nebmaster Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Okay guys and gals. I'm having quite a bit of trouble with a shop right now, and it would help me a lot in my battles if I knew what these various gaskets that came in the "Special gasket set" that a shop ordered and is trying to charge me well over two hundred dollars for actually are(I know the generic o rings are not that interesting, but the other two look odd). They suppoedly came in a kit with a rear main seal and an oil pan gasket, and a rear cover gasket (no, no clarification on what "rear cover" other than it is somewhere around the back of the engine. I took my car in to have warrenty work done on the transmission, and it looks like they are trying to take me for a ride...and a rather expensive one at that. I'd love to give more details, (shop name, ect.) but I feel like this may end up having to be settled in court, and I don't want to say anything that could later jeprodize that. And thanks a lot to everyone who responds in advance. P.S. I got a little ahead of myself...the car in question is a 1996 subaru legacy with 2.2L, AWD and an automatic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 What work were you having done? Unless they were rebuilding the motor, there was no reason to buy the engine rebuild gasket kit. Where in Houston are you? What shop did you take it to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nebmaster Posted July 16, 2005 Author Share Posted July 16, 2005 I usually live in the dorms around U of H main campus, but right now I've moved back home for the summer. The shop in question is a national chain of transmission repair centers... I don't want to mention their name in case they decide to counter sue for libel or anything... but they are located on shepherd about ten to twelve blocks north of westheimer. My car was in the shop to repair a broken flex plate, which was covered under my transmission warranty. While they were replacing it, the mechanic called me and said that they were going to replace the rear cover gasket (once again, I don't know what this is) the rear main seal, and the oil pan gasket. I was not quoted a price for this, but told it would be a lot cheaper since they already had the transmission out of the vehicle. On top of this, they promised me the vehicle was ready on two separate occasions, prompting me to drive up to Houston two days in a row, and not get my vehicle back because it was not ready. (The manager actually said one time "Everything is put back together, and your car is completely ready to go, except we can't figure out how to get it to turn on...") They had somehow shorted out the starter, burned it out, and had to replace it before giving me back the vehicle. I paid him for the four hours of labor and the ridiculously overpriced gaskets, with the total coming up to over $500 (because I know arguing with him at the shop will merely result in me not getting my car back... and I currently live a long way from it.) I'm asking for an I.D. on these gaskets, because when I asked for the boxes and gaskets that he did not use, he seemed really surprised, and I suspect that he went out to the shop and just put a few clean looking gaskets in the box the oil pan gasket came in to appease me for the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 There's no reason for them to buy any sort of gasket kit to do those three things. The rear main seal is 10 bucks, tops. The rear cover they're talking about is more then likely the yellow looking thing on the right of the engine bell housing http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru/images/ej22t/DCP_3992.JPG It just takes rtv silicone to seal it. 4 bucks....tops. Oil pan is the same thing, uses rtv silicone to seal it. So to do those three things, the materials should not have exceeded $30-$40 at the VERY most. Get your car back, see exactly what it says they did on the invoice and let us know once you get it back and I can tell you if it's bogus or not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nebmaster Posted July 18, 2005 Author Share Posted July 18, 2005 Josh, Thanks for all of the help so far. The invoice reads exactly as follows. N=New, R=Reconditioned/Rebuilt, U=Used 1 n Seal Oil Pan Gasket 232.60 1 n Rear Seal and Rear Cover 0.00 4 N Labor (rr) ( 296.52 Since he told me on the phone that there were gaskets left over in the set, I asked him for them when I came to the shop. He gave me the gaskets pictured above, all in an oil soaked cardboard box. The box was for a Fel-Pro "Oil Pan Set". It had my car listed on the back, and the part number OS 30656 C. A search of the Internet revealed that this part # usually sells for no more than ten dollars. So I'm pretty sure I got ripped off. I wrote him a letter demanding a refund of the difference in cost on these parts, sent certified mail of course. I guess I'll see what happens after that. Once again, thanks to everyone in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nebmaster Posted July 18, 2005 Author Share Posted July 18, 2005 In fact, here is a picture of the box. I also find it odd that the only gasket listed on the box in this "special gasket set" is the oil pan gasket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthLight Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Wow, is this typical of suby dealership shops? I had some "oil pump seal" replaced at a suby dealership up in Kitsap County, Washington. When all was said and done I ended up paying more than $700 in parts and labor. That was last time I went to a dealership for anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avk Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 That very part, Fel-Pro oil pan gasket p/n OS30656C, sells for $4.51 at rockauto.com: http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/catalog.php?carcode=1269918&parttype=5436 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nebmaster Posted July 19, 2005 Author Share Posted July 19, 2005 thanks for the info avk...I take it by the lack of responses on the identity of the gaskets that no one has seen them before? I guess that the manager did just pick up some random gaskets he found lying around to appease me for the moment... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99obw Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 I have seen something similar to the big round gasket on fuel tanks where the sending unit/pump attaches. That doesn't mean that's where it's from, but I have certainly never seen one near the engine on a Subaru. Perhaps you should print out this thread and take it with you. These guys are dishonest and don't know what they are doing(working on cars that is, they certainly know how to steal). Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phugoid Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 Good luck with the shop! Keep us posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaureltheQueen Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 I work at an auto parts store that carries fel-pro gaskets. I can pull that and see if anyone at work can identify it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nebmaster Posted July 19, 2005 Author Share Posted July 19, 2005 Thanks for all the help so far everyone, I'll be sure to keep you posted. Hopefully they will come to their senses when they get that letter, and realize I mean buisness. If not, then I guess I'll just have to do this the hard way...Anyway, thanks again everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 I can scan you the page from the FSM that says to use RTV sealant as well. They should have no leg to stand on for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nebmaster Posted July 20, 2005 Author Share Posted July 20, 2005 Josh that would be great. If you would rather send me that page over email rather than go to the trouble of hosting it, my address is nebmaster at yahoo.com (of course substituting the "at" for @) Thanks everyone who has helped so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 I've got my own web server, so either way works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nebmaster Posted July 20, 2005 Author Share Posted July 20, 2005 Whatever is good for you...thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.