This is going to be an admission of all things I swore I would not do to this car. Come to think of it I have done a number of maintenance item's that have spun out of control, meaning only that money has been spent and the results have been admired by everyone who see's the car.
So, a tune up. Very straight forward, until I identify why the oil consumption is so high. The crank seal is bad. No big deal, the timing belt is on the "RnR" list. The motor has only 150,000 miles and I understand these motors should go half again as many miles with out to many issues. But I am going through a quart of oil every 700 miles. The splatter of oil preserving the under carriage reminds me of my time spent working on British cars but there has to be more issues creating oil evaporation. So why not freshen the head. The valve seals, that's what I'm thinking. Then there are sound effects when starting the car on a cold morning.
The PO might have ridden the clutch a little. Not enough to kill the disk but the through out bearing does not like the cold. At all, or ever. So the engine is coming out.
Now would be the perfect time for rings and bearings, right? Just asking.
