Our 2002 PT Cruiser has 169K miles on it plus maybe 60k being towed behind our RV. It has oil leaking from the right rear corner of the cylinder head and from a exhaust camshaft seal. I replaced the cylinder head in May 2022. A local shop gave me an estimate of $3800 to do the labor and parts. They want $349 for the water pump.and $264 to recharge the AC. I am capable of doing the work myself, but at 77 not my first choice. They want to sent the head out to be resurfaced. They did not know when I had replaced it. Can I pull the head and install new gaskets and seals and have a good chance of curing the leak? Is there anything I can do to stop the leak without disassembly? Appreciate all help.

 

I replaced the head bolts in 2022. Should I do it again?

 

is it coming from the head or from the cam seal getting down to the head gasket area?

 

You might try one of the oil stop leak products, $30 versus $3800 is worth a shot in my book. I have used Bar's Leaks OS-1.

Certain oil leak is from the head gasket? I would suspect the oil pressure sender and valve cover gasket before the head gasket.

Why was the cylinder head previously replaced? Timing belt should be replaced every 100,000 miles and the water pump replaced as a matter of convenience. If the timing belt and water pump were replaced in 2022 I see no need to replace now.

My opinion, $3800 is very high. Suggest getting a second opinion. A few years back, had the timing belt and water pump replaced, head pulled and resurfaced (overheated) and shop refreshed the head with seals and valve guides. Total was $1500 back then. $350 for the water pump is outrageous (does this include labor?) because a Mopar water pump is under $150 MSRP, the gold standard in my book.