Is 89 740 GL rear seal job a D-I-Y job?

It has a rear seal oil leak. I have done car repair work, but not that particular job. Do you have to have a lift and a transmission jack? (I don't) Am not sure to what extent the tranny has to be removed to get to the seal. Any idea how much this repair job should cost if it is not a feasable do-it-yourself job?

Reply to
Jim Caldwell
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You have to take the gearbox off, plus the flywheel/torque converter assembly. If it's a manual transmission, this is the time to replace the clutch assembly also.

If you are confident with a spanner, know some effective swearwords, and are prepared to take your time as you learn how to do it, it is certainly possible to DIY.

You can do it from underneath with the front wheels on ramps, or use axle stands (NOT jacks) to rase the front up far enough to get under it. There are more comfortable ways to spend your time. Gearboxes are not that heavy, and can be removed safely with a small trolly jack underneath it as you pull it free from the engine. If you've been eating your crusts, it is possible to do it with arm strength alone, but lifting it back into place can be a bit of a sweat. If you have not removed a gearbox before, it can be a full day's work and possibly more. Haynes or Volvo Workshop Manual recommended.

The old seal will need to be carefully prised out, and the new one inserted. If you can't get the old one out, drill a couple of small holes in the front face of the seal and insert some self tapping screws; this will give you something to grip with pliers or vice-grips. If there is a groove worn into the crank boss, then the new one can go a little further in (or possibly less far in, depending on the position of the old seal - the seal recess is designed for this), so that it runs on a new part of the boss.

When mounting the clutch assembly back onto the flywheel you need to make sure the hole in the clutch plate is central to the hole in the flywheel before you tighten the spring plate, so that the gearbox shaft can slide into it. There are special alignment tools (cheap from any motor accessory shop) to help with this, but I've never found them to be very successful and prefer to do it by eye and feel. Because of the accuracy needed here, getting the gearbox back on can often be the trickiest part of the job; take your time getting this alignment right.

Reply to
Stewart Hargrav

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