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The dust shield is only held on by 3 bolts, so it's easy to remove if it's in the way. I just did mine, but I stripped off the shield before I used the puller.

That style works very well, but there are 2 sizes: large (for Pitman arm) and small (for tie rod end). Be sure to get the right one for the job at hand (or have both in your toolbox).

I once had the same symptoms from a bad airflow sensor, and another time it was the pedal position sensor. There are lots of possibilities for those symptoms. It will run without the O2 sensor, but it does so in limp home mode which would be as you describe - I would start with a new O2 sensor. Rock Auto sells Denso Front O2 Sensor which is GTG. How is fuel mileage? If the A/F ratio is off the mileage will suffer.

Look at the clearance between the tire and the front spring perch - in all the Subarus I've owned there hasn't been much. I think you'll find that the small increase you could get would have no real impact.

Use Speed Bleeders - just open, stomp as many times as necessary, then close. I've used them on all my cars for over 20 years and they've worked flawlessly. Easy and inexpensive.

Replacement upholstery for Subaru Seats has been discussed on the Subaru Outback Forums - try searching over there; there are several aftermarket sources. Alternatively, you could replace the seats with units from a pick-n-pull yard. The cost and time involved are probably similar for either option.

I haven't owned the Gen4, but had a Gen3 and have a Gen5; on both of those that much increase in diameter would have rubbed the underside of the spring perches (there was less than 1/2" clearance with stock diameter). If a smaller-diameter wheel will clear the brake calipers, you may be able to run the higher profile on them.

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You'd do better with links using pillow balls, for example Whiteline's.

It can be either the canister or the valve. It's easy to replace both and they're not very expensive, just messy because they're located behind the passenger-side rear tire underneath the car and road filth accumulates on them.

Did you bump the shifter into the manual gate? Unless you were on a steep downhill grade with a tailwind, you shouldn't hit the rev limiter in top gear.

I've done it by popping the camshaft out; they can then be easily removed with needle-nose pliers. It gets a bit fiddly keeping track of which shim goes where and what the clearance was to calculate the new shim thickness, but it avoids buying an expensive tool. I've only ever done this once on any given vehicle and I keep mine 12+ years, so I couldn't justify the price tag on the tool.

Overfilling oil may have overloaded your catalyst of damaged your oxygen sensor. Has your fuel mileage changed? If engine oil was overfilled, you can probably find evidence of it in the vent lines and airbox.

Be sure to use the full kit (belt, idlers, and water pump), not just the belt. I thought I'd get away with just the belt on my '02 at 60k and do the full kit at 120k - WRONG! It failed 400 miles from home and put me at the mercy of a mechanic the locals said was good - WRONG! It was expensive, frustrating, and left a whole series of Easter eggs for me to find and repair. Really, who breaks the head off a bolt and just epoxies it in place? There's no harm in shortening the maintenance interval if you are concerned - much easier than totally re-engineering the engine and controls.

OEM cats are required to last for 100k miles/10 years, but aftermarket cats are only requires to last 35k miles/4 years (not well publicized facts). I tried a couple of aftermarket cats and guess what - they lasted <40k miles! The aftermarket cats are not any sort of good deal - stick with OEM (especially if you're paying a mechanic for installation).

Upgraded sways do make a difference, but they should be paired with upgraded shocks/struts (Subarus are underdamped in stock form). I have Whiteline 24 mm front and 22 mm rear bars on my '17 Outback, along with Rallitek overload springs in the rear, and Bilstein B4 struts in front and B6 shocks in the rear. That setup in combination with a custom alignment (0* toe and -0.5 * camber at all 4 corners - Moog adjustable rear lower and front arms needed) leaves just a bit of understeer. I also use Enkei Raijin 19" wheels and Continental DWS 06 tires in 245/50-R19; the tire/wheel upgrade has the biggest effect, but all of the other components have a noticeable effect.

Your battery voltage at idle should be ~14V, so you either have something demanding so much current that the alternator can't keep up at idle or a bad alternator. It could also be a connection issue - try removing and re-seating the relevant connectors, and loosen then re-tighten the ground connections, and be on the lookout for corrosion,

I got some slotted polyurethane pucks on Amazon that allow me to use the lift points for the OEM scissors jack; the slot allows the pressure to spread to the body and protects the pinch welds. I like having the jack stands as wide as possible for stability, and feel much more comfortable using this method. I also got a slotted puck for my floor jack to protect the lift points, and occasionally use it on the scissors jack lift points if necessary. By the way, I found a long-reach floor jack at a reasonable price - it makes it easy to use the recommended lift points.

There is a transponder in the key that must be paired with the ECU in order to start the car - this is a dealer process, not the user. Either they pairing was lost and can be restored, or the transponder is bad; only the dealer has the tools to diagnose and repair this. You really need to have a second working key because if one is lost or destroyed the process to repair it is long (ECU has to be sent to Subaru) and expensive (I've seen prices upwards of $600).

Download the factory service manual (available on many sites) and you'll have full procedures and specifications. I haven't worked on an FB25, but the EJs were always 0.010" on the intakes and 0.012" on the exhausts IIRC.

Subaru sells remanufactured axles that are a good value - a fraction of the cost of new with identical performance; I've used them with no issues. Aftermarket axles are trash, and Cardone are the worst, bottom-of-the-barrel trash. Your only good choices are new or remanufactured Subaru axles.

And if you really like the car (and a well-controlled ride) you should treat yourself to the Bilstein B4.

My Legacies ('90 & '02) and Outback ('17) unlock the driver's door with the first push of the unlock button and all doors after a second push; check your owner's manual, but I'd be very surprised if your Forester works differently.

You'll need an electronic adapter - your Subaru has separate brake and turn signals, so the adapter is needed to combine them. The Subaru part was rather salty (if it's even available) but U-Haul had one that was more reasonably priced.

I use Philips VisionPlus bulbs. They're a direct replacement and are brighter and whiter than stock. I also use them in the high beams.