Oil Leaks from Front and Rear Crankshaft Seals
Symptoms
Persistent weeping or pooling of oil beneath the engine, especially at the front timing cover or rear main seal area. You'll see oil misting onto the bellhousing or dripping from the sump.
Cause
Age. The original rope-type rear main seal and lip seals up front harden and lose elasticity after decades. Heat cycling and long service intervals accelerate deterioration.
Fix
Front seal: straightforward when doing the timing belt, pull the crank pulley, pry out the old seal, tap in a new one (lip facing inward), reassemble.
Rear main: gearbox-out job.
On early B18/B20 engines, a rope seal is shimmed into the block and cap; later B20s use a lip seal.
Use OEM Volvo seals or quality aftermarket (Elring, Reinz).
While you're in there, replace the sump gasket and cork end seals, they're cheap insurance.
Torque sump bolts progressively to avoid distortion.
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