heartless

chances are there is no real "damage". We regularly drive our Subarus through deep, heavy, crusty snow drifts (live in farm country - LOTS of drifting snow in the winter) with no problems whatsoever. driveway can be clear when we leave for work in the morning, and have a 2 ft high drift that stretches for 8 ft by the time we get home in the evening... the 2006 Outback has those silly plastic panels underneath it, too...

IF the rattle is at the roof support beams (they are supposed to be glued/spot welded in) you would be better off using something like the black windshield adhesive (in warmer weather, of course) the spray foam stuff may work for a short time, but will eventually get compressed enough that you will be right back where you started with the need to clean up the foam before you can use anything else to properly fix the problem.

before messing with the coilpak itself, do as suggested and check the plug on #4. if it looks ok - white-ish to light tan color, no buildup of gunk - then try swapping in the Subaru plug wires (these cars are very fussy about wires) if you do need to replace the coilpak, try getting a used one from a junkyard - not a real common failure, so odds of getting a good one are pretty high and cost is a lot less than new would be. try car-part.com to find one locally, or if needed, many yards will now ship to your door. I was getting a misfire on my '95 Legacy that turned out to be the coilpak - swapped in a used one from my retired '90 (that had more miles on it) and no more problems.

yup, pretty much. if it is still good, compress it very slowly! trying to compress too quickly will damage the internals. I do mine in a large bench vise - snug it in so it doesnt fall out, then maybe a 1/4 turn at a time (just until there is resistance under a light touch) letting it rest between turns for 5-10 minutes while I do other things... If you do need a replacement, RockAuto.com has hydraulic tensioners (old style) for under $70 (Dayco & DNJ - $61.79, Beck-Arnley - $68.79) and thier shipping is usually very quick.

it does not matter if the engine fired or not - with an intact belt things are still moving/turning over - depending on which version you have - interference, or non-interference - will determine if there is the potential for damage or not if/when the belt broke. from what I have read over the years, 96 is kind of a crossover year, you may have non-interference, you may not... The best course of action right now is to determine if the belt is indeed broken (pull outer covers to check) and if it is, why did it break, and how much other damage - if any - has been done

x1000 on this. Always write a bill of sale marked "AS IS - NO Warranties" with a description and VIN of the vehicle - have the buyer sign it and keep a copy for your records! this also works for major components such as engine or trans - there will be an identifying number on either that can be written down on the bill of sale to avoid problems down the road.

go to your local chain parts store - Advance Auto, Autozone, O'Reillys, what have you - most will read the codes for you for free. They wont clear them, but they can tell you what they are. If they have the ability to print out the codes, ask them to do so - if they cant, write them down - the WHOLE code - usually a letter followed by 4 numbers. example: P0304 or similar. Come back here and post the full code(s) to get help with whatever the codes are.

and for the record - no, you did not waste your time - that belt was in need of replacing, and noisy pulleys with a tiny bit of play can quickly become failed pulleys that will leave you stranded - not what you want on a long trip. In addition to what johnceggleston has suggested - carry a toolbox with at least a basic metric socket set - make sure you have one to fit the main crank pulley & possibly a cheater bar, perhaps a few of the most common combo wrenches (open & box end - 10, 12, 14 mm), screwdrivers, pliers, a utility knife, wire cutters, vise grips if you have them.

from the looks of that pan, I would be replacing sooner rather than later - if it is developing rust thru holes it will continue to do so. junkyard pan in better condition, Por-15 that, & install using ultra grey sealant - no gasket needed - done for many miles/years to come.

you should try clearing that drain hose first (& soon) - they do get clogged up from dust, dirt, and road debris. use a wet/dry shop vac and suck up as much water from the carpet as you can - leaving it wet and "waiting for it to dry out" on its own could lead to mold/mildew - not a good thing.

cant say I have ever heard of the FCS brand so no idea on quality. For whatever reason, complete, new strut/spring/top mount setups are very hard to come by for a Subaru - most buy the individual components, then assemble and install. That is what I did on my 95. KYB is one of the best for replacement struts for Subaru, you can go either OEM springs or King springs, and KYB top mounts are a great investment as well. There are some rubber spring pads, and beveled spacer washers on the fronts that would have to be purchased as well if you decide to go that route. I think I spent around $450 for all the parts necessary to replace my old, worn out strut assemblies (all 4)

if the ticking you are hearing sounds a bit like a sewing machine running, then it is most likely the hydraulic lifters ticking, which is completely benign (wont hurt a thing, just annoying) resealing the oil pump is not difficult, and most of us do it as part of the timing belt job. pull the pump off, check all the screws on the backing plate to make sure they are tight - maybe a drop of locktight on any loose ones you find. a new oil pump O-ring when reinstalling and it is done.

agree with imdew - get some fresh gas thru it these cars are rather fussy about plug wires - they do not like the cheap, parts store brands. use either Subaru wires, or NGK wires - anything else is a waste of money and have been known to cause all sorts of strange, hard to identify issues. plugs - basic NGK copper cores are all this car needs - BKR6E-11 i believe for diagnostic testing, and code retrieval, do a bit of reading up here.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas! And a Happy New Year (a little bit early)

the good news is 1992 is non-interference, and one of the best motors Subaru ever built from your description, it sounds like it may have jumped time - and that is where I would start looking. the minor overheat could simply be a leaking hose or radiator - the cranks but wont start, or starts but runs rough and dies easily says timing to me. pull the outer timing covers off - three 10mm bolts each - each cam pulley will have a small hash mark on the outer side (alighment mark in pic below) used for setting the timing. (make sure to use the hash mark - NOT the arrow!) turn the crank bolt with a ratchet until one of the cam pulley timing marks is lined up correctly - basically pointing straight up, then look at the other pulley - the timing mark in it should also be pointing straight up - if it is not, then the timing is off.

+10 on replacing old, brittle vacuum lines throughout the engine bay - they may "look" ok, but may not be sealing well anymore. replacing the vacuum lines may very well clear up the issue with the evap code.

definitely do the cam and crank seals while in there. most of the "kits" will have the seals included. an added tip for replacing the seals - break the cam bolts loose BEFORE pulling the timing belt/tensioner off. I have used the MizumoAuto kits from ebay many times with no issues, on my 90 wagon (x2), on the other half's 90 sedan, and on my 95 wagon...all with the same motor you have.

if the headlight polishing kit doesnt quite hide the scratches enough for your liking, try wet sanding with several grades of wet/dry paper - 800/1000/1500, then use the polishing kit again - the scratches should become pretty much invisible after that. did this on the right taillight of my 95 legacy. it had a nasty scratch & scuff marks where it was rubbed against a post, or possibly a larger vehicle.

have you pulled the wheels off and checked the slider pins? gummed up pins are the most common cause of dragging brakes

if you havent taken the old belt off yet, dont worry so much! the marks are close enough for your needs right now.

I would want to know why only 1 tire is worn so badly it needs replacing - on a car with only 30,000 miles - that just doesnt sit well.

I cant see the video either (have never had much luck seeing them on photobucket) our 95 Dodge Ram had one go out fairly quickly - I noticed a little noise coming home - about 9 miles from home - from a long trip. the following weekend we drove about 20 miles to pick up a motorcycle, and it failed completely on the way home from that - had to call a friend to take the trailer home, unload the bike and come back to get our truck. started to pull the hub off and the ball bearings fell out on the ground!

did you check the wiring going to those parts? Old wiring can get brittle, and the insulation can crack... also check the insides of the connectors for corrosion and/or dark/burned looking areas = bad connections

glad to hear she is running better for you, and yeah, they are kind of like pack mules! LOL

Spark plug wires can "look" fine, but not be functioning properly. - and they do "age" Spark plugs wear out over time as well. get basic, NGK copper core spark plugs for your year/model , and a set of NGK spark plug wires for your year/model. It is a pretty easy job to change yourself with basic tools.