1 Lucky Texan

I don't suppose any ducting is dislodged? make sure the cabin air filter hasn't degraded and put some debris on the coil I guess?

d @ m n hope you get it back OK

clean-out between the a/c condenser and the radiator. On some older cars, debris/dead bugs can build-up in there.

you did great troubleshooting already! maybe find a way to rent or borrow some Chassis Ears - or pay a shop equipped with them try to narrow the diagnosis for you.

if you can not locate a bad bushing, I might suspect brake pads moving back and forth. can someone listen outside the car while you shift it back-and-forth?

many companies offer stronger end links. I have some Kartboy on my WRX. I would think the type with spherical mounts could work well for you. Perrin has some, probably others.

duh, I shoulda thought of that yeah, I'm with p'todd - dump the antiroll bars.

I think I have seen some gadget to do that on an Australian sand rail. ??????

I've read the carrier bearing can really howl when bad.

hmmmm.... maybe Chassis Ears ?

did a few cars in that generation have a parking pawl recall?

just throwing this into the mix but - kinda wonder about the throttle pos. sensor ?

plugs or plug wires?

that's where I use my typical floor jack on each of my cars.

yeah, I know I have some dirty laundry I'd rather not air in front of strangers lol!

had a 51 chevy with a generator - you REALLY need good grounds for those to be trouble free. (hated the stupid vacuum wipers - terrifiying trying to pass a semi in the rain!!!)

my 06 WRX's shifter is beginning to feel sloppy - are there 'upgraded' parts to go in there?

check the crank position sensor for a coating of debris and clean it. Just on the off-chance some metal is interfering with it. I have only ever read of that being an issue once but.....easy to take care of. look for pinched/disturbed wires

find the tooth count for that engine - good triple check for timing. could the crank sprocket have partly sheared its key on the crank? older soobs often have bad knock sensors, check that...but, hard to argue with Ido's post above, highly likely something you touched is now the problem.

if it misbehaves while idling, squirt some starting fluid in and see if it smooths-out. there's some vacuum gauge test that might find exhaust blockage.

Felt really stupid just before a road trip once. I was checking the car over before hand; inflating tires, squeezing the window gussets, checking fluid levels - GAH! how did this happen! the transmission is overfilled! I start getting tools out - then, maybe 30 seconds after I panicked I realized the auto trans must be checked while idling. Not Subaru related but once I poured about a qt and a half of fresh oil thru my dad's truck - yep, forgot to put the drain plug back in. So, a few moments later I go to the house, get my parents attention at the back door; "Dad, we're gonna need some more oil. Mom, can you get oil outta this shirt?"

nice!

I know many folks have regretted Bosch sensors. i THINK there may be somewhat generic Denso sensorswith just unterminated pigtails that would require wiring into your original connector/harness, they may be a little cheaper but, more hassle?

remove neg battery cable, touch that cable end to the pos battery terminal. reconnect. That should clear the cel - it's possible you first coupla engine starts are odd after doing that until the monitors complete. be very careful around the battery - keep metal tools away from the terminals when you're not using them. if the CEL doesn't clear or comes back, swing by a parts store and have them read the code(s) if you have a smartphone, an inexpensive ELM327 BT adapter and an app like Torque Lite will let you read and clear codes and more.

Today, I changed oil/filter on the WRX, changed gear oil in the 5spd, replaced the lower half of the intake filter box (the slots for the top's 'tabs' have been busted-out for some time, I had zipties holding it together), replaced both radiator/coolant caps. still need to work on clearing the headlight lenses and the a/c system needs o-rings probably and re-charging.