no filter...... GD

Right you fill them while running in park. But if what's in there is too hot it might not take it all. It isn't supposed to be quite up to operating temp. Around halfway. GD

Main ECU ground is on the intake manifold. Check the grounds from block to chasis. There's one on the trans to the firewall. Those early cars had problems with grounding. You should probably get a grounding kit and add a few more. GD

Well I wouldn't recommend it. The learning curve is really steep. You are likely to end up with a smoking pile of garbage if you split the block. We have a few rules regarding that: We only use new crankshafts from Subaru. We never undersized or polish. In fact I don't even measure them I just throw them in the recycle. We ALWAYS line hone the block. This is not a simple process and very few machine shops are capable. The rods must be checked for twist and the big end trued up round. Both the case halves and the rod caps are not well located by the fasteners / dowels. You have to use the crank to "walk" the case halves into alignment using pretty much a dead blow and experience. It's a really F'd up process and most people would cringe at what we do to their engine during assembly. As I said I don't recommend it. 90% chance it has a short life if you split the case having no experience with the process. The first ones I did ended up with rod bearing and thrust bearing failures within 5k - 10k. Till I got really particular about cleanliness, measuring and tool calibration, and the assembly procedure. With all-aluminum blocks you have super tight cold clearances - as tight as .0004" on the mains per Subaru specs. Most machine shops can't even measure in single digit tenths with any accuracy. It's basically done by experience, eye, and dead reckoning. GD

Those pair's share one side of the wasted spark coil and one side of the ignitor. Otherwise they have nothing in common. So your potential problems are: Coil Ignitor ECU Wiring GD

Hhhhmmm I wonder how oilite bronze would hold up? Why not have a fabulous machinist build new idlers? I know one that might accept the challenge.... GD

Only option will be used then. Or have a custom upholstery shop do it. Done all the time on hot rods. GD

That's probably rod bearing material. I would swap out the engine. Yes the 91 will work. You have to use the 97's manifold. If it has EGR you will have to run the EGR tube to a T in the idle air control supply hose as you cannot drill and tap the 91 heads. You will hit a coolant jacket don't try it. GD

That many codes means you have wiring issues. Most likely grounding problems. Go over all you battery and ground connections. The jarring of the drivetrain when you dropped the hammer may have pulled something loose or broken a weak connection. GD

If he has the exact amount he drained and didn't lose a bunch in the process then he can just put it back when cold. He doesn't need to bother with the temp foolishness. GD

Cold would help, yes. The fluid contracts. GD

First of all, don't do 12:1. You can't make that run right. 10.6 or so is as high as I will go. I've seen several melted 12:1 engines. You could run it on ethanol but you will get terrible gas mileage and that requires a tuning solution because you need 1/3 more fuel to air volume. Yes reuse the head bolts unless they are pitted from rust or otherwise damaged. GD

We see melted covers from time to time. Sometimes it signifies severe problems. Other times not so much. An oil analysis is good, but a filter cut/inspection and oil pan residue visual inspection is usually good enough. It helps to know what to look for though. I cut a filter almost every day to check for engine failures or check progress on a break in, etc. A proper filter cutting tools is an invaluable tool for diagnostics and learning. GD

You can order carpet from the dealer. No problem. GD

I'm fixing to change some of that. I have on order a differential pressure sending unit that I can bring into Romraider via an analog to USB adaptor made by phidgits. This will allow me to determine under what conditions the 23 psi bypass goes into effect. It definitely opens on cold start and potentially under high RPM. Of course none of this matters on a factory engine. We are building high HP turbocharger engines with larger oil pumps, increased bearing clearances, running 15w50 race oil. It matters for me as an engine builder so I can have real data to prove to myself that I'm making the right recommendations on oils, clearances, and pump sizes for racing purposes. We want to run synthetic media filters such as the Amsoil offerings but they don't meet the bypass specs. The idea is to find out which filters actually create a bypass situation on cold start by measuring differential pressure across the element under varying conditions. But Gary is right. None of this matters on a stock engine. The Wix filter has a better design for the bypass and it's cheaper than the blue Fram so regardless it's a better choice even if it's a one in a billion shot that the filter could cause or prevent a failure. GD

Nope. What would be the fun in that? They let you ride the rods into low earth orbit. GD

WIX is the best. The blue filters are junk - made here in the US so they don't have to import container loads of the Japanese filters. The WIX filters have a superior up-front bypass valve that meets the 23 psi requirements. Napa gold is the same filter as WIX for about $4. GD

The white lithium won't do it. Not enough high pressure additives I don't think. The Amsoil stuff is the best we have used. Second best would be the "no smoke" additives you can find in the auto parts stores. Not as good though. For whatever reason the Amsoil assembly lube stops the creaking when almost nothing else will. It's a near 100% success rate with it. GD

Great learning experience but it will not end well. Trust me don't depend on that engine. You don't understand what it takes to get these reliable. I'm sure you think it's fine but that doesn't make it so. I could write a book on exactly what you did wrong but it's not going to matter. You will still think you did the right thing. Till it eats itself. It will start knocking in 5k miles or less. If you stop posting here we can safely assume that's exactly what happened. GD

The shift forks were a problem on the 4 speeds. The best fix is to install a 5 speed. GD

Is the distributor spinning when you crank the engine? GD

No. If it were a coil you would have misfire on 1/2 or 3/4. Misfire on all four cylinders is probably camshaft timing. May have jumped a tooth on the crank.... could be other problems maybe. It's not likely that both halves of the coil went out at the same time. Usually when they fail they just don't work at all on one half. Doubt that's your problem. GD