A B737 PILOT REPORTS THAT HIS ACR'S MAINT PERFORMANCE CONCERNS HIM BECAUSE OBVIOUS ERRORS MAY INDICATE OPERATIONAL PRESSURE; STAFFING PROBLEMS; AND CUTTING CORNERS.

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WHILE PREFLTING AIRPLANE; FO NOTICED AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF OIL ON #1 ENG NACELLE. AN ENTRY WAS MADE IN THE MAINT LOG AND MAINT WAS CONTACTED. I NOTICED THERE WAS ALREADY AN ENTRY IN THE LOGBOOK FOR AN OIL LEAK ON THE #1 ENG ASSOCIATED WITH A LEAK ON THE #1 CSD. THIS HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY SIGNED OFF AND NOW IT APPEARED TO BE LEAKING AGAIN. MAINT INSPECTED THE AIRPLANE AND REQUESTED THAT WE PERFORM AN ENG RUN AT THE GATE ON THE #1 ENG SO THEY COULD DETERMINE THE SEVERITY OF THE LEAK ON THE #1 CSD. AFTER THE ENG RUN WAS COMPLETED; THE LOGBOOK WAS SIGNED OFF AND WE TAXIED TO THE RWY FOR DEP. JUST PRIOR TO REACHING THE END OF THE RWY; WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM OUR FLT ATTENDANTS INDICATING THAT A PAX SEATED IN THE MAIN CABIN NOTICED THERE WAS AN UNSECURED LATCH ON THE #1 ENG NACELLE. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE; MADE AN ENTRY IN THE MAINT LOG; AND THE LATCH WAS SECURED AND WE DEPARTED. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS EVENT OCCURRED. ACCORDING TO MY UNDERSTANDING; THE PLANE WAS FERRIED IN FROM ANOTHER ARPT AT APPROX XA30. THE PLANE WASN'T EVEN SCHEDULED TO DEPART FOR APPROX 5 HRS. IN THAT TIME FRAME; I'M VERY SURPRISED THAT MAINT DID NOT PERFORM A WALKAROUND INSPECTION ON THE AIRPLANE WHILE IT WAS ON THE GND FOR OVER 5 HRS. I'M ALSO VERY CONCERNED AS TO HOW THE LATCH ON THE #1 NACELLE WAS LEFT UNSECURED CONSIDERING THAT THE MECH WHO CAME OUT TO PERFORM THE WORK WAS WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER ONE OF OUR BETTER MECHS. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT OPERATIONAL PRESSURES AND POSSIBLY UNDERSTAFFING IN THE MAINT DEPT ARE LEADING TO US CUTTING CORNERS AND SKIPPING IMPORTANT MATTERS THAT WE SHOULD BE CATCHING. MAINT SHOULD HAVE PERFORMED A WALKAROUND INSPECTION ON THE PLANE WHILE IT WAS ON THE GND FOR OVER 5 HRS BTWN FLTS. ALSO; MORE CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN IN CLOSING AND SECURING ALL LATCHES ON ENG NACELLES AFTER PERFORMING MAINT ON AN AIRPLANE.