I'm pretty sure this is a cam oil seal leak, I probably didn't seat it correctly when I installed it.

1993, 240 Wagon, B23 head on B230F engine. New head and timing belt just recently done.

Parked in the driveway and noticed dripping under the car, oil. Popped the hood open to find oil coverage on left front of engine - starting above water pump (top was coated) and continuing down onto alternator, oil pressure switch and oil filters and I guess "spray" onto the cross member on that side.

I took the front of the timing belt cover off but everything looked fine on the inside. Tried to peek in between the cover and valve cover and saw some oil on camshaft. Tried watching it while running as I thought it would be a noticeable spray but didn't see anything glaringly obvious.

Camshaft seal sound about right? At least I can get this done in a day now instead of a month lol

 

could be that the cam seal slide bottom out and top of seal in......this happened to my intermediate seal....well, that is how I found the old one....

but I have had numerous oil leaks from/through the VALVE COVER GASKET....

specially where the cam bearing cap meets the cylinder head behind the cam sprocket...bottom bolt...and it runs down the exhaust, down to the water pump and oil pressure sensor....all over there...NOW I DAB A THIN COAT OF gasket maker to bot surfaces. Cyl head and Valve cover then I slap on the gasket....specially on the cam bearing cap meets the cyl head....No more leaks

IF YOU HAVE YOUR CHILTON MANUAL, THEY HAVE A PICTURE EXACTLY WHERE TO APPLY RTV SEALANT...

 

Yeah I know that spot, my Honda has the same thing and let's just say I'm not afraid of Permatex . If it was that spot on the valve cover I would be surprised, but anything is possible.

I'm also learning the hard way that the Volvo parts, although more expensive, are the way to go (you would think I would listen to people on here more lol). I used the Elring seals, looks to not be a good idea. The only other thing I can think of is that cam shaft is off somehow.

The good news is, I needed a new timing belt cover (I skipped putting a new one on in a rush to get her out of the garage) as the other is in pieces and duct taped in spots lol. So I'll pop it off, see what i can, have Volvo seals coming too, might as well, it won't hurt anything.

Since the wife was nice enough to total my Honda Accord, the 240 just got the nod to the 2nd string. The minivan, without A/C is currently her starter which she hates (that'll teach her for totaling the Honda).

 

Ok, I used some other brand of cam seal as well...and have only done two of them and the first I sold the ride so I don't know how that held up.....now I have a Russian seal..Goetze ? they feel and look really good but who knows. Let us know if it was the seal.

 

Ok, got her opened up, crank seal leaking and cam shaft seal leaking. int seal was fine.

I think the leakers were pushed too far in. They should be flush and not recessed????? The int. seal was flush and no leaky leaky.

got OE Volvo for the cam/int, Timken for the crank.

 

ok,,,that was my worry when I started changing seals as I read on a manual to pay attention to the depth of the seals...flush or 1/8th inch in. all mine were flushed and no leaks....not yet anyways.

I think your current seals would be fine and the problem was your depth...but I would go with OE all the time when cash is a plenty...

 

if you get your OE stuff from tascaparts.com or volvopartswebstore.com, they often aren't much more expensive than aftermarket junk.

 

Tascaparts.com offers parts from 84 and latter...nothing before that year

volvopartswebstore.com offers from 91 and up...unless you request older model parts I don't know.

just going from the drop down list on each website. But given that most of the 240's are from the 84 and up these sites would be a good alternative and certain parts from an 81 are interchangeable with latter 240's....we could order from other years.

 

I haven't ordered from TASCA but have ordered from the Volvo Webstore. The webstore is great for finding those ridiculously hard to find parts (like the oil feed tube I needed), only complaint was they were a bit slow on shipping and didn't really communicate.

I use FCP a lot and unfortunately I'm a "cheap" guy so when I see OEM vs. Other I tend to lean towards other purely for financial reasons (just because I'm cheap).

I got the cam/int seal OEM Volvo from FCP, I found an extra Crankshaft seal I had (I always get an extra since I'll probably screw it up). FCP didn't have the OEM crankshaft seal.

 

tasca is also slow on shipping, and minimal communications. tasca's discount tends to be a little better. several things I've ordered have gotten backordered for weeks (probably coming from Europe), volvopartswebstore (really, Volvo of Oak Hill near Chicago) handled this more gracefully than tasca.

 

Guys what about the tube from water pump to heater? I can get them from a junk yard but most of them have corrosion and if it is cheap I'd e rather buy new.

 

I'm seeing several part numbers, like for 740's with B230F, its 1332032, for B230FT up to 1991 its 3514430, and for b230FT from 1992 forward, its 3507375, that last one (what fits my car) is $40 at Tasca, $54 at a dealer. The 1332032 PN is also used on mid 80s 240s, its a few $ more.

 

Awsome...thanks for the pn numbers.