Anaerobic Seal Replacement on Camshaft Cover; 1996 Volvo 960

TarsusEndri · Post by **TarsusEndri** » 13 Nov 2010, 15:14

Hi there. I am an owner of a 1996 Volvo 960 and am seeking some advice, insight, and directions on what I should do.

I have oil leaks on the engine coming from the oil pan as well as the Camshaft Cover. I already have ordered the gasket for the oil pan and will be replacing it once the gasket arrives. My main concern revolves around the replacement of the Anaerobic Sealant on the Camshaft Cover. Here are some questions;

1. What Sealant am I to use? And where can I get this Sealant?
2. What tools do I need in order to replace the Sealant of the Camshaft Cover? Am I able to replace the sealant without disturbing the Camshafts and avoid using expensive tools?
3. What are the steps in replacing the Sealant on the Camshaft Cover?

Any help from anyone would be greatly appreciated!

danr960 · Post by **danr960** » 14 Nov 2010, 10:31

The oil pan does not have a gasket, it uses the same sealant/glue as the head top. Are you sure you have a leak at those seams? Oil can migrate and be actually from a different source. Oil filler gasket, cam seals, oil cooler orings, oil separator hoses and housing are typical leakers.

And there is no way to avoid messing with the cams, removing the head top frees up the cams. But no special tools are required, it just makes the job simpler and quicker, something a dealer would invest in if they are going to do several heads on this model.

Use the Volvo sealant/glue, it is easy to work with and is worth the extra cost, also it is orange in color and makes it easy to view when applying. Cleaning the old material off is going to be the hardest and dirtiest part of the job. It is tedious and one has to exercise great caution to not scratch the mating surfaces, so using plastic scrapers or some hard wood, I have used chop sticks. If it does look like you need to do the oil pan, that is going to be a real pain, but also order the seals for the oil pick up tube, might as well renew those while the oil pan is off.

Good luck

DanR '94 964 356,000 miles (122,000 on the new engine)

Post by **billofdurham** » 14 Nov 2010, 11:07

TarsusEndri, welcome to Matthew's Volvo Site.

The info DanR has given you is spot on. All I shall add is the part number for the Volvo seal - 1161059. Check our sponsors at the top of the forum. Their ads are links to their sites. You will get the genuine Volvo article but not the genuine Volvo price.

Bill.

TarsusEndri · Post by **TarsusEndri** » 14 Nov 2010, 14:02

I appreciate everyone's feedback.

I have brought up the subject of the so called 'oil pan gasket' with my father and, according to him, he had ordered something called a 'Gasket Kit' for the oil pan. I suspect that it is a kit with the needed gaskets for the oil lines and so forth.

I will be extremely careful when I deal with the oil pan. Are there any chemicals or solvents that can aid me in the removal of the old material that is safe and will not cause any problems? Or do have to actually have to clean the old material by hand only?

Post by **billofdurham** » 14 Nov 2010, 15:27

You could check out products like CRC Gasket Remover. However, remember the warning given by DanR - don't scratch the surface or it will never seal.

One other point about the anaerobic seal. The seal cures when it is deprived of air. Once you start to tighten the bolts you must complete the job in about 5 minutes or the surfaces will not mate correctly.

Bill.

TarsusEndri · Post by **TarsusEndri** » 10 Dec 2010, 17:47

Greetings once again.

I am seeking some more advice. I am currently in my garage at the moment working on my car (1996 Volvo 960) and have performed a thorough examination of the car. So far, I have determined that there is no leak coming from the oil pan.

I am attempting to remove the Valve Cover as I speak, but it is refusing to budge even though all of the bolts have been removed. Do I have to use something to pry it out of the engine? And also, do I have to remove the timing belt and sprockets in order to remove the Valve Cover?

danr960 · Post by **danr960** » 12 Dec 2010, 10:33

Yes, you will need to remove the timing belt to get the head top off.

The sealant is also a glue, so it can be difficult to remove the part, you can pry on the tabs provided, take care not to mar the actual sealing surface.

DanR

850TurboTurtle · Post by **850TurboTurtle** » 24 Sep 2013, 14:17

TarsusEndri wrote: I am attempting to remove the Valve Cover as I speak, but it is refusing to budge even though all of the bolts have been removed. Do I have to use something to pry it out of the engine?

To anyone who reads this in the future:

It's crucial on the 850 5 cylinder engine that you only let the valve cover tilt forward or back on the car, not to the left or right, as it comes up, because the valve springs are applying pressure to the cams, and the cams have a metal ring at the end that sticks out about 1/4" into groves cut into the head and head cover. If the cams come up unevenly left to right, it will apply large forces to the groves and can damage the head or cover.

There are pry points on the front and rear of the head and cover where you can slip in a pair of tools to pry it apart. But never put a tool anywhere else to pry, and don't pry up all the left or right side at once. Search for the tutorial by 'Tracys soaps' for great detailed instructions.

Don't know if this applies to 960s, but thought it was worth a warning to any 5 cyl owners who read this.

Ethan Rode · Post by **Ethan Rode** » 28 Oct 2013, 03:37

850TurboTurtle wrote:
Don't know if this applies to 960s, but thought it was worth a warning to any 5 cyl owners who read this.

This information also pertinent for the 960