1 Lucky Texan

ah - well, my gut says to stay with the OBS axles but, really, it's just a guess. even if length is the same - there may be a spline count difference. fingers crossed you get better replies

maybe someone else will respond but - is your OBS 3.9 final drive? and i THINK the 02 Legacy GT is 4.11 FD.

MUST be OEM style t'stat (I think Stant and maybe WIX offer one now)

sorry if this 'seems' like a cross post - but this old Loyale needs help; http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/161230-intermittant-spark/?do=findComment&comment=1342427

soob bearings rarely show typical failure symptoms and can be maddeningly difficult to diagnose. Try getting the front up in the air, listen/feel at the springs and hubs (use mechanic's stethoscope) for vibration when turning the wheel. Lift/rock in the 12 - 6 o'clock direction - should be no movement. compare sides to each other. Maybe check the rear like that too.

so odd. Any work done before this occured? trans or diff swaps? Any coolant work - new thermostat? (they need to be OEM style with the larger wax capsule) um...does the car have 4 tires that are the same brand/model/size and near each othe rin wear? Will the car smoothly drive in tight circles on dry pavement? just a wild gusee that maybe the car was stopped with some torque bind and the brakes slipped when you were doing your overheat investigation. but it's just a wild guess - maybe others will know if that's even possible. I guess I'd check for a binding brake caliper too? Maybe the fans are intermittent - was the "city traffic" stop&go or very slow?

not in a situation to listen right now, steering racks on Soobs are fairly robust. more common for clunks to be from ; rear bushing of lower control arm, loose/broken sway bay or SB end link, perhaps inner tie rods. All suspension needs checking.

you may have 2 problems, you may have 5 - but here's some things to check; many people find cracked knock sensors that didn't cause a CEL. Oil in the plug holse/on wire boots will cause missing - as will bad spark plug wires (OEM wires preferred). Some folks confirm bad wires/coil at night , engine idling, by using a plant mister to spray watter on the high voltage parts - listen for engine stumbling and look for arcing. you should still rotate front pair of tires with the rear to monitor for a change in the wobble. Check inner tie rods for play, they might clunk. Inspect the rear bushings for the lower control arms. they can clunk. Both those can make a wobble. Noise up front could be several things but; check for air in the power steering reservoir - there should be no bubbles or foam. Ait intake filter box might not be securely clipped-in at the bottom. Wheel bearing could be bad. Not a bad idea to confirm brake calipers are sliding well.

battery light is in a special circuit I think so, I'd be looking for a bad ground or some fuse(s) bad. I wouldn't rule-out something odd with the illumination module.

details on car? year/miles/condition etc.

I have read that arcing might be spotted on an idling engine at night - perhaps if you use a plant mister to wet down the coil then individual plug wires to listen for engine stumbling and look for flashes. otherwise - need a high voltage o'scope or probe of some kind.

you may be fighting 2-3 issues. A common fuel smell on older soobs is perforated filler neck. Take the plastic cover off to inspect.

I wouldn't rule-out a frozen brake caliper - but??????

just a coupla thoughts, did you connect the green connectors under the dash? they are only for diagnosis and make the relays all cycle. on some older soobs, I have read of crank position sensors failing with temperature. maybe pull the thermostat and test it on the stove? (OEM style ONLY!!)

is that 06 drive-by-wire? early DBW had a pedal assembly that suffered from issues (moisture?) you might search if DBW - easy swap I think but I haven't done it.

check LKQ and car-part.com for a junkyard engine to swap in.

you checked fluid level while idling? how old is the fluid?

clacking? you said speed of the car - so, the clacking is also car/tire rotation related? not engine rpm? I'd say clacking could very well be a CV joint. auto or 5spd trans? sound left, right or center? (have someone else drive and sit in the pass. seat) when was the last timing belt systems service? who did the work? take a close look at the crank pulley while idling. running true and straight? no wobbling?

^^^^ wisdom right there. coupla small things that I've done based on reading and experience. put 2 small zip-ties or a small clamp on the overflow tube at the nipple on the radiator's neck. it may be possible for air to be drawn in as the rubber ages and gets less compliant. Pull the other end of that tube up outta the o'flow tank and cut he end at a 45* angle to help prevent the bottom possibly being blocked. A new radiator cap may be a good idea as well.

some folks swear by a dose of Marvel Mystery Oil, but I have no experience with it.

I don't associate squeaking with a cv joint - could happen I suppose. look at the brake backing plate - could be touching the rotor or have a twig/pebble trap next to the rotor. maybe a wheel bearing?

in addition to help here, you might research at nasioc.com too.

my 'guess' is, the frame of the t'stat may have been in a 'bind'. I'd like to point out however, many people have trouble burping all the air out of the cooling system and, there could have been an air-block contributing to the problem. We may never know.

I had to trim 2 of 3 of the aftermarket (Gates) hoses I bought for the wife's 03 H6. If one wasn't trimmed - likely chafing would have resulted.

easiest mistake that might create more noise would be not getting the airbox seated properly. can you describe the noise more? is it a whoosh or a ticking or ??? these cars also can have loose heatsheilds. what shop did the work? if they are unfamiliar with Subarus, maybe a mistake was made with draining/filling the correct fluid - check fluid levels ASAP. consider taking it back and take someone for a ride to demonstrate the sound.