Mine is a 2000, V6, 3.8L Mustang.

Some 3 months back, when I took my car to a mechanic to fix the exhaust, the mechanic told me there is an engine oil leak in the crankshaft rear seal. (I have no idea what it is or where it is). And that it would cost ~$350 to fix it, some $10 for parts and rest for labor. I did not get it fixed, I just ignored it.

I took my car in last weekend for an oil change. The mechanic told me there is a leak in the pan gasket. (Different shop, diff mechanic). I asked him how much it would cost to fix it, he said they don't do these kind of work (its one of those carwash/oil change places).

I have couple of questions. Is it tough to tell apart where the leak is? Whether in the crankshaft rear seal or in the pan gasket? Do I have to fix two leaks or may be one of the two mechanics is wrong? And is either one a serious problem? And can any one from Phoenix suggest a cheap place to fix it?

Thanks.

 

Rear seal is more serious than a pan gasket, especially with a manual tranny. But, neither will spell death for you engine if you keep an eye on the oil level.

The easiest way to discern which is leaking is to clean the area and see where the oil comes out. Also, if you have an auto, you'll have an inspection plate you can remove and see inside the bell housing. If it's clean in there, the leak is in the pan gasket. Otherwise, it's the seal.

The reason the rear seal is so expensive is that you have to remove the transmission and oil pan, then loosen the crank enough to get the seal out. The oil pan gasket shouldn't be too expensive to replace by itself...and is probably more likely. Your first mechanic may have known that and knew that charging your for the seal replacement and only changing the pan gasket would fix your leak.

 

Thank you. I hope its the pan gasket. I probably will take my car to a third mechanic this weekend and see what he says.

(mine is a manual transmission)

 

Also make sure the leak is not coming from higher up on the motor and driping all the way down.