I've been getting set up to change my timing belt on my 1988 244DL. I decided that I would change the seals for the crank, cam and intermediate shafts while I was in there. I got the crank seal and the cam seal in ok but the intermediate shaft seal didn't quite look right and it gave me some probs sliding back to where the orig had been. As I studied it further, I saw that the little rubber lip that goes right up next to the shaft had turned inside out. I thought that I had put a little oil on it and then I thought: "hmmm, maybe I didn't." I was really tired and likely should not have been working on the car until I got some sleep.

At any rate, I don't trust it not to leak now and it's over an hour's drive to the nearest Volvo dealer for a new one. But for the life of me, I can't see how I can get it back out without destroying it. Any suggestions?

 

The outside lip is a dust seal, the inside lip keeps the oil in. A local auto parts store can get you a new one if it's destroyed. The numbers on the face of the seal are the dimensions in millimeters, so anyone should be able to get you the correct seal.
If the problem is only with the outer lip, use a pick- roll it as you rotate it around the shaft.
Test it before you let the worry soak in.
Ed

 

Well, I've had a day or so to put the project on the back shelf and when I got back to it, I realized that I had been so tired that I had forgotten to put any oil on the seal to help it slide in. I pulled the seal as gently as I could but I tweaked trying to get it right and so, I just pulled it on out and said that I wasn't going to worry with it. While I was in class today, Mom went down to Volvo of Nashville and got two more seals. When I got back, I put a coat of oil on both the intermediate and camshaft seals and they slid in as well as any I've ever done. I think it couldn't have taken more than 15 seconds for each one.

It's amazing what some sleep and a fresh mind can do for a man.