Hey Everyone,

She's been leaving her spot in the driveway for the past year, and I'm finally getting around to doing something about it. Maybe enough clues are available in these pics to pinpoint the source. Additional words are below each pic.


It seems to be originating from the front of the engine block. This pic is taken from the passenger wheel well pointing up at the water pump area. I'm thinking one of the forward seals (crank, cam, or intermediate).

Here is a closer look. Plenty of oily gunk on the bottom engine cover just below this area too.

The oil follows gravity and drops to the ground here from the engine brace.

A little oil sprays rearward probably while driving, but nothing looks too bad from back here.

This pic is the water pump area from above. What is that red flaking stuff?

Finally, from the driver side looking down at the block. Not much oil here - doesn't seem to make it the ground but a second source. The head gasket?

 

Funnily enough I think I have the same kind of leak. I would check the PCV box for clogging cause that can blow your seals, but I think its the front crank seal. Ive been meaning to get to it but also need timing belt done. Just my .2c

 

Well, you got a few leaks there... Take off the front t belt cover to check the front seals, that's easy enough.
You likely have a rear main seal leaking, and may be a head gasket oil leak. But first make sure your PCV system is not clogged so the excess pressure is not making things worse leaks wise... Then steam clean everything to get some fresh traces and hopefully pin point more clearly what's going on.

 

1st + 2nd pic show some evidence of antifreeze? as well as oil...

 

And the red flaky stuff is just paint coming off the coolant pipe... and, yes, likely some coolant leaks as well...
Once you clean it all you'll be better able to tell what's what...

 

Good idea, guys. That box has never been touched. I removed it. Plenty of gunk on the exterior. The inside tunnels, as far as I could see, were clear (although I've slacked on these long term maintenance issues, I never missed an oil/filter change in 21 years). I ran some degreaser through it. Also cleaned out the flame trap, the large hose to the air filter area, and the small hose to the manifold. All looked clear - I'm guessing my leaks are down to bad seals/gaskets elsewhere and not to lack of crankcase ventilation. One issue arose - the o-ring on the base of the box was not on the box when I removed it. I also looked all over the engine compartment and the ground to see if it might have fallen off during removal. Nothing. Then probed down the hole in the case to see if it might have somehow fallen in - nothing. I'll order a new o-ring. But, jeesh.

Also, my timing belt kit came with a new tensioner, and only 2 of the 3 forward seals. Ugh - why wouldn't they put that third seal in?

Finally, given the possibility of antifreeze leak. Should I just go ahead and change the water pump and gasket as a precaution? Seems that is how the dealership did it 7 years ago when the timing belt was last replaced.

 

If the water pump is not leaking, why change it? It's easy to see if it is... I am surprised that the timing belt kit includes any oil seals at all.
If you are sure that the PCV is clear then sure, address the seals/gaskets. But better wash the whole thing first, with all that oil over no telling where it's coming from.

 

Just spent the afternoon cleaning the engine. Degreaser - scouring pad - bristle brush - repeat, repeat, repeat and then wiped down with shop towels. I'll inspect it over the next few days to seek the source. The major leak is definitely in the passenger side of the engine below and just aft of the water pump and power steering pump. I'm wondering if the driver side leak is from the missing o-ring under the pvc box. I've driven it about 10 miles without the oring with no signs of leakage there. But 21 years driving 140,000 miles without that o ring may have resulted in some leakage in that area. Ordered one.

 

My engine looked like that before pulling it and doing a complete seals refresh. The oil filter standoff is a significant contributor, it requires a square sided o-ring from Volvo, same with the standoff to oil cooler. The solid return line from the underside of the turbocharger has a paper gasket that eventually fails and contributes to the mess, it terminates with another square o-ring that sets into a receiver in the block. The oil on the bell housing is from the rear main seal, you might get some dribbling from the distributor drive shaft o-ring, but IMHO it is not worth replacing. The engine dipstick has a square o-ring that also sets in a receiver in the block and there is a small o-ring at the handle end of the dipstick as well. The oil separator box has a paper gasket (easily made) and an o-ring that connects it to the return tube (in the block). The oil pan gasket cannot be replaced in situ in one piece because of the subframe crossmember; there are kits that separate into 2 (or 3?) sections.
I purchased a full engine seal kit from ipd that has every seal and more and just matched them up as I went.
I had the engine out of the car for these and all other seals, I can't imagine trying to replace them in situ.

 

Thanks for your reply (though I swallowed hard reading it). I will certainly inspect all of those points carefully over the next few weeks and hope for the best. I remove engines in my old VWs all the time, but hoisting one out of my Volvo would be a new experience - doesn't look to difficult, but I would have to buy the hoist.

The oil pictured above was the culmination of many months (or years?) of leaks. I drove the car about 20 miles this morning. Let it cool down. Then inspected every inch of it - nothing oily to report so far. Must be a small leak or a hidden leak. I'll keep at it until I find it. I've left the bottom cover off for now to help in the inspection - does that affect engine cooling?

 

No, most Volvos don't have those gravel shields in tact these days... Probably less leakage than you'd think looking at that engine bay... Good think about these cars, it's always less trouble than one expected, that's why I love them!

 

Hey lev, I've learned to appreciate your non-invasive perspective on these engines. No replacing things (even front cam seals) for the mere heck of it, or "because you are in that far anyway".

 

Right! I never replace things "just because", leave it to the professionals to do that, ($). Rule #1: Don't get hurt. Rule #2: Don't do damage. Many of the problems I see here are due to owners believing that these are simple cars so just "let's get in there and see what happens". Yes, these are relatively simple cars compared to the scammy lux boxes of today but, still, it takes knowledge and skills, and tools, etc. Also, many replacement parts today are subpar compared to the OEM factory stuff, so, don't get rid of original parts in favor of new but not as quality parts. These Red Blocks are sturdy, high quality motors and take much abuse and even then they last and last!
So if your front seals are not leaking, leave 'em alone, same goes for water pump, etc... Who wants to do unnecessary work?

 

OK. I think I have isolated the general area of the oil leak. After 20 miles of driving last night, I found fresh oil this morning on (1) one of the oil hoses just below the oil filter and (2) the lip along the rear passenger side of the oil pan. I suppose the oil on the pan lip could have blown over to the hose during driving (or vice-versa). Or I have two separate leaks.

So I might have a pan gasket to change (ugh). Do those multi-segmented gaskets work?

Regarding the oil hose, I have included a schematic of the oil filter system just below, which is new to me. Oil passes through the filter and then exits out one of the hoses to the oil cooler and then returns? I guess there are several joints along this journey that are susceptible to leaking. Any common sources to look for? I'm thinking about dusting the area with flour or baking powder to help diagnose the exact source.

 

Multi segment gaskets work, it all depends... In this case I don't think it matters as you need to drop the pan anyway to clean it properly. As far as the oil filter system, hard to say what joint is more prone to leaking; try tightening things first. The turbos I have owned leaked coolant, the small U shaped hose. The housing would be more likely to be the source rather than the pipes.

 

OK - I think I have a working hypothesis. Not 100% sure yet, but I'm thinking one leak is coming through the o-ring between the "oil filter adapter" and the "thermostat housing" (just "behind" where I screw in the oil filter). Number 4 below. A second leak might be coming from that same type o-ring between the oil filter adapter and the block - need more data on that one but it's looking suspicious. Two gaskets between the thermostat housing and the two black hoses (#16 below) also look suspect - but the oil in that seam might be falling from just above.

If the data support this theory, then I'm thinking the easiest way forward is to pull the "oil filter adapter" from the block by loosening that banjo fitting and then taking everything to the bench.

 

Not sure that the system you have on the 1993 is the same as the one on the diagram which is for 1991. There was a change around then when Volvo dropped the external cooler...
See below:
https://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-9...lerMaintenance

 

Correct! Thank you! That makes a *lot* more sense because I was unable to find on my car those #16 gaskets or the nipples. I have only clamp fittings on those hoses just as in the picture you linked.

So when I remove those two clamps and hoses from the housing, will I get a *lot* of coolant leaking out (i.e. that location is lower than the main stash of coolant causing it all to drain out), or will only a little coolant from the housing itself drain out?

 

If memory serves, not much coolant pours out.

 

Still patiently chasing down this very slow oil leak. I go out every day after the car has been driven and inspect and re-dry everything (my fingernail ends are constantly black during his - haha). The connection between the hoses and the thermostat housing are definitely one source. The nearby 0-ring just north of there appears to be fine. The hoses are plenty swollen anyway, so I'm going to go ahead and replace both of those (with pricey genuine Volvo hoses) and re-clamp. I'll change the o-ring there only if the oil drip continues in that area.

Now, for the second leak, I initially thought I sourced it at the other o-ring between the engine block and the oil filter bracket. But I'm not feeling oil in or around that round seem. The oil is *directly* below. Maybe the oil is traveling south from the o-ring. But if it does, then it's leaving no oily trail (I usually wait for the engine to cool before inspecting). Instead, the oil appears to first emerge through the fastening points that hold the engine mount bracket to the block (on the passenger side). Is this even a possibility? Can oil leak out of the studs or female screw holes or whatever is used there to allow the engine mount bracket to attach to the block? Are there a seals or o-rings there?