Rear Main Seal Leak 88 760

DeRail · Post by **DeRail** » 17 Aug 2008, 20:47

Hello all,

I noticed that my 88 760GLE (B280F) has developed an oil leak at the rear main seal. I had changed the oil a few months prior, but that is about it, the car has been running fine and there's no noticeable drop in oil level. I don't have the experience, garagespace to do it, or the money to pay someone to do it. I did take it into my mechanic to just take a look and he said it was the rear main seal, and if it's just a seep more than a leak, keep an eye on it but don't worry too much about it. I've been reading and its been said that the flametrap should be checked whenever there's an oil change, which I didn't know when I changed the oil last. Whereabouts is the flametrap located on the B280F? Also, am I on the right track here checking the flametrap first?

Also: When I took it in to the mechanic, he mentioned that he saw loose oil around the oilpan, not sure if it had leaked from there or came out from where it's leaking above. If the former is true, I would find it odd for multiple seals to go without some external force (i.e. excess pressure)

Thanks all
Darrell

wojeepster · Post by **wojeepster** » 18 Aug 2008, 15:32

flame trap located on top between the third and fourth intake runner. take off big hose and you will see flame trap in little plasic holder that is easy to break. If it is clogged oil will come out everywhere and sometimes it even pushes the seals out.

khooper · Post by **khooper** » 20 Aug 2008, 21:25

Depending on the severity of the leak the oil level dropping in the engine

in a manual there will be engine oil leaking from the bottom of the bell housing, (there is usually a hole drilled there for specifically this reason)

In an auto (depending on variety of transmission and torque converter fitted) there will be contamination of the converter oil or the transmission oil, or again engine oil leaking from the bottom of the bell/torque converter housing
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DeRail · Post by **DeRail** » 29 Aug 2008, 21:15

Okay, had my head under the hood for 15 minutes trying to find this darned thing. Closest I found was a fitting that had three openings and it looked like this guy: http://www.ipdusa.com/uploads/images_skus/1229.jpg except the one under the hood is white

Except on my car, the bigger hole on the left had a hose connected from it to the oil cap... it's clamped on there, if I pull it off is there a good chance of that being it?

Thanks!

Post by **billofdurham** » 30 Aug 2008, 12:13

That is the flame trap nipple but it is for '83 -'87 models. The '88 - '95, which includes the 940/960, is at:
http://www.ipdusa.com/Volvo-700/Filters ... -865-4213/.

This page also gives a good diagram of how everything goes together.

Bill.

DeRail · Post by **DeRail** » 31 Aug 2008, 14:36

Okay, thanks for the more accurate diagram Bill

I'm learning

but I seem to have run into a little snag. On the ends of the breather hose, there are clamps that look like they have been crimped on, would there be any harm in cutting them off with a pair of dykes and after changing flametrap, replace them with screw clamps?

Thanks

Post by **billofdurham** » 31 Aug 2008, 15:18

pair of dykes

That common language separates us again - a pair of water retaining walls or fences?

No harm in cutting them and replacing with screw clamps.

Bill.

DeRail · Post by **DeRail** » 31 Aug 2008, 17:18

Nope, just another name for a pair of wirecutters.

Thanks for the info Bill, wasn't sure if certain clamps were required for certain pressured lines.

Will report back my findings

Darrell

DeRail · Post by **DeRail** » 03 Sep 2008, 23:09

Well, a little update:

Took off the flametrap holder, no flametrap inside, looks as if it had already been removed. The holder was fairly clean and I didn't see any blockages, but ran some carb cleaner through it anyway. Checked the hoses going to the flametrap, they all looked fine. Perhaps the seals just decided to let go from age, but unfortunately haven't the money to replace a rear seal right now.

Thanks for the help everyone

Post by **billofdurham** » 04 Sep 2008, 11:35

Thank you for the update.

no flametrap inside

That was a common thing in days gone by. People would take the PCV apart, find a clogged piece of plastic or wire ball and throw it away because they did not know what it did.

My 940 had the flame trap cleaned or replaced regularly but the rear seal still went. So long as it isn't throwing out a lot of oil it won't hurt in the short term. It's just messy.

Bill.