Decent mechanics will just renew any rubber part they come across when working on the engine if they even suspect it will be causing a leak soon. Rubber hard? Bin it. Old gaskets find a "home" in the metal they plug and if that metal changes, shifts, whatever, odds go way up it will start leaking. I never complain paying for a list of gaskets that went it. If they're in the area anyway, it would be shame to spring a leak a week later if they didn't replace a gasket.

A lot of us put off leaks until we're working the area next because it's just not worth it. Figure out how much oil you can pour in to compensate, over a period of a year or two... and it's just a very cheap alternative to add oil instead of put the hours in to fix just a leak. I have some sorb-all pellets at the ready in the garage. I have strapped a big "diaper" to the inside of the belly pan that held a huge volume of drips... until I could get around to fixing the problem. That one was the IP O-ring leak.

__________________
Cheers!
Scott McPhee

1987 300D