Newb repair question - main seal

[ahowse1]

Oil was leaking on driveway a good bit in the fall 2016. Trying new mechanic. Said main seal failed. He replaced with 13 hrs labor. No reason to doubt him but cost me $1500 for a $30 part. Saw oil spots again recently but turned out to be new oil filter they installed needed a 1/4 turn. Jacked up car to check and hand-turned filter. Inspected area of leak prior to main seal repair. I see "clean" oil. Just a few drops clinging to bottom of housing above oil pan. I see a small 'weep' hole at bottom of housing. Should I see any oil at all on the housing given the gasket was replaced 500 miles ago? Giving this guy the benefit of the doubt, but I'm not a mechanic and looking for an honest 3rd opinion.

[Cuong Nguyen]

Clean it up and drive it some more and see. Oil gets trapped around the starter and slowly creeps down.

[RF600]

Yes oil leaks can be a pain to track down. So like CN said, clean it up as best you can, check again. There is always putting some dye in the oil, using a black light, it will show where it's coming from.

[pathykline92]

Of the few rear main seal areas I've seen there was a groove on the crank sealing surface needing a repair sleeve to properly fix it. And yes that job is a PITA. I'm referring to the VG30 engine here.