So, I have the T in the shop (not the dealer) again to track down a persistent oil leak after having stopped a couple already. The previous leaks included:

1. Leaks at the rubber plugs at the rear of the engine and two "half moon" aluminum plugs up front, both right below the valve cover gaskets - apparently the dealer didn't replace them when they did the valve cover gaskets? The mechanic seemed to think they *should* have been done at that time, but said that he frequently sees engines where the dealer does not.

2. Leaks at the cam and crank seals - I think this is due to the previous mechanic doing a half assed job; he'd already replaced two under warranty...

Now the current leak is being attributed to a nicked cam shaft - the nick is hitting the seal. He says it looks like somebody whacked it with a hammer. He said some folks will put the seal not quite all the way in, so the nick misses the seal, but you obviously run the risk of blowing the seal - though that might have been done in the past. He asked me what work had previously been done to it - I know of the head gasket recall and a couple of timing belt/water pump/seal jobs. It's impossible to know when/how/who etc... I've almost always had oil spots in my parking space, but have rarely lost more than a fraction of a quart between fill ups (and I check every time).

He is recommending a used shaft if he can find a suitable one, otherwise a new one.

Questions -

1. Does this nicked cam shaft diagnosis sound like BS? He said they didn't notice it for a while because when the crank at TDC, the nick was on the underside of that cam. I haven't *seen* this yet, but plan to go by the shop tomorrow

2. Is a used cam shaft, providing it meets tolerances and is not burnt, crazy?

3. I've had two people ask me already why they don't just polish out the nick - is that a reasonable approach?

I know, I know, half of you are muttering under your breath "you should just learn to do that crap yourself". As expensive as this is getting I'm doing a fair bit of muttering myself!

Any input is appreciated!

Scott

[edit - to be fair to the mechanic who had to replace the cam seals before (#2 above) - it might very well have been because of the nicked cam shaft and he missed the nick, too...]