I have a 1994 850 turbo wagon, 133K miles. When I removed the spark plug cover today to fit new plugs, I found quite a bit of motor oil around the pockets in the castings at the top of the head, and even some in the spark plug wells for cylinders two and three. Can't see any obvious source for the leak. Anyone with a similar problem?

If you spill any oil while adding oil to the engine it seeps
under the black cover and down where you found it. The other
possibility, as mentioned, is the gasket on the oil cap leaking.
They only cost a couple bucks.

Both of my 850s had a bit of oil and other crud under their covers. I cleaned the top of the head with kerosine. I wiped up the excess with a rag, then cleaned up the nooks and crannies with Q-tips.

I like kerosine or paint thinner for cleaning chores such as this because they do not evaporate too quickly.

Some solvents evaporate so fast that they actually spread the dirt and make it harder to clean.

Let me know how you clean inside the spark plug wells, as I had some trouble finding a good solution for them.
--
2 8s & 2 7s 700,000 miles total

There is nothing to worry about, unless there is a lot of oil all engines in the 5 cylinder range get this, most people never replace the sealing ring in the top of the oil filler cap and the oil blows past and into the spark plug area, always clean at services and replace sealing ring.

Fraser White
www.T5UK.com

could simply be the rubber seal on the base of the oil cap.

next guess is the oil line up there as well.

My 94 850 wagon has the same problem, mine is more serious. I have a leak between the two halves of the head. The dealer said it was from when the timing belt was changed(previous owner) and the shop(non volvo dealer) used the wrong gasget seal. The eastemate 650.00$.