Did the Mechanic Tell Me the Truth?

[EclecticFortune]

I have a 96' Pathfinder we took in to a shop to have the leaking water pump replaced. Later I noticed small drips of oil in the driveway, but figured it's just the 140,000 miles on the engine. 2 years Later as the oil spot in the driveway became 6" in diameter, I crawled under to have a look. I removed the plastic shield and noticed that the mechanic who changed the water pump must have tried to pry off the thin metal plate that covers the surface of the oil pump without removing the bottom bolt. The lowest point of the oil pump is broken off and slightly rubbing on the crankshaft pulley. The fact that the front plate is bowed indicates to me that the mechanic tried to pry it off without removing the bottom bolt. The mechanic also left out a bolt elsewhere on this same plate. Not confidence building.

I took the car back and they told me that the thin front cover is only to keep out dust, the actual oil leak is coming from the front main bearing seal. They wanted to charge me to replace the oil pump they broke as well as retail for the entire repair. Upwards of $1500!

Have any of you replaced a water pump on a 96' or comparable, and do you know if the mechanic is telling the truth about the origin of the oil leak?

Thanks