Change front crankshaft seal

Hi No Name, The most likely place of the leakage on your car is the front crankshaft oil seal. The oil pan (sump) is fitted with silicon from a tube as the gasket. It rarely leaks unless someone has broken the seal, which is difficult and usually needs a special tool for removal. To replace it you'll need to disconnect the battery, remove the PK (Serpentine) belt and the power steering pump belt and the front engine mounting (Front of the engine but fitted onto the side of the body) Next remove the crank shaft pulley, (a difficult part of the job, made easier if the starter motor is removed and a dog tooth tool is bolted into the most suitable starter motor attachment bolt holes, the dog tooth is used to lock the flywheel while removing the crankshaft bolt holding the pulley (which is torqued to 76 nm when re-fitting. Use a puller to remove the pulley from the crankshaft and then remove the ten mm bolts holding the two parts of the timing belt cover. Set the engine to T.D.C (Top Dead Center) and look for the match marks for re-timing the engine when refitting the timing belt. Once alignment has been achieved release the bolt holding the tensioner bearing and push it all the way open, releasing all tension from the timing belt and remove the timing belt. The oil seal can now be removed from its housing. Fit a replacement oil seal smearing a light coating of grease on the seal lip. Press evenly into place, making sure of an even flush fit. Replace the timing belt with a new belt, Re-align the belt so that the match marks align precisely to those on the gears by fitting and adjusting on the straight side of the belt. Once correctly fitted, gently release the tensioner bearing until it comes into full contact with the belt and hand tighten the fixing bolt and then loosen half one turn. Remove the dog tooth tool. Screw in the crankshaft pulley bolt and apply enough force to take up slack and tighten the tensioner. Remove the crankshaft bolt and then reassemble opposite to disassembly. Remember to refit the dog tooth for re-tightening the crankshaft bolt.

You need to be pretty skilled to do this job. First you need a diagram of all the timing marks for the front of the engine. You start disconnecting the battery. Remove serpentine belt and tensioner. Remove any brackets or mounts then the front engine covers. With a socket rotate the crankshaft pulley to TDC. Un tension the timing belt and remove. With a cam holder tool loosen the cam pulley retaining bolt. Remove the pulley and seal. Clean the pulley and cam surface and install the new seal. Line up all the marks and reinstall the timing belt. Rotate the engine and recheck the timing marks. Reassemble.

Disconnect battery, remove breather box, disconnect wires to alternator. If it has coil packs, remove them. Remove valve cover. Remove power steering pump( don't unhook the hoses) lay it to the side. Loosen alternator. You may need to rent a special tool to remove crankshaft pulley. Unplug cam sensor, remove timing cover. remove #1 spark plug, turn crank by hand until you find TDC compression stroke (notice timing marks on cam and crank pulleys). loosen bolt on timing belt tensioner and remove timing belt. Remove cam pulley and replace cam seal, while you're at it you may as well change the crank seal too. Reinstall everything in reverse order.After you get it back together, you'll have to recode your radio, if it is equipped with anti theft. If you're lucky, this is about a 6 hour job.

oil seal failure is the main killer of rubber timing belts . Oil can come from the crankshaft seal --the cam shaft seal/s and the hydraulic belt adjuster.. So if you have the front off and am replacing the timing belt then it is fools economy not to replace the seals and any idler pulleys at the same time.

harmonic balancer out there is sensor.

yes, I just changed one of these recently. Had to take both front and bottom off engine. Very difficult repair, as there are no good jack points for the engine when you have all the motor mounts off.
Here is procedure I would recommend.
Remove starter and engine to transmission brackets front and back.
Remove transmission starter gear cover.
drain oil and remove oil pan.
put a block under the crankshaft and jack to release weight on motor mount.
remove front motor mount (by serpentine belt)
remove belt.
remove compressor and bracket.
remove crank pulley and vib damper.
remove timing cover. mark timing belt with direction of travel
loosen tensioner gear.
remove timing belt.
remove crankshaft timing gear and key.
remove seal and oil pump housing.
clean gasket surfaces.
replace seal and reverse procedure.

If you have questions, let me know.

Timing Chain, Sprockets, Front Cover and Seal REMOVAL & INSTALLATION 2.5L and 4.0L Engines

1. Before servicing the vehicle, refer to the precautions in the beginning of this section.
2. Remove or disconnect the following:
   • Negative battery cable
   • Accessory drive belt
   • Cooling fan and shroud
   • Crankshaft damper
   • Front crankshaft seal
   • Accessory brackets
   • Front cover
   • Oil slinger
3. Rotate the crankshaft so that the timing marks are aligned. Fig. 1: Timing chain alignment marks — 2.5L and 4.0L engines
   
   
4. Remove the timing chain and sprockets. To install:
   
5. For 2.5L engines, turn the timing chain tensioner lever to the unlock (down) position. Pull the tensioner block toward the tensioner lever to compress the spring. Hold the block and turn the tensioner lever to the lock (up) position. Fig. 2: Timing chain tensioner — 2.5L engines
   
   
6. Install the timing chain and sprockets with the timing marks aligned. Tighten the camshaft sprocket bolt to 80 ft. lbs. (108 Nm) for 2.5L engines or to 50 ft. lbs. (68 Nm) for 4.0L engines.
7. For 2.5L engines, release the timing chain tensioner.
8. Install or connect the following:
   • Oil slinger
   • New front crankshaft seal to the front cover
   • Front cover, using a new gasket
   • Timing Case Cover Alignment and Seal Installation Tool 6139 in the crankshaft opening to center the front cover Fig. 3: Timing Case Cover Alignment and Seal Installation Tool 6139 — 2.5L and 4.0L engines
     
   
   
9. Tighten the front cover bolts as follows:
   1. Step 1: Cover-to-block 1⁄4 inch bolts to 60 inch lbs. (7 Nm)
   2. Step 2: Cover-to-block 5⁄16 inch bolts to 16 ft. lbs. (22 Nm)
   3. Step 3: Oil pan-to-cover 1⁄4 inch bolts to 85 inch lbs. (9.5 Nm)
   4. Step 4: Oil pan-to-cover 5⁄16 inch bolts to 11 ft. lbs. (15 Nm)
10. Install or connect the following:
    • Accessory brackets
    • Crankshaft damper. Tighten the bolt to 80 ft. lbs. (108 Nm).
    • Cooling fan and shroud
    • Accessory drive belt
    • Negative battery cable
11. Start the engine and check for leaks.

If you haven't had the timing belt replace (60,000 miles is the suggested service intervale) this is an overlap of having the timing belt replaced.
If the timing belt is not due for replacement and its the cam shaft seal that is leaking. Its a pretty easy fix. Remove the top timing belt cover , and the crankshaft sensor wiring you may have to remove the front engine mount . Set #1 piston at TDC, Loosen tensioner w/ spring slip off belt. **Remove sprocket pull out old seal with a sharp pick. Greese and install new seal make sure its flush with its bore . Reistall sprocket. Slide belt over Cam sprocket tighten tensioner. Install cover and mount (if applicable) Check timing marks by turning crank two revolutions.
** If CamSprocket Bolt is difficult to remove then remove valve cover and use a 21mm wrench to hold the Camshaft while you crack off Cam Sprocket Bolt.
You will see the groves on the Camshaft where you can place a wrench to hold the shaft.
After you replaced the seal replace the valve cover gasket ONLY IF YOU HAD TO REMOVE THE COVER TO HOLD THE CAM WHILE REMOVING ITS BOLT.

This is about as major as it gets.

Replacement is at 60k.
Replace the following items:
Water pump, thermostat and gasket, all radiator and heater hoses,camshaft seal, crankshaft seal, oil pump sprocket seal( Right under sprocket) timing belt, two tensioners, spring(optional check its length) and valve cover gasket.
Depending on last tune up good time for wires and plugs and fuel filter.
getting TDC is easy on this bird . Hint: once you gotTDC off crank and Cam (little check hole on Cam sprocket must line up with indentation on face of Cam seal holder) Paint it white for easy installiation later.
Hint: remove harmonic balancer with a steering wheel puller use same puller for crank shaft sprocket.
Puller has two bolts that screw into both items and one center screw in type anvil . Don't even attempt to remove these with a rubber mallet or pry bar. These pulleys sit on two seperate woodruff keys.You'll be there forever. Don't forget to remove the front engine mount and place a block of wood on jack TOO LIGHTLY LIFT WEIGHT OF ENGONE OFF OF BOLTS SO YOU CAN UNSCREW THEM. Two pumps of the jack should do it.Double check all new items with old ones MAKE SURE THEY ARE IDENTICAL ESPECIALLY TENSIONERS.
PRIOR TO REMOVING TIMING BELT COVERS REMOVE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR WIRING.

Your info is confusing. The rear cam seal is not inside the timing belt cover, and the crank seal is at the bottom of the engine, while the cam seal is at the top.

Is there oil at the top, around the cam seal? Or just at the bottom? It's common for the oil pump seal to leak. If you get the oil pump reseal kit, it contains the oil pump seal and gasket, as well as the crankshaft seal. Make sure you seal the oil pump bolts, Volvo has special copper washers for this purpose.

Just try to locate the oil leak before replacing any more parts. Sometimes it can be something simple like the oil cap seal or the oil trap housing.


Bret
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