I purchased my 1993 850 GLT around December and have basically gone over the entire car this winter. I've put less than 200 miles on the car and now when I am ready to drive it there seems to have developed a major leak that is dripping at the end of the oil pan where it meets the bellhousing. I put synthetic in the car which is probably a first for this car at 122,000 miles. I suspect that it is the rear main seal. Is there any other source of leaks that I should look for that end up dripping from the same area before I pull the trans?

Has anyone elso pulled their auomatic and replaced their own seal? Any tips? I have another car so I can afford the time to take it apart but have never pulled a front wheel drive tranny. Anything else that should be fixed while the transmission is out?

Thanks for any advice

One thing everyone is failing to mention here is the Turbo and the return line seal. This problem can look like a rear main seal leak at first inspection. It is a common area of leakage in the 850...much more so than the rear main seal. If this is the case for your car, oil type is not really a factor.

In the States, most repairs for rear main seal are around $1200. The repair cost for the retrun line seal on the turbo is around $150. Big difference.

Get the problem diagnosed accurately before you bother to rip out the transaxle. Not a fun job. On a scale of 1 - 10 with 1 being bone-dry and 10 being oil pouring out the pan, a turbo return line seal leak is about a 3 - 4...something to keep an eye on but don't lose sleep over it right away.

Regards,

Black Adder

Jeff,

My wife's 95 850 NA wagon developed an oil leak at about 60K miles after my second oil change with synthetic. I changed the flame trap which did not help. I drained the oil and went back to dino 10w30 Valvoline and the oil leak at the rear seal immediately stopped. I know that many posts say that synthetic in an older engine matters not. So this is just a FWIW. I still use synthetic in my 98 S70 with no problems.

Steve

Steve,

I use Mobil 1 synthetic oil since day 1 of my 1995 855 wagon. I have no oil leak at all.

Ching-Ho Cheng

Hi Jeff,

I replaced the R.M.S. in my '93 just about 5 weeks ago. I'll assume your pretty good around cars, so here goes. I took the engine/transaxle out the top. It was easier than dropping the subframe for me. The hood doesn't have to be removed. Of course you'll need a good hoist to pull the engine/transaxle out. Tall and sturdy jackstands are a must. There's a lot to disconnect, but as long as you work methodically, there should be no problems. I borrowed a seal installation tool from an Indie mechanic/friend. It's nessesary to make sure the seal is installed properly. (wouldn't want it to leak again!) Use a sealant on the bolts that attach the "flywheel" to the crankshaft (not loc-tite) and loc-tite the flywheel to torque converter bolts. The axles, at least the driver's side one, was a bitch to pop out of the transaxle. I used a large chisel-like tool and banged it with a large hammer from underneath to initially pop the axle free of the transaxle, then it just pulls right out. I had a pair of factory plugs to install into the transaxle to keep the diff. aligned & stop excess leaking. Be gentle on the axle boots and don't pull 'em by the shafts. You won't have to remove the axle nuts from the spindles, but will have to disconnect the ball joint studs, a screw type tool is best here.

I replaced all the radiator and heater hoses, as well as the axle seals and exhaust gasket (donut) while the engine was out. Also I had to take the whole fuel rail out of the intake manifold because there was no way for me to disconnect the feed line to it. It's no big deal, though, and it's safely out of the way.

It took me, with help from my son and brother, about 20 hours over 3 days to get the job done. What a great feeling when I turned the key and she fired right up, with no problems (or leaks!) since then. If you have any more questions, feel free to e-mail me.

RussB in CT

I recall reading in these threads a while back that sometimes the introduction of synthetic oil to a higher mileage motor results in oil leaks. I think it had something to do with the better molecular structure of synthetics allowing it to get past openings that would have been clogged with dino oil. I would check the flame trap like the other poster suggested and revert back to dino oil to see if that does anything. Also, most of the posts I've seen for rear main seal costs are in the $800 range.

Have you checked the flame trap? If not, replace it. If it's clogged up, it may cause a leak.

I switched to Mobil 1 at over 160K miles after I bought the car. No oil leak so far (knock wood) but it now consumes a little bit of oil (1 quart every 3000 miles--which according to Volvo is well within spec). I don't know it has anything to do with synthetic or not.

1995 854 GLT, 182k miles

Jeff,

This is a quite common problem for the 850. I just had my 95' done at 84k. It had gotten to the point where it was going through a qt. of oil about every 700 miles and making a mess in the driveway. My local Aamco shop did the job for $400 plus parts ($40). While the trans is out, new filter and seals along with a complete flush is a must. (covered with in the total price) As Volvo uses a single rear main instead of a 2-part, it may be worth the expense to have it done at a shop. Sometimes the old seal will harden and actually "cut" a groove in the crank (high milage and/or poor oil change habits) and even a new seal will only be a temp fix. Also, the synthetic may actually hurt more then help. You may want to drive it a bit and check the consumption.