Will it come back to bite me?

I made a choice today that I just know is going to come back and get us here at the repair shop I work for. I had stated in another blog post how we are always getting defective parts, and that could not be more true when it comes to replacing old "oil seals" with new after market "junk oil seals". I say "New junk oil seals" because thats what they are most new parts are junk but we do what we can with what we have.

The drawing will help me tell the story I am about ready to tell. It is a drawing of the top of what is called a DOHC Engine or duel over head cam engine. The long rod type things you see are are call cam shafts at the "gear side" of each shaft is an oil seal that keeps oil from leaking out around the shaft.
So now the story:
A regular customer came in yesterday and has had a bad oil leak for some time now and wanted to go ahead and get it fixed. So we started to get into things pulled the front cover off the motor and saw that one of the cam shaft seals was leaking. The other one WAS NOT. Now the question I ordered both new seals but the one seals is dry as can be. So the tech and I are stuck we are right there do you replace not only the seal that is leaking but the one that is not as well. Now before you answer that question there is about 6.5 hours needed to get where these seals are. And I have to tell you given the miles that are on this vehicle if I could count on the new seal not leaking we would replace both of them no question. (even the one that is not leaking because of age) The school of thought used to be why have the customer pay the labor twice do them both while you are there. If we go back together with out replacing one 3 months from now they will have a new oil leak and it would be the other old seal that did not get replaced.

Anyway as I was writing this I let the tech make up his own mind as to if he wanted to go ahead and replace both seals or not. And he made the choice to replace them both at the same time. Lets just hope that the new seals are as good as the old ones.

I hope everyone has a good Friday Enjoy the weekend!

~Dan