Subaru nuances

For weeks now I've been needing to take care of some stuff on the Subie. The first issue was a horrible squeak somewhere in the clutch system that they all seem to eventually suffer from. This actually turned out to be 2 squeaks that were happening at the exact same time. It was odd because the system is hydraulic but one piece slid through a rubber boot and sounded like a small bird. The worst part was a spring located on the clutch fork down inside the bellhousing of the transmission. It was a joy to get to. It was sealed with a rubber boot and all I can think of is that it was corroded with clutch dust. I finally got it to be quiet.

The next issue I've been having is during cold starts when it's in the teens or lower in the morning. The car starts right up but then almost immediately falls on it's face. If it's cold enough it will actually die (but it's gotta be damn cold for that to happen) but usually it just bogs for a second and then the rpm's jump way back up again until it's warm. The computer isn't throwing any codes yet so I'm kinda guessing at this point. My first thought was the Idle Air Control Valve. I removed it first.

This was right after pulling it off. The motor now has about 50,000 miles on it but this thing was really clean so I was a bit disappointed. Anyway...I carefully cleaned it with alcohol and Q Tips.

This the throttle body where the IACV is mounted. Spotless. I didn't even clean it.

I also removed the throttle body and cleaned it out but it was pretty dang clean too. I'm still learning this motor and car but I was told to clean the Mass Air Flow Sensor as well. I gave up looking for it after 30 seconds. There isn't one on this car. Then I thought...maybe that's why it's acting up? Then I realized that this car uses a Manifold Pressure Sensor. Interesting because the late 90's Subies did have a MAF. I removed the MAP and cleaned it with an electronic cleaner but it was really clean as well so I'm not optimistic about that either. I guess we'll see what happens on the next really cold morning. I love working on cars and spending time in the garage.