My 99 Legacy 2.2 sedan 30th Ed. has developed an oil leak. The dealer tells me it's the "separator plate" on the back of the engine, and it is necessary to remove the auto trans to fix this problem at a cost of $900+ (Chicago area).
The dealer mechanic was very helpful and showed me the back of a long block crate engine in the shop which shows a flat metal plate with 5 or 6 screws that fits against a machined flange and is sealed with nothing more than black RTV (or Permatex gasket maker) on the back of the engine and is located to the right & above the crankshaft.
Apparently this leakage is a common problem. The sad thing is that the only to way to fix this leak is to remove the trans. If I was going to have the tranny removed, I would probably want the rear main oil seal replaced as a preventive measure.
Has anyone had this work done before and know the usual & customary charge for this repair? Having a flat plate sealed by RTV between the engine and trans sounds like sheer engineering stupidity that results in nothing more than a boon for the dealerships and repair shops. Any additional information would be helpful.
Thanks In Advance.