rear main seal/core plug gone

[JamesG1980]

oh dear, looks like the dreaded rear main seal and/or core plug has gone on my 04 xc90 D5. not leaking excessively at the moment i don't think - no pools of oil on the driveway but the undertray was covered and getting smallish (roughly 10cm diameter) oil spots where its dripping onto the drive.

Getting the car booked in to get this sorted but while its being done is there anything else that may be worthwhile checking/sorting while the car is stripped down so much. i think one of the engine mounts (need to check if its front or rear) is leaking vacuum as i get the popping noise from the oil filler hole as per SiRobbs youtube video so will get that done but is there anything else?

Also anyone had this work done recently? would be nice to know what kind of bill i am in for!

[gmonag]

I would check your turbo. The inlet guide vanes are probably coked up and replacing the turbo is straightforward but access is awful - it involves removing the bevel gear and prop shaft. Replacement might be worthwhile at this time if it gives access.

I would replace the vacuum pads and other engine mounts anyway.

Also consider replacing any bushes you disturb or uncover, e.g. subframe, wishbone, etc.

[JamesG1980]

thanks for the reply.

bushes are a good idea, not thought of that.

when you say vacuum pads i assume there are what i called the front and rear engine mounts? what/where are the other mounts?

re the turbo, i had the vnt de-coked/cleaned up a year ago as it was sticking but i guess its worth the garage taking a look again as it can be remedied easily if necessary.

[gmonag]

when you say vacuum pads i assume there are what i called the front and rear engine mounts?

Yes.

Others are the engine pad right (under the crankshaft pulley), torque rod lower (under the front of the engine), engine anchorage upper (on top).

[JamesG1980]

Cheers for the details on the other mounts

well I'm not having much luck finding a garage to fix this so far!

first one said 8hrs labour until i told them it was an auto at which point they said it would be 11.5 hours (cant see what difference it would make/what would take an extra 3.5hrs!?) and quoted just over £1k inc vat.

second place i tried didn't even want to quote..

So can anyone recommend a good garage in the New Forest/Christchurch/Bournemouth area?

supposed to be heading down to Devon in less than 2 weeks and need a 7 seater to fit all the family in so starting to panic a bit! this is perfect bloody timing

[Harley Dave]

There's a Volvo indie in "No Mans Land" in the NF

http://www.nomanslandgarageltd.co.uk/Prices

Haven't used them myself but I seem to remember they were mentioned on here a while ago (this could be bad or good depending...)

Cheers

Dave

[abnxc90]

It may be too late now but when I changed the core plug, it was also a good opportunity to replace the stripped collar / sleeve so that I had 4WD again. It is quite a big job, I found it easier to lift the engine rather than drop the gear-box and it took me a number of part-time days.

[volvo for ever]

hi if core plug had popped then oil would be everywhere hopes its not gone

good luck

[JamesG1980]

thought i'd post a quick update on this..

So having tried several garages in my area i was still in the situation that only one place was willing to even take on the work as mentioned above and couldnt do it before christmas so the car was left on the driveway feeling sorry for itself whilst i borrowed my dads Q7 to get by.

having got christmas out the way it was back to what to do with the XC90. As we have 2 cars and i work from home i dont really have much need for mine so the missus has been using that and i decided that as i am "well tooled" and fairly experienced through years of 'home mechanics' i'd bite the bullet and sort the XC90 out myself.

Well having finally got an entire weekend with good weather i managed to get some time to crack on (not that easy with 2 young kids and the missus working part time at weekends) and in the time i had i got it to the stage where it was just the transmission to unbolt and remove.

all went pretty well, the angle gear removal wasnt as bad as i was expecting, though a 1/4 drive 14mm socket for that notorious top bolt made it a lot easier! and i am please that the splined collar was in good condition as well so one less thing to worry about.

Along the way i have found 2 driveshaft boots need replacing due to punctures leaving a nice smattering of grease on the back of a caliper and on the subframe, and the control arm bushes have seen better days so replacing them as well. Gearbox oil was nasty when drained, almost black! and i got 4.7l out, though i guess this is due to it sitting idle for so long and the angle it was at jacked up allowed all the fluid to drain to the bottom (i know the gearbox level was fine as checked it a couple of months prior to the oil leak)

Anyway, today my dad popped over during my lunch break to give me a hand removing the transmission. its all out now, took about 40 mins to get it off and on the ground. Was quite fiddly due to the engine being twisted forward on the right hand side due to how its hanging from the support bar, and also the fact it is tilted down on the right to allow the box to pulled clear.
Annoyingly the torque convertor stayed on the flex plate when we removed the box, which left a nice little puddle of gearbox oil on the drive where it leaked out of the shaft. Not sure if this was due to the box being fettled around for clearance as it was removed, though once the box was out the convertor did need a bit of a wiggle to get off as it was quite tight in the centre hole of the flex plate so it may have just been that. i am aware of the need to ensure the convertor is fitted back in the box precisely and will also replace the torque convertor/gearbox seal now the convertor has been out.

(EDIT: inbetween writing this and posting it i read the haynes manual instructions again and realised i should have held the torque convertor in place as i removed the box! - presumably because it is quite tightly fitted in the centre of the flex plate and will stay attached if you don't)

Flywheel will be unbolted later on when i can be bothered to go out in the cold again.

so, on to a nice big order of parts now and then i can start putting it all back together when i can find some more time!

and here is a little picture of how it all looks at the moment:

[Tannaton]

Good work - I've done three gearbox changes on XC90's on my drive using basic tools as you are doing. It is possible with a pragmatic approach and a comprehensive tool kit of different types of sockets, spanners and wobble bars. However it is a long job - probably 20 hours.

One thing I would say is that you should have unbolted the torque converter from the driveplate and removed it with the gearbox. You can access the TC bolts (six in total) from a small aperture at the rear of the engine. The TC bolts are a shallow Torx head so a good idea to replace them unless they come out perfect. You may get more old oil out of the gearbox if you leave it stored bellhousing down. You will get another litre or so out of the TC if you leave it face down over night over an old bowl or similar. Then pick it up, move it around and leave again. Its surprising what will come out over time.

A word of caution - you may know this but it is really important so I will say it anyway - when you re-assemble it you must load the torque converter onto the gearbox correctly and then install the gearbox/TC together as one unit and re-bolt it to the driveplate once it is in the car. To load the torque converter to the gearbox, you pop it on to the drive shaft and then turn the TC clockwise whilst spinning it and gently pushing it towards the gearbox. When it is correctly loaded you will have heard/felt it drop on to the gearbox TWICE and the gap between the TC bolt flanges and the bell housing flange will be 13mm (1/2 inch). You might have to spin it 15-20 times to get there. You then need to make sure that the TC does not slip at all during re-assembly.

The consequence of not following the above process exactly is at best a destroyed oil pump in the gearbox and another 20 hours work. When I do it I also put an extra ratchet or two strap around the engine and beam when working under it.

Good luck! A lot of work but you have saved yourself a fortune, which you can invest in other renewals such as your wishbones etc.