1995 T5-R Brittle cam seals

Cincyken · Post by **Cincyken** » 17 May 2014, 07:16

I recently ran across and interesting problem on my T5-R.
2 years ago, i rebuilt the engine. I bought new gaskets and seals from a very reputable manufacturer (after market -not volvo). The manufacturer has been around for a long time and i have used their products for 30 years.
A couple weeks ago, i noticed spots of oil in my driveway.....leaking cam seals, passenger side.
When i removed them, they (both) came out in pieces. They were hard and brittle, bending them cause them to crack and break....not what I would expect from a two year old seal. No wonder they started leaking.
The moral of the story...On some parts it is just better to pay more for the genuine Volvo part.

Post by **erikv11** » 17 May 2014, 07:34

If these are Elring cam seals, your experience is typical. They are complete junk.

If these are SKF cam seals I am shocked and would guess you got stuck with counterfeits ... please spill the beans!

Post by **cn90** » 17 May 2014, 09:32

Use either Volvo OEM (pricey) or SKF seals (less expensive but as good).
I have used SKF seals and they last at least 100K miles.
I posted info in forum.

Cincyken · Post by **Cincyken** » 20 May 2014, 07:04

I was reluctant to "spill the beans" but you guessed it.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 20 May 2014, 07:26

Don't worry about naming names. If ScanTech, or Elring in this case, is garbage then people deserve to know it. The same thing applies to URO branded hoses.

...Lee

Post by **Ben850** » 20 May 2014, 07:48

This confirms what I had suspected about the low price of the rear main seal I had purchased. This was two years ago when I first took possession of the '93 sedan.

I had immediately figured out the clogged PCV system. Surprised that the cam seals had not failed, but of course the rear main was dripping every time I parked.

Luckily, I have not installed the Elring yet. I trust SKF for bearings and seals. The sedan has taken me through the last two winters here in Michigan and will get its pampering this summer. RMS and delta link bushings.

Cincyken · Post by **Cincyken** » 11 Sep 2014, 07:17

I forgot to mention something. I followed your advice and got on ebay to buy SKF seals. When i got them, they were indeed in genuine SKF boxes, but low and behold, guess what name was on the seals, Elring. Tricky devils. After i sent them back, i bought Timken seals. 4 months later, no leaks.

Post by **JDS60R** » 11 Sep 2014, 10:03

I have great success and durability out of VR Victor Reinz seals.

Post by **cn90** » 11 Sep 2014, 10:30

When I dd my rear cam seals a few years ago, the seal was made in Taiwan, but under SKF mfg.
https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... hp?t=50752

PS: If you buy SKF seal and found the Elring seal in the box, someone did the "bait and switch" trick...

Here is the SKF seal...

Post by **dosbricks** » 11 Sep 2014, 11:02

cn90, I'm doing this job today using your DIY printed out as a guide. Thanks for clear instructions and good pics. I bought SKF green box made-in-Taiwan from rockauto.com. They better be the real deal!