Got a laundry list of suggested svcs from the shop today...

**Thewilldog** · 02-26-2011, 10:11 AM

(2001 Z28 w/ 167,777 miles)

Stopped in for a routine oil change and asked the shop to tell me how many places are leaking oil. I've been putting diapers under the car for a while now to keep it from ruining the garage floor. Back when the car was a daily driver I'd have to add a quart between changes.

They got a little more industrious than I'd expected and handed me a lengthy list of recommended services.

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...Inspection.jpg

I knew about the Oil Pan Gasket and Rear Main Seal leaks. Should I decide to invest, what should I expect to pay to get these replaced? The shop led me to believe it would be >$1000 due to the required labor.

Also, I'm not familiar with a few of these:
1. Valve Cover Gaskets
2. Tail Shaft Seal
3. Pumpkin Cover

Is this vital stuff? I think that doing everything on that list would cost me quite a bit more than the car is worth. I'm sure there's a few I can handle myself (Air Filter = Replaced!) and I'm going to try and fix the P1416 code myself using the write up located http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130641. But the rest, I don't know...

**pajeff02** · 02-26-2011, 10:44 AM

The good news is that with all those oil leaks, the underside of your car should never rust out.

**Cutlass** · 02-26-2011, 11:41 AM

Originally Posted by Thewilldog

(2001 Z28 w/ 167,777 miles)

Stopped in for a routine oil change and asked the shop to tell me how many places are leaking oil. I've been putting diapers under the car for a while now to keep it from ruining the garage floor. Back when the car was a daily driver I'd have to add a quart between changes.

They got a little more industrious than I'd expected and handed me a lengthy list of recommended services.

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...Inspection.jpg

I knew about the Oil Pan Gasket and Rear Main Seal leaks. Should I decide to invest, what should I expect to pay to get these replaced? The shop led me to believe it would be >$1000 due to the required labor.

Also, I'm not familiar with a few of these:
1. Valve Cover Gaskets
2. Tail Shaft Seal
3. Pumpkin Cover

Is this vital stuff? I think that doing everything on that list would cost me quite a bit more than the car is worth. I'm sure there's a few I can handle myself (Air Filter = Replaced!) and I'm going to try and fix the P1416 code myself using the write up located http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130641. But the rest, I don't know...

The Valve Cover Gaskets would be easy to do yourself. They are right on top of the engine.
Tail Shaft Seal is the transmission seal where the driveshaft slides into the transmission.
The Pumpkin Cover is also an easy do yourself repair. Thats the cover on the rear end.

When and if you decide to do those leaks yourself, let us know. We can give you tips.

**Cutlass** · 02-26-2011, 11:42 AM

Oh and yes a oil pan gasket and rear main seal are big labor jobs.

**Thewilldog** · 02-26-2011, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by Cutlass

The Valve Cover Gaskets would be easy to do yourself. They are right on top of the engine.
Tail Shaft Seal is the transmission seal where the driveshaft slides into the transmission.
The Pumpkin Cover is also an easy do yourself repair. Thats the cover on the rear end.

When and if you decide to do those leaks yourself, let us know. We can give you tips.

So if I do the change the rear differential fluid (another project I'm thinking about tackling for the first time), I'm basically replacing the pumpkin seal? I'd never heard it called that.

**Cutlass** · 02-26-2011, 01:12 PM

yes, the pumpkin cover is the cover you remove to change the rear end gear lube.

**turbojimmy** · 02-27-2011, 03:30 AM

I wouldn't sweat it. Do the stuff you can do yourself and forget the rest. Those shops always deliver the worst-case scenario.

A few weeks ago I was depressed after leaving a local shop. Went in to have an exhaust leak looked at and came out with a list of about $5,000 in repairs on my Caddy. I know I have a long list of minor repairs, but this guy made it sound like it was the end of the world. And they didn't fix the exhaust leak, citing more important repairs that needed done immediately. I thanked them for their analysis and took my exhaust business elsewhere.

**cammed goat** · 02-27-2011, 07:00 AM

Save up and have the shop replace the oil pan gasket and rear main seal first as those are VERY important. Then you can replace the valve cover gaskets, tail and pinion seals, and the other parts yourself...with some help from this forum.