[DeTomaso] Pandora: It's deja vu all over again...

[Christopher Kimball]

Most of you know my sad tale of the new engine that leaked oil and the 3-month, mechanic nightmare that ensued.

The mechanic and the engine builder never could find the oil leak, but the engine builder replaced all the seals anyway (according to him).

Today, I went under the car to re-tighten the header bolts and exhaust/muffler gaskets, and guess what I found.

You guessed it--another oil leak in exactly the same place as the last one.  Actually, it appears as if the leak may be a little smaller (for now, at least) dripping only about two drops over two or three days following a spirited drive, and the oil also appears to only be on the engine side of the inspection plate, not the transmission side.  If I remember correctly, that makes it a little less dire.

To say I'm frustrated is an understatement, and there is no way I'm going back to the engine builder again (if he saw me coming he'd probably hang himself!)

The thought of pulling the engine again is also ultimately depressing, so I think I'll just drive it for a while and pretend I didn't see the leak.  A good friend is planing on building a removable chassis brace that will replace the cross-member that currently prevents the pan from being removed and makes changing the main seal impossible.  If I can convince him to make me one, too, then I'll have someone look at the seal with the engine still in the car.

The reason I'm writing this is solely for catharsis and empathy.

Sincerely,

Chris