I've finally got everything that I need together for my swap. I'm swapping out the automatic transmission in my 1991 245SE and putting in the M47 from my parts car. This is my (hopefully final) list of questions. I'm pretty handy around cars; I've rebuilt engines and done just about any kind of routine maintenance the needs to be done on cars, but this is my first transmission swap. Here goes:

1) My donor car was an LH2.2 car, the current one is LH2.4, so I had to put the correct bellhousing on for the crank sensor. Since I'm changing bellhousings I need the gasket and any seals that go between the bellhousing and the transmission. Will this kit from FCP have everything I need? http://www.fcpgroton.com/product-exec/product_id/17864/nm/1987_1993_Volvo_240_Manual_Transmission_Gasket_Kit/category_id/211

2) Does the surface between the bellhousing and transmission need to be perfect? Can I scotch bright it to clean it up or will that damage the surface too much? Also, does the gasket go no dry, or is there a sealer that I should use here?

3) What is the thin metal ring that goes around the transmission input shaft between the transmission and the bellhousing? Does it go on any special way? Do I need a new one or can I reuse the old one?

4) How do I find TDC on the flywheel?

5) Can I safely reuse the old flywheel & pressure Plate bolts? They looked like they were in fine shape when I removed them.

6) I'll be replacing the clutch disk, can I reuse the pressure plate or should I replace that as well?

7) Are the auto and manual transmission crossmembers different?

8) What kind of grease should I use on the clutch fork pivot and the throwout bearing?

Thanks for all the help!

1. I don't know the exact answer to your question about the gasket between the transmission and bellhousing. In the conversions I have done, I have used the bellhousing from the donor car. The older bellhousings I have encountered have a knock-out for the crank sensor. I broke out the thin plug with a pair of pliers if I recall correctly. I'm not sure what the purpose of the gasket would be. There shouldn't be any fluid in the bellhousing.

2. Again, there shouldn't be any fluid or pressure in the bellhousing, so the gasket doesn't really seem to be that important to me. If you can find it, put it in. Putting it in dry would probably be fine.

3. I don't know anything about this ring. Are you talking about the pilot bearing? I'm confused. Sorry.

4. The correct flywheel will have holes around its perimeter. I believe there are 58 of them. There is a blank spot where there is space for additional holes, but none are drilled. When the crankshaft is positioned at TDC, this blank spot should line up with the bottom of the opening for the starter. This method is different than what is specified in the Bentley Manual. It is how I aligned my flywheel after doing a search of the BrickBoard.

5. They say you should replace them. I reused mine. Make sure you torque them to specification.

6. If you want to be sure that you have a smooth clutch engagement, replace them both at the same time. Have your flywheel resurfaced. You might get lucky, but you'll be kicking yourself every time you drive your car if your clutch judders after you tried to save a few hundred dollars. I've taken both routes. I've was lucky the first couple of times. Eventually, my luck ran out, and I will never cut these corners again. Are you a gambler? (If you haven't done so already, you would be well advised to replace your rear main seal while the flywheel is off. It's cheap and easy to do now.)

7. Yes, the crossmembers are different. They have a slightly different shape and the M47 crossmember has rubber mounts where the crossmember bolts to the car. However, the position and alignment of the holes is identical. In the last swap I did, the M47 crossmember was badly rusted. I used the automatic crossmember and it worked fine. I would do it again. In the older cars, the crossmembers for automatics and manuals was the same. In both cases, they bolt to the car using a different set of threaded holes, though.

8. Use some variety of high temperature grease.

Hope this helps.



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1966 122s, 1968 142s, 1969 144s, 1979 245dl, 1989 244gl

I did a photo write up of this swap. Basic as hell.
http://s243.photobucket.com/albums/ff56/bigtahoe6/The%20Volvo/?action=view¤t=100_2195.jpg
(just keep hitting the "Next" tab)
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'92 244 w/ M47 (Hydra, ipd bars and springs, bilstein, urethane bushings)

This is incredibly helpful, particularly the bits about the wiring.

Thanks for the help.

Re: 1 & 2) I was surprised to find fluid in here as well when I first separated them (luckily I had already drained the transmission). You can see that it's open in this illustration: http://www.nalleyvolvoparts.com/images/parts/volvo/fullsize/GR-231561.jpg

Re: 3) I'll try to take a picture. It's not the pilot bearing, but rather a very thin circle of metal that goes around the input shaft, between the bellhousing and the transmission. Maybe it's a spacer or something, but I'd sure like to know before I put it together.

Re: 4, 5, 7, & 8) Thanks!

Re: 6) I just picked up a kit from FCP that includes the friction disk, pressure plate, & throwout bearing. I'm absolutely getting the flywheel resurfaced before putting this all together.

I see the gasket to which you are referring. I didn't know it was there. From the diagram I can see why it's there, though. It appears as if the kit from FCP does include that gasket. If I were doing it, (and remember, I didn't even know the gasket was there, so this is just my opinion) I would put some antiseize on the gasket before assembly. I would imagine that it could be installed dry, but I usually put antiseize on gaskets to make future disassembly easier. Good luck!
--
1966 122s, 1968 142s, 1969 144s, 1979 245dl, 1989 244gl

In this case my concern is sealing more than it is ease of disassembly. I hope I won't have to take this apart for a long time.

If you aren't worried about taking it apart again, you could seal it with gasket shellac.
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1966 122s, 1968 142s, 1969 144s, 1979 245dl, 1989 244gl