rear main seal leak-can't be fixed???

wrote in message
> '96 non turbo 5 cy glx 850glt with 130k...highly maintained..developed a
> rear main seal leak...took to mechanic...returned dry...about 300 miles
> started leaking again...returned to mechanic...same deal....3rd
> time...just back last night...appears to have oil on case spit location
> on bottom of engine....hosed off and about to drive a few
> miles....help! is this sealing a problem? i was under the impression
> that this was a "click-click" fix......you pays your $$ and it's dry for
> another 130k miles.....please enlighten me................experiences?
> suggestions? obsrvations?
>
> regards

Hi,

I bought a '96 850 non turbo in 2000 (4 years old), and almost immediately
the rear seal started leaking severely. It was fixed under warranty. The
car has done about 80,000km since without even a drop of oil showing from
the seal.

The spot you have the oil leaking from does seem to be the rear oil seal.

At the time, advice on the web seemed to indicate that '96 850's had a rear
seal problem. The mechanic who fixed mine took 3 days, and said he had to
send back 2 seals "that he didn't like". To me that suggests that maybe
there was an old one and a new improved one.

Replacement of the seal entails dropping the front sub frame to remove the
gear box from underneath and is not generally a do-it-yourself job. Not for
me anyway.

Good luck, it can be fixed properly.

regards
barry
 >> Stay informed about: rear main seal leak-can't be fixed??? 

On Mon, 24 Sep 2007 10:05:43 -0400, Stephen Henning
wrote:

>"Baz" wrote:
>
>> I bought a '96 850 non turbo in 2000 (4 years old), and almost immediately
>> the rear seal started leaking severely. It was fixed under warranty. The
>> car has done about 80,000km since without even a drop of oil showing from
>> the seal
>
>I had the same experience on my '95 850. It leaked a few drops very
>early on and the new seal, which was replaced under warranty, has served
>very well for over 130,000 miles.

I have a '97 850 and the rear engine seal leaked for some time, small
oil spot on the driveway. I had the PCVs replaced and haven't had a
problem in the last 15,000 miles. Total mileage thus far, 93,000.
 >> Stay informed about: rear main seal leak-can't be fixed??? 

"Baz" wrote:

> I bought a '96 850 non turbo in 2000 (4 years old), and almost immediately
> the rear seal started leaking severely. It was fixed under warranty. The
> car has done about 80,000km since without even a drop of oil showing from
> the seal

I had the same experience on my '95 850. It leaked a few drops very
early on and the new seal, which was replaced under warranty, has served
very well for over 130,000 miles.
--
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA, USA
Owned '67,'68,'71,'74,'79,'81,'87,'93,'95 & '01 Volvos.
The '67,'74,'79,'87,'95 and '01 through European Delivery.
http://rhodyman.net/homevo.html
 >> Stay informed about: rear main seal leak-can't be fixed???