Volvo RWD 200 Forum

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M46 Overdrive Slipping ..... 200

Hello. 1986 sedan with 4 speed plus overdrive M46 tranny with nearly 200,000 miles. Today on my 60 mile trip home on a relatively flat parkway at speeds averaging 70mph in overdrive/5th gear I noticed that overdrive slipped for a second or two. This happened maybe a half dozen times over the aprox. one hour trip. At no time did green overdrive light on dash board go out. Do not have a tach so could not say what rpm went up to for few seconds and few times this happened. Have been using Redline MTL in it for a few years. Just changed it about 350 miles and 3x weeks ago. Overfilled a bit(3x quarts instead of 2 1/2). When I changed tranny fluid I checked filter. It was fine. Drain plug magnet had some metal on it but not horribly much. Could my overdrive be going ? Could my overdrive solenoid be going ? Anything that I can check and service ? Thanks much.
--
' 86 manual sedan nearly 200,000 and ' 87 auto sedan about 120,000








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Problem Solved ......... 200

Hello. Problem solved. Fortunately problem was not internal(bad OD pistons)but rather was electrical. Checked electric at solenoid. No electric to solenoid. Replaced wire going to solenoid. Problem solved. Works fine now. Guess this wire was bad. Thanks to all for your help.
--
' 86 manual sedan nearly 200,000 and ' 87 auto sedan about 120,000








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M46 Overdrive Slipping ..... 200

I would say that at 200,000 plus, time for actuating piston O-rings with upgraded pistons. Others have poined you toward the FAQ's so I'll just say take a look.

Not the solenoid but maybe an electrical connection to it. Cleaning and tightening the terminals will not hurt. Pay attention to the point of crimp. The wires like to break, the insulation does not, and flex will cause a momentary OD off situation. Feels like a slip but is actually off for a moment.

Leave your ignition on, engine off, in 4th with OD dash light on. Wiggle wires to OD. Any click of solenoid is bad wire or terminal.

And go back to either Type F ATF or if you insist upon a synthetic, a fluid that has a Type F designation. Not something for manual transmissions (gear lube).

You actually have two systems to provide lubrication for. One is metal to metal contact in the gearbox where the synthetic fluid with its ability to stay on the metal and not get squeezed out is fantastic at preventing wear.

However, in the OD, there is a fiber faced "cone clutch" for OD mode and reverse that has to contact metal to stop rotation and must not slip. To allow full contact without slipping, the fluid must be sqeezed out from between the lining and the metal. Directly opposite what is needed in the gearbox. The synthetic can actually cause or increase problems with the OD. The use of gear lube synthetics becomes more of a problem in colder climatic conditions. The more cling a synthetic fluid has the more problems.

Duane








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M46 Overdrive Slipping ..... 200

Classic symptom of the aged piston seals leaking and the pump can't keep up with the leakoff, so engagement pressure declines. I'll bet this doesn't happen until fully warmed up and fluid viscosity drops? MTL has also been my "fix in a bottle" for years now, but hot temp plus lower speeds still equals shudder and slipping - way better than with the ATF, tho'.

"OD Guru" Duane Oberg has a kit of parts and all the instructions to cure this. Check out his article in the 700/900 FAQ's. If you decide to go for it - start a new thread with "OD GURU - need help" in the title and uane will surely appear.
--
Bob (son's 81-244GL B21F/M46, dtr's 83-244DL B23F/M46, my 94-944 B230FD and 89 745 (LT-1 V8); hobbycar 77 MGB, and a few old motorcycles)








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M46 Overdrive Slipping ..... 200

When you say piston seals leaking do you mean in overdrive solenoid or do you mean in overdrive itself ??
--
' 86 manual sedan nearly 200,000 and ' 87 auto sedan about 120,000








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M46 Overdrive Slipping ..... 200

He means the seals on the overdrive actuating pistons are leaking. The picture shows the upgraded overdrive actuating pistons, and the old style pistons. The new ones have the large black o-rings. The old ones have the blue [Teflon] covered sealing rings on them.



If the seals on the OD actuating pistons are leaking, I strongly recommend installing the upgraded pistons. The upgraded pistons use a different o-ring, and it seems to be a big improvement.
--
john








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M46 Overdrive Slipping ..... 200

If it slips in higher gears, it's probably the main clutch, not the OD clutch.








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M46 Overdrive Slipping ..... 200

It does not slip in 1, 2, 3, or 4 only slipped in overdrive/5.
--
' 86 manual sedan nearly 200,000 and ' 87 auto sedan about 120,000








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M46 Overdrive Slipping ..... 200

I have had both clutch slippage and OD slippage. From my experience clutch slippage mostly happens under hard acceleration, or going up a steep hill. The drivetrain still feels connected but the rpms go up faster than the car accelerates.

When the OD "slips" it usually happens when you let off the gas, are coasting or driving below 50 mph. It feels like full slippage or no connection. The slippage will stop if you turn off the od. In the early stages it only happens when the gearbox is hot, like after a long highway drive on a hot day.

I redid the seals on my od with a kit and instructions from Duane (odguru). It took me about 5 hours, and the OD works much better. It will stay in OD at 30 mph (and probably slower) since the rebuild. Before the rebuild it would not even hold at 70 mph.

The seals are on the 2 pistons that drive the cone clutch in the OD. The toughest part of the job is keeping dirt out of the OD while you have it apart. I would guess a good mechanic could do the job for you in 2 to 3 hours.








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M46 Overdrive Slipping ..... 200

Is it slipping or dropping out of OD?
If it's just dropping out, see the FAQ or Volvodad's response.








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M46 Overdrive Slipping ..... 200

FWIW, the first sign of the clutch going on my '86 745 w/ M46 was slipping in overdrive. I also first suspected the overdrive seals, solenoid, etc.
Mine also did not slip in 1,2,3 or 4th, just overdrive.

I was pleasantly surprised that it was only the clutch.
--
Tom - '60 544, '68 220S, '70 145S, '86 745T, '06 Mazda MPV








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M46 Overdrive Slipping ..... 200

Does it slip in reverse?
If so it is the overdrive.







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