oil leak at valve cover gasket, 1998 S70

barry01 · Post by **barry01** » 18 May 2007, 21:45

Hi Guys

I noticed a oil smell while driving the other day and when I checked the engine, I noticed at the corner of valve cover gasket area was spongy and I saw oil , How hard is it to replace gasket or should I have a mechanic do it ? Thank you in advance

Barry

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 19 May 2007, 04:38

No real gasket there....Volvo uses a "roll on" liquid to seal the valve cover...and it's really not a valve cover at all...if you take that off, you're looking at a major ordeal. Make sure it's not your oil filler cap that's leaking oil down to the corners of your engine.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 19 May 2007, 04:53

Barry,

You don't have a "valve cover" per se. It is actually the top of the camshaft housing and it holds you camshafts in place. Were you to try to unbolt it, the timing belt tension would send your camshafts sailing across the garage. It isn't at all like changing the valve cover gasket on a Chevy 350 especially since there is no gasket there at all. They use a liquid gasket solution to seal the upper and lower camshaft housings on a Volvo.

This is not an area that normally leaks on our cars. Are you sure of the origin of the leak? Camshaft seal leaks are common and they are in that general area. It could also be a clogged PCV system that is forcing oil out of other areas. Try the balloon test on the dipstick. Place a small balloon over the dipstick tube and start the engine, if the balloon inflates it is time for PCV service.

...Lee

Post by **pfeener** » 19 May 2007, 06:14

Like the other guys said, it's very unlikely it's the valve cover. I would suspect the cam seals as well. Which is good news as they are relatively easy to change. I assume you noticed this oil at the rear corner of the engine? Was it on the drivers side or passenger side of the engine?

Oil tends to migrate so it's difficult to tell where it originated. I would clean it up real good and keep as eye on it to see where it's coming from.

barry01 · Post by **barry01** » 19 May 2007, 15:04

Thank you for your replies, do you know of a procedure that is posted on line for the cam seals? I looked on all Volvo sites and did not see anything. The burn smell is intermittent, I just had my oil changed , so at first I thought it was spilled oil....

Post by **pfeener** » 19 May 2007, 19:49

It could be spilled oil. Take the spark plug cover off and see if there's oil under there. As far as a cam seal procedure; which end of the engine is leaking?

pipboxer · Post by **pipboxer** » 01 Mar 2012, 07:32

I'm doing these same steps to investigate my oil issue. These guys replying are on it!!
This is going to be the same for a 1998 v70 glt turbo?
The handle for the oil dipstick broke and smoke comes from there. I need to replace filler tube with dipstick?
on the rear of engine(firewall side) smoke billowes up after warm and oil light comes on. I am removing as much stuff blocking my view and clean with some degreaser at the carwash. It seems to be mostly driver side rear of engine sir.
Ideas?

pipboxer · Post by **pipboxer** » 01 Mar 2012, 15:12

oil filler cap on way ,good call.
and looking into pcv,
waiting on dipstick in mail
this is a a sweet volvo site.