Serious front of engine oil leak '04 XC70

[regent]

Good to know; thanks

[BlackBart]

This repair more or less continues here:

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=85853

[xydki]

Leaving this cob fix for who needs it. If you have sprockets like seen above with ipd cam lock tool photo, not vvvt cam sprockets, it is possible to use a stubby screwdriver to simply push the cam seal backwards into place, [thru the sprocket holes]. My car has vvvt for exhaust, but the non vvvt for an intake, and the intake 'popped' out. I pushed the seal back in, using a careful 12 o'clock, 6 o'clock; 3 o'clock, 9 o'clock method, until it seemed to resist pushing and was evenly seated. Then i painted 'blue devil oil stop leak' on the seal with a [broken off] stubby paint brush, [Not in directions!], and left it overnight. The next day i added the same b.d. stop leak to the engine as directed, started it and idled it for two hours. I drove gingerly for a week, less so for another. Now i drive normally, and get on it here and there.
Blue devil expands 'dried out' gaskets and seals, 'rejuvenating' them. Other brands make similar stuff, but b.d. gets best reviews. I don't seem to have pcv problem, [glove test], just driving real hard on a 260k engine to blow cam seal. Good argument for using 'high mileage' motor oil as a preventative for this same and others, it has like same additives, but i think in much smaller quantity than this blue devil stuff. [I actually used 'blue devil rear main sealer', a smaller bottle of (i believe) same thing.] My car not worth the work described here. Thanks blue devil!

[abscate]

If the leak is on the non-VVT hub it isnt bad labor to remove that and replace the seal with a good new one.

You have to get the crankcase pressure down, though, or else the new seal will cause another seal to pop - usually the expensive rear main seal.

I think any decent running car is worth 4 hours of labor and a $10 seal.

[xydki]

okay. So i'm just dirt poor and generally lazy. [and a genius.] This car was a gift and i've got 5 yrs out of it. I can buy many like it cheap on c-list. I shared this for another who faces a 'make or break' decision. Btw, this all happened 3 months ago, and i do punch ii some here and there! So this is a real repair! At least so far...
I thought that this was the pcv too, but both the 'dipstick and the 'glove' test have since passed... I may still try a pressure tester, -if that's possible, -when i get a chance. I'd have been working outside in the cold, and you need a cam-locker. I take a day to change the front wheel bearing. Challenged! I will try to post if this 'do nothing' repair ever fails, guys.

[xydki]

Hey. Just stopping back after 18 months. My "Blue Devil" repair has never failed, even after 2500 miles of often hard turnpike driving last year, over a short two month period. Generally i don't drive this S70 GLT that much, just around town, but the repair has never budged. I did start to have a lot of oil leaking out of the top of the head recently, so i may have been wrong about the PCV system not causing the problem before. Maybe it was some pressure building in there, although back then the oil leaking was certainly not as apparent as it's become recently. She's got 271,085 miles on her now, should i ever return for another update. If you are ready to throw in the towel over a "popped" cam seal, consider my repair above, -although it may only work on a non-VVVT sprocket's cam seal. i'll try to leave a little note nearer to the front of this nine page post for the public out there!

[xydki]

HEY, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A "QUICK FIX" TO THE PROBLEM OF A BLOWN OUT CAM SEAL, GO TO THE VERY END OF THIS NINE PAGE POST TO HEAR MY "MIRACLE" ANSWER TO THIS PROBLEM THAT WORKED FOR ME. Only one caveat, -that it will only work on a non VVVT sprocket cam seal. Take a look, what do you have to lose?

[xydki]

oh well, i guess they'll have to read it all the way through. can't do a shout out up front in the thread...