Engine-transmission gasket problems - knowledge needed

[eboland]

Aloha all:

During the last few weeks my '04 (21k miles 5sp manual) MX-5 has developed a slow oil leak which appears to be coming from dead center of the bell housing at the junction of the transmission (or gearbox) and the engine. There are no visible signs of any bottom outs or scrapes and I have never tried to "burn rubber". Before I go searching for a engine steam cleaning service and go to a new dealership ( my original dealer left the island and sold off to the local Ford dealership...I live on Maui..)where I expect to be handed, what will inevitably be, an exorbitant estimate quote for repairs. I was hoping that some of the forum members could let me know if they have had a similar problem, or if there has been any widespread occurrence of this, or similar, gasket failures. I find it hard to believe that this is a normal happening, considering the low mileage, the fairly friendly driving conditions, and the fact that I have religiously had all (plus some additional) scheduled maintenance. This coupled with a lack of abuse (no jackrabbit starts-no bottom outs etc-I preffer to push the limits of the Miata on the winding back roads where the absolutely incredible handling really shows what a fine precice piece of engineering the Miata is. It is a joy which we all share !

So if any one has prior experience with this kind of problem, I would be very gratefull for any and all thoughts or comments you might have

thanks in advance
Ed Boland