1998 V70 NA RMS rear main seal - pull engine? Anything else while there?

[Andrew Vanis]

Yes your PCV is blocked. Clean the system, and while you have a bit more room, clean as much dirt and old oil off the block and then once reassembled, run and monitor for new leaks.

Neil.

Are you saying clean it before pulling engine?

Iirc it's involved and time consuming with engine in car.

What are the best instructions for a in-car PCV clean?

How much more time/effort is it to pull engine than just PCV cleaning?......I'd hate to do a difficult in-car PCV clean and then have to take out the engine anyway especially if the PCV clean is way easier with the engine out.

Thanks

[erikv11]

Servicing the PCV is a hassle but still much less effort doing in-car than puling the engine and doing it out of car.

PCV involves removing the intake manifold and fuel rail, then it's a breeze on an NA. Basically you take a bunch of things off, then put them back on. Great way to learn the engine bay and great opportunity to replace all the old, crumbling vacuum lines in there and clean the throttle body. Don't install any cheap, rubber aftermarket parts. The plastic oil trap can almost always just be cleaned out but you won't know until you pull it. You can also save money on the PCV tube under the manifold, search the forum for DIY solutions but do NOT use generic heater hose, use an oil-rated hose of some kind.

Pulling the engine is simpler but takes longer to remove, then you still have to take it all apart and reassemble it.

You asked somewhere how to know if it's cam seals: people are talking about the rear cam seals here. The best way to check them is by inspection of the area, so you want to first clean those areas and then see if new oil accumulates. On an NA those areas a free and easily accessible so you can also just pull the distributor cap and metal mounting plate and look underneath it for oil at the intake cam's rear seal; you can do the same with the cam sensor and mounting plate underneath it for the exhaust cam's rear seal. Be sure to pay attention to the orientation of those metal mounting plates, they can be put back incorrectly in which case the car won't run.

If you are skilled like Sveedy or have a lot of time and space then just go for it, replace the RMS and be done with it. For me, I'd only replace the RMS by pulling the engine which I would consider a last resort so I think that in your shoes my course of action would be

1 do PCV service
2 check rear cam seals in the process, probably just replace them because they are cheap and easy (Corteco or Volvo brand only)
3 put it together then run a bottle of AT-205 as preventive
4 watch it for a couple weeks see if the leak is better, worse or unchanged.
5 prepare mentally to do the RMS, you're right that it is probably a problem but replacing it can be avoided or put off by fixing the PCV.

Robert's video is probably a good guide for PCV service, I haven't watched it but here is the link, although it is for a turbo car so yours will be an easier and simpler job. Although he may miss a detail or two in these videos he has a ton of experience and completely understands what needs to be done:

[Sveedy]

The PCV repair is not a big job. Lots of videos and write-ups. You just have to remove the intake manifold. You'd have it done in half a day, even on your first time doing it. Not really any easier with the engine out. With the intake manifold out of the way, you'll get a better feel for what's involved with removing the engine, if you end up having to do that. R&R the engine, on the other hand, is quite a bit more work.
I wouldn't do that unless I was planning on having engine work done while it was out.

[Andrew Vanis]

Doing the PCV, if y'all have anything to add to it I created this separate topic on this procedure

viewtopic.php?t=104868

Also, learned about the 70k timing belt thing, that's more added to the list (forehead slap)

If there is anything else, please let me know.

Thanks for all the comments and advice. Really helpful.

[Andrew Vanis]

Also did a compression test before PCV since Robert in the video suggests doing that to the it isn't blow by or something.

The numbers look decent

Volvo
1 185
2 185
3 182
4 180
5 178

[Clemens]

After the PCV cleanup routine, get a bottle of atp 205. It stopped my TMS leak permanently. I only replaced it years later when we had the tranny out for a manual swap.
Also, stay away from all 0W-40 or 0W-30 oils, they will cause leakage. These engines were designed for 10W-40.
I have 3 Volvo 850ies that started leaking once I switched them to 0W-40 and almost stopped when going back to 10W-40

[Andrew Vanis]

How long, or how to faster, determine if the PCV fix is enough for the RMS leak?

So successfully completed the PCV service yesterday (post link above). Power washed the underside after. These drips showed up this morning after driving a total of 30? Miles yesterday. The freshly oil coated area goes past the second cross member.

Wondering if it might be leftover oil (I don't think so) or what the chances are that atp 205 as suggested above or something could seal the leak.

I'm leaving in 4 days to deliver this car to my kid so would like to do what is doable before leaving.

Thanks

[jmartin919]

In that second picture, the middle bolt of the three on the left is right beside the small opening where the RMS will leak oil out.

[Andrew Vanis]

In that second picture, the middle bolt of the three on the left is right beside the small opening where the RMS will leak oil out.

If that's the case, it's interesting that that area is relatively dry and most of the oil is on the ridge that the motor mount attaches to. That the ridge is in front of hole also makes one wonder how the oil is getting forward.

download/file.php?id=89026&mode=view

[scot850]

If you are getting just a lite drip from that area, it could either be RMS or rear cam seals leaking down.

Just to check, you are not getting any oil leaks at the top of the engine at the spark plug area? Sometimes when the oil filler cap gasket leaks into this area, it eventually drains to the back where there is a drain that leaks out down the back.

If it is possibly the first 2, then I would throw in a bottle of AP-205 or Blue Devil seal conditioner and take the car for a good run. In our case it was Reno to north of Sacaramento. Most of this was done at highway speeds.

Bottom line, a good steady long run. Mileage I would suggest trying 50-100 miles and see how it goes.

Don't throw the seal conditioner in until you are ready to set off.

Good Luck!

Neil.