1999 V70R big oil leak

[britten_mark]

Dear all. My father in law has had an oil leak for a few years on his 2.4 R. he had it inspected by a trusted mechanic who does a lot of his other stuff, and he reckoned it couldn't be done without the engine being removed from the car. As he declined to do the job I assume he wasn't fishing for work!

I have not seen it myself but FIL reckons its on a horizontal joint that runs around the engine, and you can actually see tiny bubbles. Its nothing to do with the turbo. What do you think it could be? How many horizontal gaskets are there, surely only the head and the sump?

His solution for the past X years is an undertray lined with absorbant spill pads which he changes twice a year! He is looking to move the car on, so this is bound to restrict the number of people interested in it. Actually I used to own the car myself many years ago and would quite fancy it back, but I just did an engine out job on my other car last year and don't think I have the energy left for round 2!

Can anyone advise without pics or should I get my pit helmet and davy lamp?

[claymore]

There is a sandwich plate between the block and sump, there is no gasket between them but it has Volvo pink sealant, and yes it's a engine out, sump off and sandwich plate off.

[britten_mark]

Thanks very, very much. Oh dear. So looking at that with the engine upside down, can the plate come off without disturbing anything except the crank seals?

And I hate to say it (as this is what turned my last engine out job into an epic), but.............is there anything else best done at the same time with this level of access? For the record the car is 80k miles with no other known issues.