1 Lucky Texan

when I had my WRX at the track the first time, I had an instructor off and on. They were trying to get people to not treat the accelerator like a switch - to roll-on and roll-off appropriately. Once, my instructor praised me "good throttle roll-on!" I didn't tell him I was flooring it just before the apex and he was feeling the turbo spool on the exit!

any chance a milkshake or sugary drink was spilled there?

coupla odd ideas - try fueling with hoses pulled from the charcoal canister - one at a time, might lead to where a blocage is. (Flooded charcoal can or insect/mud nests, sometimes there's a cable going to a solenoid on the can - cable gets lose or is bad, etc.) did you change a front axle? On automatics, you can sometimes feel vibrations when stopped in Drive, if the vibration stops when you slip into N, that can be due to a rebuilt axle.

wiring harness, ECU, maybe fuel pump, maybe the muffler,,,,,,,,....I dunno, a swap is gonna be MAJOR surgery.....

Long story short, in a conversation with AWD Tuning, the local shop that repaired my WRX's transmission, they report good success with 'HD' axles made by FEQ , they get them from WorldPac. I have no idea how many models they offer or any other details.

if you go back, take some starter fluid and squirt in the intake to see if it will fire.

inspect rear bushings on front lower control arms.

just a guess, maybe something could be fabricated from tubing with the ends smashed flat?

I think a P0440 is an evap leak? first things to check on an older car; condition of gas cap seal, and inspect filler tube for rusted-thru holes.

Scan the ECU for pending codes. Maybe you could arrange to test drive another new one. Borrow a car or have someone take you to a dealer. If you still feel there's a difference, you may need to demonstrate the difference to a service writer or tech. Otherwise - you may just need to wait until it pops a solid CEL.

it may take a lot of pumping but, aren't there hand-operated vacuum pumps? maybe loaned-out by parts stores. usually used for brake bleeding. www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0Z4WPqhLqc

system is supposed to give you a coupla stops after an engine stall while driving. I doubt the system is intended to retain a full vacuum overnight (Perhaps a new car CAN, and an older car can't - but it really doesn't NEED to.) as, before driving in the morning vacuum will be re-established quickly after starting the engine. BUT, bleeding brakes with full brake pedal travel has occasionally been reported to compromise master cylinder seals.... dunno if that could match the symptom you have or if you bled the brakes that way......? do you still have the old booster? maybe a test for it could be rigged-up?

there are black(?) and green test or programming connectors, not sure on the white. The green should be disconnected. It will cycle evap, fans, and other solenoids/relays as a sort of diagnostic. hoping you get better info from one of the gurus.

not sure what's normal, have read often that it is "1 or 2 stops" so, maybe you're on target? If you still have a concern, perhaps you could compare vacuum gauge readings; examine hooked up normally, then compare to a reading with the brake booster hose pulled and its port plugged?

wow, some of you guys really have skills and confidence when it comes to challenging car repair. on the road > in the junkyard !

if the cat got that hot, it may now be bad. But the cause was likely the misfiring you experienced. too much unburned fuel going into it. can you clear-up the sequence of events for us? I'm guessing you did some work some time ago, then the car had low power/missing, then the cat got red ? or, did the issue with low power happen immediately after some work? what was done JUST before the problem started? I'm confused

needs an OEM thermostat. some reports of overheating due to clogged heater cores. (maybe test by bypassing the HC with appropriate piece of pipe and maybe xtra hose?)

seems to cross to a Russian part? REMKAFLEX RARC01196

there shouldn't be any differential pad wear in theory. My limited experience is that the inner pads wear slightly faster than the outer pads. The caliper on that wheel may have been sticking slightly and unable to slide outwards easily, leading to more wear on the outer pad.

you may have 2-3 problems, not impossible with an older car. the brake issue needs to be addressed. The caliper should be able to slide on the pins, rust should not interfere with pad or caliper movement, etc. It's also possible to receive aftermarket parts that are built wrong, or are intended for a different model. "warped' rotors are often due to a panic stop putting a deposit of pad material in one position. If the pads/calipers on one side have been overheating the rotor, a 'bedding in' procedure might help, if it doesn't, you may need a new rotor. the car may have worn inner tie rods or other steering parts/bushings. try swapping rear tires for the front. Good time to inspect, calipers, pads, lug nuts and studs, and wire-brush any flaky rust from rotor surfaces. check the alignment. while a fairly simple system, brakes have a lot of important details and can be a challenge to get into top condition on older or neglected cars. bearings; Subaru bearings can fail with several different symptoms. with the corner or end of the car in the air, rotate the wheel while feeling the spring for roughness - or get a mechanic's stethoscope and listen to the hubs. Also, a bad bearing will sometimes allow the wheel to be lifted/rocked up-and-down in the 12 to 6 o'clock direction. any movement is bad - compare side to side.

not common but, that caliper may have a stuck piston or bad hose - w'ever the actual reason, the caliper is not free to slide and center itself. As said, most often it is rusted or bent caliper pins or bad rubber pieces on them.

I've only read about this stuff, so, not speaking from experience. The round access cover seems very stable, From reading across a coupla forums for years and looking at pics of leaking plastic a/o separators and seeping rear mains, I THINK I have only once read of someone with a leak from that cover (wrist pin access?) I probably wouldn't disturb it if dry.

any chance of rust holes in the filler tube?

some folks seem to report good results from running marvel Mystery oil - you might research it. (maybe it frees-up lifters that are gummy?)

hmmmm....sometimes weak TB tensioners will mimic rod knock.