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How can you identify a original Volvo Rear Main Seal vs an aftermarket one? 850 1996

Hello All,

I have a 1996 850 GLT wagon with a 5-speed manual. In February of 2022 with 430,000 miles, I paid to have the engine rebuilt. This past Christmas when my daughter brought the 850 wagon home for Christmas, I notice a significant amount of oil was leaking from the engine. The engine had approximately 6,0000 miles on it since it was rebuilt. I am based in CT and I had the engine rebuilt by a Volvo garage located in MA that had been recommended to me for rebuilding Volvo engines. Because I left on a family vacation on Christmas day and returned on Jan. 2 and my daughter needed to immediately take the 850 wagon back to VA, I could not make arrangements to bring the 850 wagon to the garage in MA (125 miles away) that had rebuilt the engine. Instead I had my local Volvo garage that I have dealt with for over 25 years examine the 850. My local garage confirmed the oil was from the rear main seal. It removed the RMS which appeared to be an aftermarket seal. The Volvo seal has a felt ring and the seal that was removed did not and is of all rubber construction. No where on the RMS that was removed was the "Volvo" mark displayed. The garage saved the old seal and gave it to me. I contacted the garage in MA and spoke to the owner. I told him oil leak appeared to be from an aftermarket RMS. He denied that and refused to reimburse me for the cost of the repair, saying I should have brought the car back to him. I explained my travel schedule and my fear that if I drove the 850 to his shop, the oil leak might destroy the new clutch I had installed when I had the engine rebuilt. He said up until 2014 the RMS that Volvo sold had a felt ring and thereafter it went to all rubber design and did not have anywhere written on it "Volvo". He was a 100% sure a Volvo RMS had been installed. Because of the age of the 850, most Volvo dealerships do not have a RMS on hand, but I suspect they can order one. I hope to be able to examine a Volvo RMW right out of the box soon. In the meantime, I would welcome any comments or advice with regard to what a true Volvo RMS looks like. Thank you for all who respond.

Hugh








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    How can you identify a original Volvo Rear Main Seal vs an aftermarket one? 850 1996

    why would he be upsetabout your complaint?What did he think you facbricated the leak? Pretty stupid response on his part.








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    How can you identify a original Volvo Rear Main Seal vs an aftermarket one? 850 1996

    Hi,

    I thought I would entertain you and your post for something to do to get me out of doing something else that’s closer to actual work. (:). Sunday.

    The story you gave is very normal after having spent as much money as you have on the car.
    A totally rebuild of the power train is not very normal unless your are really enthusiastic about a car of this age. I would say that you are definitely in that category.

    I will say I detect some grumbling on this affair since and you were not expecting anything but a whole new power performance.
    It must be nice to afford the service
    I’m with on that. Because, We like what we like!

    Lot of us, that are capable, are just enthusiastic in doing our own work to save the bucks for another tool in our boxes. (:)
    Not quite as bad as to build your own house from the ground up and not use any contractors. Imagine that collection of tools.
    Yep, We all depend on others to help to provide materials and expertise.
    A supply chain is required no matter on any such complex projects.

    That person who rebuilt the engine installed the clutch was doing the same thing collecting tools for a living though.
    He relies on his supply chain and the chain itself relies on their counter parts.
    It’s even a mixed bag for the factories to build things.
    They use to say that a vehicle made on a Wednesday had a better chance of being a very very good car because everyone was there to assemble it.
    It’s the closest to the product the designers meant for the car to be.
    The thinking above is only one aspect of manufacturing. It is very small one if you consider all the other components are made on days based throughout the months prior. The vendors are faced with their own issues.
    So the mid week or WEDNESDAY builds is just nonsense, unless it’s Chevrolet. I saw interior trim and screws laying in the back ends of station wagons, on dealer lots, of the mid seventies and eighties.
    The Japanese take over was an easygoing affair through later years.
    It is a global game now.

    As far as that engine rebuilder goes, he purchased a total engine rebuild kit and /or at least one two other kits to be combined. Maybe hobbled together these days.
    Its probably goes to say with what was available to the best of his ability.
    He has built up a reputation, that you followed, by doing something right. An oil seal only, that’s good!

    I would suspect you have slighted his ego some but at the same time, you have made him a better mechanic. He will check more closely over his supply chains for the future.

    I have used a few seals and kits and found them to be hobbled as well.
    I personally have gotten a RMS seal by name brand Elring.
    It was sold as a replacement, probably in a set but it was one millimeter too large on the Inside Diameter for the 240 crankshafts. It was a flub up, for a nicer word, inside Elring’s kits.
    I still have it if I ever have a need to sleeve up that diameter on a crankshaft because of a wear groove.
    Usually you can shift the seal back as a standard practice to find a smooth spot.
    This sizing issue or a groove may have happened to your rebuilder.
    You had a lot of miles on that engine.

    You know how it happens in the movie with Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump!
    S… Happens.
    Life is a box of chocolates too!
    You never know what you’re gonna get inside.


    240s crankshafts have a American dimension that’s within .002 of an inch of the Millimeter dimension.
    Planetary bodies have been missed using conversion tables.
    I can get one with Timken’s numbers. IT’s an orangish or brown silicone like a Volvo for 30%+ less.
    You can get Volvo or a SKF one made by National Seal (formally Chicago Rawhide) now, partially owned or by now, completely by SKF. SH.

    I have only 240 series cars so I cannot help you with a description of what oil seal should be in that car.
    Oil seals are made to fit certain size shafts and into a housing.
    Inside diameters and outside diameter dictate the size.
    You can buy seals only with this criteria up front.
    Other features are base on temperature, type of fluids, speed of rotating members and so forth.
    From there a desperate designer has to justify to bean counters any other specialties.
    A felt one is an unusual prospect with today’s synthetic materials and several labyrinth technologies being incorporated.

    In the early seventies, yes there was “A” felt and they were literally called “rope” seals.
    Very similar to steam valve packing under a bonnet nut except they are impregnated with graphites.
    Back in those days, as soon as a warranty of 12,000 miles long or one year. Well not that bad.
    I sincerely doubt you had anything like that, even if the engine was designed by the Porsche manufacturer of Germany “specialized” tricks.
    Harley Davidson learned a lesson from those boys about their now defunct “V-Rod model” motorcycle engine.


    Glad you and everyone else seems to like the five cylinders as there are lots of three cylinder engines still motivating in Britain Coopers.

    Odd is even anymore?

    Phil








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      How can you identify a original Volvo Rear Main Seal vs an aftermarket one? 850 1996

      Phil,

      Thank you for you detailed reply. I apologize for taking so long to recognize and respond to it. The latest chapter is the garage that rebuilt the engine sued the wrong RMS. I confirmed that without doubt. I don't know what the final chapter will be, but I haven't given up.

      Hugh







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