hi sages- in my ongoing restoration of my recently acquired 92 240 wagon, i put it up on lifts yesterday and crawled all over under and around it. brakes, hoses , pads , rotors, rear main seal all seem ok. not one bit of rust or corrosion. the trans is called the m47 ll 5 speed. early m47s didnt have the #2 (ll) next to the number. is this the same trans and are they interchangeable. one of the big words with car repair is to "anticipate" problems. looks like eventual clutch job is pretty straight forward. upper right trans bell housing bolt looks alittle tight. also any special technique for me to use to adjust the clutch cable- looks like it has two locknuts to move the cable housing to or from the clutch fork. clutch grabs right off the floor. want to adjust it so it grabs about 1/2 way in the pedal travel. by the way block and oil pan are red. have heard some b230 engines referred to as the red block- any significance? hope it doesnt mean the dreaded interference engine. thanks tons oldduke

The clutch cable should pull back 1/16 -1/8 inch from the fork forward position when adjusted properly. I've found that the adjuster nut can slacken a bit over time so put a small hose clamp on the spiral cable ahead of the nylon adjuster to keep it in place. This is actually somehting the dealers techs reccommend.

The M47 Type I vs. Type II are different in the placement of the oil fill port on the side of the trans, Type II is slightly higher and can hold more fluid. and Type II has a redesigned 5th gear housing with tapered roller bearling in the main & 5th gear housing, wher type I has straight roller bearings, as a result the Type II is a stronger transmission. Your '92 should be a Type II. You really can't tell until you take it apart of have a Type I case next to yours.

Contrary to popular opinion here, I do not reccommend (nor does Volvo) to change the transmission fluid. At all, never, na-na, DO NOT drain! Unless of course there's a leak and you need to replace seals or service it.
Unlike all the other Volvo manual transmissions the M47 come filled with very expensive ($135/qt) synthetic transmission fluid. It is good for life. By my own experience, I can say that this is true, because I've done it a few times (and against my better judgement) and replaced it with 'The Good Redline MTL', which is not exactly the same as the Volvo oil. If you do, be prepared to change the oil every 40-50k miles, as it does darken and break down, where the Volvo oil doesn't.
It is really that good, and lasts the life of the transmission. If there are leaks, I would suggest to keep the oil and filter it and then put it back after you replace the seals. If it isn't leaking or having trouble shifting, don't touch it.

What I find the biggest cause of shifting problems is the linkage and shifter bushings. Take a careful look at everything, and replace things like the pivot bushings, swivel cup bushings, and two pins in the shift rail to the coupling at the back of the transmission. You may also want to replace the tailshaft seal, which can be done without disassembly or draining the transmission.

All Volvo cast iron block 4 cyl engines from 1962 through 1997, B18, B20B/E/F, B21A/F/T, B23E/F/T, B230F/T, B234F are considered "Redblocks"

Hi VVpete. You seem better informed than me.

Do you know if the Volvo synthetic trans lube was around for the 84 line of M46 transmissions? I "highly recommended" a change because what I drained from mine was so full of metal particulates that it looked like dark purple metal flake paint. The car came into my hands at 226,000 miles, so there was lots of opportunity for other people to replace its fluid with something less than great.

Thanks for the better info! :D

The M46 uses Type F automatic transmission fluid, not the synthetic fluid used in the M47. ATF is red in color (and so is Redline, Mobil 1, and Amsoil synthetic ATF or MTL), but the Volvo synthetic fluid used in the M47 is clear and colorless.

You want a bit more travel before the clutch Grabs.

Hold the Hex shape in the Front section of the Tranny and tighten the smaller hex in the back, That should slightly loosen the cable.

If Memory serves, You are supposed to adjust the cable such that you can pull the Clutch fork toward the back of the car about 1/8th" with your hand.

When the Trani mount is out and the tranny drops a bit, a 2' Extention and swivel Socket will be the way to go to get at the Upper Bellhousing.

--
'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me http://home.lyse.net/brox/TonyPage4.html

Howdy howdy.
Not sure about the M47 transmissions (but I'm sure I'd prefer its 5th gear over the perpetually broken M46's overdrive).

The red block engines are the the B230 and B23 family and are not interference. They're so named for their red-painted blocks. I think it includes more engines like the B21 but I'm not exactly sure. I think the FAQ can shed more light on them.
All the 8-valve B230/B23's are not interference. The DOHC 16-valve B234 is an interference engine.
People have advised spraying the locknuts for clutch adjustment with penetrating oil (WD-40 is my tool of choice, others like PB-blaster) well in advance of work. I think there are instructions on it in the FAQ. If not I think I can piece together instructions for you, or you can search my threads for one titled something like "synchros shredded?".

I'm not sure if you're driving the car, but a transmission fluid flush is highly recommended, and I remember people mentioning overfilling (1/2 qt.) the M47 to get proper lubrication to its 5th gear.

Happy Bricking!