Wish you lived closer to st. louis, I'd gladly swap some detailing for a rear main and oil pan gasket change. I've done my 84 and my 86 this year with great success. Keep in mind, even with using the neoprene rear main, your still going to have a drip every few days. From what I've read on gnttype.net, our block is just a bad design when it comes to rear main seals.
I'd encourage you to be a little more adventureous and get out the wrenches and start getting your hands dirty. Theres a write up on gnttype on how to do the rear main from start to finish, and theres really nothing to difficult about it. I was able to do mine without pulling the starter, and only had to pull the crossover tube and unhook the transmission lines at the transmission.
Something else you'll be able to do is pull your oil pickup tube since its right there, and you can give it a good inspection and see all the junk thats stuck to the screen. My 86 was so plugged up with gasket material and sludge that I would only assume that it had been picking up with just the bypass. If you don't have a parts washer, your wife will be thrilled to death and more than happy to let you use the kitchen sink, some dish soap, and her toothbrush to clean the oil pickup screen. (remember to use new gasket when reinstalling it, and use a mild # of loctite on the 2 bolts to make sure they don't ever back out on their own, if they back out, your engine will be running with no oil going through it. Bad!)
Something else you can do while pan is off, its a good time to inspect main bearings, cylinder walls, and cam with a flashlight and inspection mirror.
None of the bolts that hold on the pan or the crossover tube are hard to get to if your using the right tool. Your in for some bruised knuckles if you try to do it all with the same socket and wrench. Buy tools as you need them. I've made life a whole lot easier by grinding down certain wrenches and sockets on certain jobs.
sorry for long post, I'm waiting for my flight. :frown:
