1 Lucky Texan

they can - but it may depend on the actual alt's failure mode internally. not sure though

2 things come to mind; a missing/loose ground wire somewhere, and/or, the IACV hose is loose from the underside of the intake.

suppose some new kid at the dealership screwed-up and put some diff fluid in the trans? anyway - what makes the trans "dubious' ? maybe just start with 3 drain/fill cycles ?

original wires? can you shift the plug wires and swap with another cylinder?

from what I've read, many times actually, first thing to suspect would be a rebuilt alternator. If that's what you installed. If possible, take it and the battery back to the parts store and have them tested. If they still have your original (and assuming you can be wwithout your car for a few days) you can have your original alt. rebuilt by a local rebuilder - ask around at a 2-3 mechanics' shops and see who they'd recommend.

might be a good idea to check the charging voltage.

speaking very generally - yes. It is true the EZ30 is not reported to have hg problems as often, they also are less common so, the actual difference in RATE of hg problems is not easy to quantify. But the impression is, the 6 cyl gaskets are more robust. BUT, the older a car is, the less important it's brand/model reliability when new - and the more important is previous care and current condition. A properly regasketed EJ25D could be more reliable than a mistreated EZ30. ANY 14 year old car could be a ticking time bomb.

um - would that be the OEM TURBO stock gasket or is there an updated NA part?

I'm not familiar with all the connectors, but I'd say an improperly seated one, a missing ground - even a bent or 'pushed-back' pin in a connector seems quite likely. on gen2, it's worth checking for the cap/o-ring problem but, I think that's unrelated to your recent issue.

the classifieds at NASIOC could be good place to check.

at 227K, you might get a used trans with 1/3 the mileage swapped in with less hassle.

if it has 'severely' overheated (yes, I know that is not easy to quantify), get another engine. people have rebuilt heads only to discover soon that rod bearings are going bad.

how long since a brake fluid flush? could brake fluid ever absorb enough water to actually freeze? just a w.a.g.

lots of parts in there - maybe a spider gear lost a tooth or 2 and sometimes 'skips' ??? good luck - let us know what you find.

yeah, from what I've read, engines will only re-align the belt marks after 200-400 revolutions.(depending on SOHC, DOHC, etc.) but lining up the crank and cams, and verifying with a tooth count, is as good as the belt marks anyway.

is there a part number embossed on it?

the rear diff's drain plug has a magnet on it - you could look for 'chunks' I guess.

unless you were running a donut spare or different sized tire, it's not reported as a 'come$go' type of issue - the 5pseeds are often reported as being worse after they heat up. symptoms get worse over time. It stresses the entire drivetrain of course and worn-out/broken parts elsewhere could exhibit problems - wherever the weakest link is - carrier bearing, u-joint, half-axle/CVJs, etc. if it seemed like it was worse on one side than the other, might be useful to swap axles L to R. just, really, doesn't seem like TB. I'd think you would FEEL the stress buid-up/release/build-up/release, etc. is the banging started or solved by brake application? Have you tried lifting the E-brake handle to see if the sound is affected? are the pads on the rear brakes evenly worn? inside pad material not worn a lot more than the out side pad? I only read a lot, others here have the real experience.

as said, t'stat must be OEM-style (Stant makes one too) any electrical problems? might be worth checking out the charging system.

that's why I asked about the feeling. One test for torque bind would be tight circles on level dry pavement. If you can't idle thru them or , maybe , get trhu them at 1K rpm without feeling some bucking/jerking - you may have an issue withthe AWD system. have you tried swapping wheels front-to back? Inspected the swaybar endlinks? Check the lug nuts/studs, check the axle nut, etc.

probably start with some vacuum gauge testing. The ECU thinks the A:F ratio is way off, a vacuum leak could cause lean-running and possibly affect the evap system enough to throw codes. (gas cap seals well ?) Inspect the evap canister and all those parts/hoses.

do you 'feel' it or just hear the sound?

if the rear hubs have also been submerged - maybe a wheel bearing is going out?

possibly fuel starved - maybe check fuel pump's output. I think the 440 code is sometimes associated with rusted-out tank filler tube?

examine the brake pads - inner and outer - for 2 issues; are they very close to the same thickness?, and are they worn at an angle, wedge shaped? I'd also look at the edge of the rotor and areas of the caliper near the rotor and backing plate, etc. look for fresh metal/worn areas. you might also consider taking some temp measurements of the hubs with an infrared thermometer after some highway runs. See if one side is consistently 30-40 degs or more warmer than the other side.