silverton

I use the alignment rack to torque those bolts. You did as well as you could at home!

acdelco or delphi if you can't swing for oem.

Missed the part about leaving the plug out

That makes sense. the heat going away is letting you know your coolant is low. definitely sounding like head gaskets now, sorry buddy! BUT you should be absolutely proud of yourself and the car for making it to 275k! Head gaskets in my impreza let go around 180, not sure if they were original. and the legacy i have now i know had the head gaskets done just before i bought it at 199k.

If the head gasket is bad it's still going to seep the compressed air from the cylinder in to the cooling system. Just curious, does the heat work? If you have no heat while it's over heating, like it should be cooking you, it could be a plugged heater core.

I replace half a dozen ball joints a week. Rarely do I have trouble with them. But I am in the PacNW so it helps. I'm with you DrD, I have had mevotech stuff and am not impressed with it at all.

we use import direct control arms, and they generally come with balljoints. Actually did a set on a h6 legacy recently, they were aluminum with solid rear bushings, kinda crazy!

stage 3? isn't that for like... race cars? bit of an on/off switch isn't it? If the install is new, sounds like the install was done incorrectly.

Having done it both ways a few times, engines moreso than transmissions, the transmission is far easier to remove for a clutch job. knock the bj out of the knuckle, 2x4 to brace the caliper against the body to pull it away, places the end of the axles near the rear control arm bushing and well far out of the way, driveshaft comes out easy peasy, drop that bitch out. You do have to take the intercooler out either way to get at the pitch stop. OH! And remember that pesky radio ground, weight of the transmission DGAF about it so be mindful. If you do plan on doing engine work at the same time, you're better off pulling the engine. Anything you're gonna do to it is a million times easier outside of the bay.

can you get a full 360 out of the crank? or almost? If so you might be able to get at the four bolts that hold the torque converter to the flex plate. this would allow the engine to spin freely of the transmission. unbolting the throttle body makes this much easier.

a 2006 legacy gt but not a turbo? huh? head gaskets, OE or sixstar gasket kits, oe, mahle, victor reinz cv's, OE if available or trakmotive; if you get the HD trakmotives you need to replace both timing belt kit with water pump, OE or aisin, thermostat: OE, not a murray! fluids, dealers choice since you say it's not a race car...same for the exhaust. After replacing these head gaskets, change your oil every 3000 miles or you'll be doing head gaskets again.

Your wife should have brought this to your attention far far sooner. Though it can be difficult to push through some of the compression strokes, a hard stop is not good, and to the point it cooked the starter? yeesh! excessive wear metals may not be present to the human eye on the dipstick, if you want to be sure send a sample to blackstone. I haven't experienced a torque converter failing in this way, but i suppose it could happen!

jack the side up that you're replacing the bulb on to give you some room (literally can't be done at ride height), remove the one push pin that holds the fender liner to the bumper, bend the metal tab that's top center of the fender away slightly, now peel the fender liner towards the inside of the car and 'hook it' on the tire to hold it. Easy access to the back of the headlight. It is easier with a lift since you can get it to eye level, but literally takes five minutes either way. Be sure to install the bulb correctly in the socket. I find so many not correct it blows my mind. I can tell when pulling a car in if the bulb isn't right cause the beam pattern BLOWS.

If the reservoir emptied you will need to bleed the master cylinder, and then all four brake calipers. That does look a little off, but... when it's all bolted together does it rub? If it doesn't rub I'd run it.

OE will always be better for than 'OE equivalent'

Might need to run the ol girl to a transmission shop. Between the shift solenoid and the incorrect gear ratio codes, your transmission is one foot out the door. Much like engine oil, transmission fluid does have a life span, it doesn't get dirty like engine oil so it's a much longer interval. I figure you replaced the fluid as symptoms were starting to appear? It's akin to putting fresh oil in an engine with rod knock. It can help, but the problem still needs to be addressed. The 4eat in my 2001 made it about 212k miles before failing with unknown service history

If when you first turn the vehicle on and the TPMS light blinks, it means a sensor is dead. If you know your sensors are good and programmed to your vehicle, all you need to do is set tire pressures to what it says on the door, or 35psi, and drive it for a mile or two; the light should then go out.

No rtv. Dry metal form gasket. Two passes at 12nm. One pass at 8, and another at 12 if you want to do it the saabaru way.

This is the one I'm referencing in my post above. https://www.ebay.com/itm/294770653233

I'll assume that 'fuel filter' is a Freudian slip for the oil filter. The newer 3.6R's like the 15/16 generation have a larger undercover tray with a hole for the drain plug, and a removable door for the oil filter. I do not know if they are compatible with your year. Your year came with the smaller one, and a little add in piece that you had to remove to drain the oil and filter cleanly, and generally get forgotten to be reinstalled.

They both start at the front under the radiator, it just depends on how much more you want to cover. The smaller one on top is the one I normally find on those 3.6's. Still gives you access to remove the oil filter without oil hitting the tray.

There was never a RWD fuse for subaru's. Only a front wheel drive fuse. If you car is a manual you need to do some welding and axle removal. if it's an automatic, you need to look up the torque mada lite mod, and remove a front axle. when removing a front axle you still need the stub for the wheel bearing support, and if your axles are innies, you need to have the inner cup installed as well. I did this to my GC-RS, and while it was fun, the car only ever wanted to be sideways, and that was before the turbo.

Reverse is always the first gear to go when a transmission fails, it requires the highest line pressure. It's entirely possible you bent something, especially with the added vibration, you should take it to a shop where they can lift the car and inspect.

If you peruse parts.subaru.com you could find the OE part number for your under engine tray.

Every engine is different, but I would start with 3000 miles. If at 3000 miles you're still full and the oil looks okay like you can still sort of see through it, go for 3750-5000. If it's black/low... change it. The fresh rebuilt in my 2001 just turned 13,500 and at my last interval which lasted about 3200-3300 miles, it's perfectly on the full dot, but darker than I'd like it to be, this was the engines 6th oil change. Blackstone recommends between 3400-3600.