CVT Hell... I really don't want to play any more now...

[noo-noo]

Just removed the cover from my CVT and there's lots of oil around the secondary unit but worst on the driver's side (belts have also had it and the driver's side one even has a tooth missing!). Could any one advise whether (realisticly) this combined with the very noisy drive (not surprising given what I've just discovered) puts this in to the 'Big Scrap Yard in the sky' category?

[noo-noo]

Have found no less than 3 belt teeth stuck to the plastic cover

[macplaxton]

Could any one advise whether (realistically) this combined with the very noisy drive (not surprising given what I've just discovered) puts this in to the 'Big Scrap Yard in the sky' category?

Only puts it in the above mentioned category if a) you can't be bothered to fix it (or spend money) or b) no one else can either.

I'd find another complete unit, drop and swap. Or just find a secondary unit and drop and swap.

(I only put stuff in the "BSYitS" category much later than other folk. Either severely rusty (unless replacement model is unobtainable, or severely crash damaged.))

[noo-noo]

Your right...maybe I won't give up on it just yet. At least I have a good idea what all the noise was about. I think they must be the original 25 year old belts on it. There does still appear to be some oil inside the gearbox as well as outside, so hopefully there's no serious internal damage. Need to save up for a the new belts though. I'll have a go at fashioning a timber spacer tomorrow and try and get the old belts off and clean everything up.

[volvodspec]

drain the oil and check if there are obvious metap shavings in it, if its not too bad you can just fill it up again with 80W90. secondary allways sweats a bit, design issue.

belts sound like they need changing, they can make quite a bit of noise too if they're worn

[Hell Driver]

Please be very careful when working on the C.V.T. The secondary (diff end) pulleys are under massive pressure from springs and you could loose fingers, don't put them in places where they could get trapped, ie in the very small gap between the pulleys when they are apart. I seam to remember from my dealings with them that the pulleys can sometimes stay apart even with no belt only to slam shut with the slightest of knocks. My old C.V.T. often had quite a bit of oil about, don't assume it's a problem that caused the belt destruction, they may have been needing adjustment and run too far off the edge of the pulley causing de-lamination (belts disintegrating into layers). The belts do age and crack with use, leading to tooth loss. If you get new ones on make sure they are adjusted correctly. I used to have plenty of shinny pulley metal showing outside of the belts to allow for bedding in, and re-adjust them after a few hundred miles to maintain this and the required gap between the centre of the pullyes.

[noo-noo]

Thanks for all your help. Looks like the leak is from the oil seal between the drive shaft and gearbox. Taken it all apart and just need to find something to prise the blighter out with. Then new oil seal and gasket and hopefully all will be well again