CNY_Dave

Often just tightening the fuel hose clamps can fix it.

Needing burping could also make it not put af into the overflow or suck it back. I have just always filled my 3.0 after draining with the front end up in the air on jack stands, always worked fine.

The diff comes out with the trans, no way to separate before removing from the car.

The front diff is attached to the transmission. You could swap the good diff onto the good trans, but it is a lot of work, the front diff would need to be set up in it's new home (pinion setup and maybe other stuff too)

You can often tell swaps from what parts www.car-part.com suggests.

The TC should just pull right out of the trans. If not, something bad happened, keep pullin'.

Sound like this?

Seal-puller is cheap and useful, some folks drill a small hole and thread in a sheet-metal or wood screw and pull with pliers. Yes, just put it at the same depth, usually seals like that go in flush with the end of the hole they are seating into. If that one is set in a bit, just set it in the same amount. Once you get it out you will probably see a surface it seats against.

Excellent!

Yes, the seal is the one sitting in the bellhousing. The C-clip is small enough that there's little risk of dragging it against the seal.

The rust converter that is essentially tannic acid slows the rust down a bit, even if you just knock off the loose stuff and dab/spray it on. Good for a few months at a shot.

2006 will not fit. 2001-2004 H6 non-vdc will fit, using a 2004 requires a part be changed inside the tail section.

'Wobble' is more likely a ball joint or tie-rod-end if there is no droning noise, especially if they are not checking for looseness in multiple orientations (in-out at front of tire and in-out at top) But, I have seen a few loose wheel bearing with no noise threads, just not many.

My 03 LL bean used to be great on glare ice, wet ice, you name it. Now it's a bit of a ghostwalker, even with good snows. The steering has that 'eager to move off center' feeling familiar from previous cars I've had when I've loaded the heck out of the rear. I think my springs must be sagging after 250,000 miles.

A burnt TCU solenoid drive transistor is usually visible, you can open it and look.

Harbor freight ball-joint removal tool (fork and screw type) works well too.

The computer can't detect a mechanical problem with the solenoid valve, it can only detect a short or open connection. It could be a bad connection, there's a the connector at the TCU, then the one at the back of the engine right near the dogbone link.

Of course the way the winter is going who knows if you'll get to test it!

I have had 2 in mine from NAPA for many miles, only downside was one didn't come with a dust shield around the inner stub side (I swapped from my old), and another I had to bring back and swap because the roll pin holes wouldn't line up in either of the 2 possible orientations (and usually only one of those 2 work, I know).

It makes a huge difference. Every other car drives me nuts now...

I did it on my 2003 outback. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/131945-disabling-wipers-with-washer-button/

You didn't have a brief loss of oil pressure, did you? Maybe a prolonged period of running before it built pressure after the last oil change?

It isn't clear to me there'd be a solenoid fault that would lead to delayed/harsh engagement. Now a sticky shuttle valve (the actual valve that does the sending of fluid to the clutch), that would do it. I don't think anyone has seen this happen, though.

If the fluid is old, wrong, or water contaminated it could cause the plates to be 'grabby' instead of increasing friction smoothly, happens on motorcycle oil-bath clutches on occasion. It is a bit of an outside chance, but at least relatively easy to try.

Can't think of an easy way.