2006 S60 2.5T AWD: cam/crank seal tools?

[kcodyjr]

I'm about to have to do all the seals on my 06 S60 2.5T AWD.

I'm aware that I need to do the crank seal, front and rear cam seals, both VVT seals, and possibly oil pump cover gasket. It's blowing oil all over the place along the belt path(s).

I also know I'm going to have to treat it like a timing belt job and come in through the passenger wheel well as well as moving the coolant overflow and steering reservoirs out of the way. The harmonic balancer and probably something behind it is going to have to come off, and I do have the crank tool from doing the timing and water pump job.

And, I also know I will definitely need a cam locking tool for this.

The question is, what's the value of the seal installation tools? Do I need to push seals in to a correct depth other than bottoming it out on the next ridge? Do I really need a seal install tool at all? If so, will the universal kit suffice, or do I really need to get the job-specific tools for each Volvo engine configuration I own?

[cn90]

I wrote all the details in the thread link below.

Whatever you do, if you have > 150K miles, the Exhaust VVT will have excessive lateral play that is the root cause behind the oil leak.

The Volvo Exhaust VVT is about $250.
INA is harder to find but similar prices.

viewtopic.php?t=100439

[erikv11]

I've never bought seal tools, have used a mixture of oversize sockets, PVC pipe and wood jigs cut to size with hole saws. Almost universally the seals should be installed until flush with the outer housing.

I agree, check for play in the exhaust VVT hub. I've done one so far, did it when it started throwing codes at 184k.

[kcodyjr]

Are the rear camshaft plugs available on FCP because I'm all but guaranteed to foul it up while taking it out? Am I just supposed to replace those along with the actual seal?

[erikv11]

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... en-1397381
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... 90-1397381

[kcodyjr]

Hm. I just took the top covers off to be sure I had VVT on both cams. On closer inspection, I'm not so sure this car needs cam seals at all.

Definitely the 2000 V40 does, it throws oil all over the hood if you run it with the timing cover off. So this is all good info that I will put to use.

But it looks like the S60 is only leaking from the crankshaft. Unless there's something else that could be pissing oil out all over the engine and bottom of the car from the general area of the crankshaft?

There's an oil spit line coming across the subframe and up the radiator area that seems to align with the inside edge of the accessory belt. The timing belt seems to be dry, as does the inside of the timing/solenoid cover.

There is some oil in the general area of the solenoids, and grunging up the top of the valve cover on that side of the oil fill. I was going to pull the solenoids, clean them, and reinstall with new gaskets, and go from there as far as up top.

But the crank area is something I haven't taken apart except for doing a timing job, once.

Any guidance at all? Including profanity about how it's a good thing I looked before ordering parts?

[kcodyjr]

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... en-1397381

Yes, my question is, why?

And since I look, I don't think my car uses them. The intake rear cam is covered by the cam position sensor, and the exhaust rear cam is hidden by the top motor mount.

[cn90]

Rear cam plugs were used in early P2 years only.

[erikv11]

Are the rear camshaft plugs available on FCP because I'm all but guaranteed to foul it up while taking it out? Am I just supposed to replace those along with the actual seal?

I read your post as "are rear camshaft plugs available on FCP?"

There is way too much blind replacement recommended on this forum. "Replace cam seals because they last to 130k" and other such nonsense. Replace parts when they show signs of failure. Rear cam plugs would be way down the list if my car had them.

[kcodyjr]

There is way too much blind replacement recommended on this forum. "Replace cam seals because they last to 130k" and other such nonsense. Replace parts when they show signs of failure. Rear cam plugs would be way down the list if my car had them.

I would add, replace nearby parts while you've got it apart, when you're replacing parts because they show signs of failure.

In this case, the leak has got to be coming from the crankshaft area somehow. Trawling the internet for previous answers shows that this is probably the oil pump leaking, since the timing belt looks dry, but then again it's sat still for 4 months. Then again, the inside of the timing cover should still be nasty if there had been any leaking along the TB path.

So I'm going to go in through the passenger wheel well as though I'm doing the timing job; remove the accessory and timing belts, disassemble what's on the outside of the engine along the crankshaft, clean it up, replace all seals that are there, and put it all back in. For the time being I'll leave the cams alone, and just time it back in. I won't need cam locking tools for that.

So that means, front crank seal, and an oil pump gasket+seal kit. As far as I know.

This is on top of unexpectedly replacing the entire exhaust turbo-back, plus intake piping and turbo rebuild, while digging into a prop shaft vibration. Of course the heat shields are rotted around the bolts and I'll have to make up 5" wide washers of sheet aluminum in order to reinstall them, and with the extra issues I'll have to drive it as a FWD for a year or two before I get back in there with a new oscillation damper and drive shaft.

I don't want oil spraying back at my expensive new exhaust, shortening its life from day one.

The V40, I'm quite sure, is a whole different matter. The timing belt sprays oil like a bicycle chain that's been floating in MMO, pedaling downhill like your life depends on outrunning Chopper who's trying to sic balls.