1996 850 - d $ m n... rear seal, no - gasket!

Teddy1975 · Post by **Teddy1975** » 01 Jun 2016, 13:40

I went and picked up some more parts for my 1996 850 from my favorite indie part vendor yesterday. Spent today putting them on the car, new wiper arm for driver's side, new intake gasket for sorting out the PVC, more on that in a bit, well title of topic should say it all really. And a new torque mount for the transmission. Got an el cheapo, albeit perfect fit alternator from a generic parts vendor.

I raised the front of the car, started draining coolant to prepare for the alternator change and while the coolant emptied, I wanted to replace the torque mount... Only to find it was covered in oil. Looked closer and yep, the rear seal is bust, seemingly has been for a while. I knew the PCV was somewhat blocked and have been driving with the dipstick not fully seated to allow for the pressure to escape that way, but seemingly all for naught.

Well, I knew when I bought the car that it would be a "project" car, with on-going repairs but I didn't really foresee having to work on the engine itself. I've never done anything to an engine other than changing oil, spark plugs, and recently TB, so I'm not feeling overly confident about having to pull the head and all the other stuff to get to that darn seal. Plus, I can only work on the car in a driveway. Doesn't sound promising at all to me.

I'm going to give that indie part vendor a call tomorrow and see if he has any idea of what it would cost for one of his mechanics to replace it. I know he has an apprentice working there too, so maybe he could do it for a reduced fee.

Oh well, at least now I can change gears smoothly and the alternator puts out the correct voltage/current now.

DeathRex · Post by **DeathRex** » 01 Jun 2016, 15:16

Do you have a picture of the oil leak? I have oil all under my 1996, especially on the oil pan near the drivers side and the transmission. So far I've replaced the PCV system and I have to replace the front cam seal under the distributor cap, both were/are leaking oil.

beigg · Post by **beigg** » 01 Jun 2016, 16:42

RMS will require separating the engine and transmission while removing the flexplate. Not hard, just time consuming and messy.

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 01 Jun 2016, 21:50

When you said rear seal you meant the rear cam seal right? That would make sense near the torque mount. Anyway, of all the seals this one is the easiest to replace...just unscrew the throttle position sensor and pull the old one out...try to use something circular to push in the new seal evenly...replace the TPS and that's it! Check around on the seal...I have not have good luck with any other seal but the OEM Volvo ones...it's worth getting it at the dealer if you can't find one elsewhere...Others may steer you to another company's seal and that's fine too but there are some bad ones out there, and I have, I think found most of these as I've tried them firsthand...just can't recall which ones right off the top of my head.

Post by **scot850** » 01 Jun 2016, 22:40

I don't believe any of the seals require the cylinder head coming off. I had the dealer replace the front and rear main seals, all the cam seals, and trans and angle gear (I have a 2000 V70R AWD) and none of those had the head off to do.

Depending on if you have a manual or auto transmission the work is slightly different, but either way requires the engine and trans to be separated to replace the rear main seal.

As our friend abscate keeps telling us, only use OE (Volvo) seals or Corteco.

Wish you the best of luck,

Neil.

Post by **Clemens** » 02 Jun 2016, 00:43

As you speak of the torque mount for the trans I guess you talk about the lower one, so I assume you are talking about a rear main leak.

My advice: only use Volvo original seal, the part ain´t that expensive compared to the work involved. I wouldn´t want to do that again. Which brings me to my second Suggestion:

Read everything you can find about the RMS replacement, and if you don´t feel comfy doing, it, don´t do it. I know labor is pricey in Denmark, but´I personally judge every repair that comes up on any of my cars prior to starting. If I feel I can do it in a few days and it is not overly complicated, I do it myself. But I´d really hate to have my car taken apart in my garage or driveway, not being able to get it back together, with noone around to help (I have alot of tools, but no friends who know how to or like to wrench, so once I start wrenching, I´m on my own).
I´ll have to do my RMS sometime soon too, but I know I will have it done at my trusted indie, together with the driveshaft seals.

I´ve swapped engines and trannies before, and I know which jobs to tackle by myself and which ones to outsource. I just had the TB on my wife´s Volvo done even though it´s not really hard to do but because I just don´t have the time to do it in the next month or two and it had to be done.

Just my 2 cents

Teddy1975 · Post by **Teddy1975** » 02 Jun 2016, 03:40

Hi guys,

Sorry for not being clearer, it is the RMS, not the rear cam seal. If only it had been the latter.

Anyway, here's the best pictures I can provide at the moment as my jack and stands are at my parents.

First, the sight that met me:

Shot taken from driver's side wheel well.

And a shot from above, reaching down past the exhaust manifold:

The cam pos sensor is pretty dry I think:

Teddy1975 · Post by **Teddy1975** » 02 Jun 2016, 04:18

Crap, just found out what the RMS is, which is not what is wrong with my engine.

SO Sorry for being so confusing.

It's a gasket, but is it the head gasket or oil pan gasket or a third?

Post by **Clemens** » 02 Jun 2016, 07:19

the RMS (or rear main seal) is a Rotary shaft seal that seals the crankshaft towards the tranny. It´s called the rear because it is at the rear of the engine (that´s where the tranny is mounted) as opposed to the front seal (which is where the water pump is mounted). This is one of the uglier Jobs to do. And if this it what causes your pretty massive oil leak I´d get this sorted out soon or it will sort itself out by pouring all oil out, leaving you with an undriveable vehicle at least, possibly with a major motor damage.

Btw. you can´t see the seal, if the RMS is leaking you see it coming out of the Little hole between the tranny and the motor. Don´t try sealing up that hole!

101 · Post by **101** » 02 Jun 2016, 07:42

Teddy1975:

I would not do anything until you replace / clean your PCV system and completely clean the engine. Oil can travel around and appear to be leaking in places where it really isn't.

I chased an annoying oil leak around Elsa for several years. I thought it was a rear main seal, a rear cam seal, the head gasket, etc. since oil would move around everywhere with the wind currents under the car. I eventually found oil seeping at the joints between the block sections and the oil pan. A fresh PCV system and upgraded diameter PCV hoses (mine is a turbo), and the leaks have completely stopped.

You can also add tracer dye to the engine oil and use a blacklight to help pinpoint the exact source of the leak.