This looks to be alot of work just to remove the pump, and because I am not yet retired I just may go the way you are suggesting. But I want to first take a look. I have some heavy duty experience of my own when it comes to repairing things. I was told that the pump was rebuilt, but maybe it was not machined at all, meaning they tried a repair, you know installed new parts put in the pump. This leak we have been talking about is more like a piss-trail, not seepage. Do you know if my machine has the return drain line to the tank, and if it does how much leakage..... seeage would go to the tank before going to the ground? Maybe the drain line is stopped up is what I am trying to say. If you saw the place where he had this repaired you may say that they didn't know what they were doing. Thank you so much for the manual info.