Since this car is going to have zero involvement in the Challenge build, I figured I'd split this out of the Farm Use Challenge Car thread, and delete the posts in that thread.
I got it cheap- a mobile mechanic had started doing the timing belt, and then literally became a Missing Person.
The 2.5 NA engine is out of the Outback Sport for some rehabilitation.
No matter what happens, I'm going to do some Dusterbd13 levels of cleaning in the engine compartment, since it is covered in a sludge of oil and dirt. Touching any surface under there means you're getting filthy. There's absolutely no reason to leave it that way.
To be fair, the grimy photos don't really do the level of grime any justice.
Current working guesses are:
The previous owner was dumping oil everywhere when filling it up.
The techs working on the car were dumping oil everywhere when filling it up.
Valve covers are leaky as heck.
Any combination of the above three.
I got the timing belt in.
Then one of the local kids expressed interest in it. So, now I'm apparently going to take everything back apart while it's out of the car and put fresh head gaskets in it, too. I refuse to sell somebody I know a car that I didn't do the best job I could on.
