I've been through three books and this lovely board (which is usually so much help) and can't find anything about manual transmission seals. Those books'll tell you all about how to tear down a transmission, but nothing about leaks.

Fair amount of thick black oil around the transmission mount, which is nice and squooshy and peel-y. I've heard tell of a rear seal and a front seal and some 4 or 5 other seals... If I knew where they were, I might be able to figure out which one/s need replacing...

thanks

Hi there,

You sure it is the trans? When mine leaks, it leaks at the OD, and the stuff is red. The black stuff that finds its way to the crossmember and mount comes from the leaky rear main seal on the motor. On my 83. Will be working on that soon.
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Art Benstein near Baltimore

"When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading." - Henny Youngman

Yeah, that's one problem. The engine rear main seal is leaking, according to the mechanic. I didn't know if that oil was just blowing all around under there, or how to tell where the leak/s are coming from.

It is a standard transmission, though, so I'm assuming it would be black oil, so can't tell that way. Maybe I should just wait 'til I have to change the clutch, do the rear main seal, and see if the oil stops collecting under there. The trans. mount is still intact, just squooshy, and isn't causing major problems (I think).

Hello. Pull the inspection/filler plug on the side of the trans and see if you are low on fluid. If you can touch fluid by sticking your small finger up to the first knuckle in the hole, it's ok (Have someone standing by to call 911 if you can't get your finger out). If not full, top it off and re-inspect a couple weeks later and see what's what. Then you will have an idea how much of the black goo on the underside of the car is trans fluid. Good luck.

Same here. Rather oil soaked. My tranny is also a standard (M46) for which the factory specifies type F automatic transmission fluid - the red stuff. But I have heard many go ahead and fill theirs with straight 30-weight oil. I think the overdrive likes the type-F, so I stick to the Volvo recommendation.
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Art Benstein near Baltimore

Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

Volvo does recommend SAE 10W/40 for use in areas where the temperature seldom drops below 14ºF. If you use synthetic engine oil, don't worry about the 14ºF lower limit. Our long gone mentor, abecrombie, even recommended motor oil.
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john

Hi John,

I remember the "Abe Crombie" Italian tune-up, or what my uncle used to say about my mother's car, "It needs to be taken up the highway and get the carbon blown out of it." Hope I haven't falsely attributed same.

Yes, I had to open up the green book to make certain I had Volvo's blessing for my M46 to bleed red. Type F or G it says. When we've had less than 10 degrees F, my M46 was in the garage. Come on spring!
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Art Benstein near Baltimore

Mistakes are the portals of discovery. -James Joyce