My '02 foz is at 117k miles and overdue for the timing belt service. The head gaskets are also original and leaking but only very slightly. There are no drips and no internal leaking, just a light external seeping. My spark plug gaskets are also leaking, causing oil to get into the plug wires but so far that hasn't caused any running issues. The engine hardly burns any oil at all. I don't even top it off between oil changes and the level is always good after 3k miles. So my question is, should I attempt to dig into the head gaskets & everything that that entails, or should I just leave them alone and do the timing belt kit & valve cover gaskets? I really can't afford to have a shop do the work and I'm not sure if I can handle a head gasket job. I have fairly strong mechanical abilities, but I've never done a head gasket before and I can't have the car sitting torn apart for several days. What should I do?!
Another option I've considered, is to just save the money I would spend on parts now, and put that toward a rebuilt engine. There's a local Subaru mechanic who sells a fully rebuilt SOHC EJ25 for 1400 bucks. The reason I've thought about this is because from what I can tell a head gasket job requires removing the engine, so if I'm going to do all that why not throw a completely rebuild motor in? The other appeal to this option is the gamble. This engine might give up on me tomorrow, or it may last me another 100k miles with regular oil changes.
Another option I've considered, is to just save the money I would spend on parts now, and put that toward a rebuilt engine. There's a local Subaru mechanic who sells a fully rebuilt SOHC EJ25 for 1400 bucks. The reason I've thought about this is because from what I can tell a head gasket job requires removing the engine, so if I'm going to do all that why not throw a completely rebuild motor in? The other appeal to this option is the gamble. This engine might give up on me tomorrow, or it may last me another 100k miles with regular oil changes.