1993 240 with M47. Often it's hard to get in reverse especially when cold, hearing grinding sounds of spinning gears, generally hard to get into first (no grinding, just takes more effort). Cable clutch adjustment hasn't helped any of this. Time for a clutch job?

You might as well do a clutch job because, in my experience, you need a new pilot bearing. In the old days, the pilot bearing would last as long as a clutch. Not any more. The same applies to those dreadful throwout bearings made of plastic; they, too, queef out long before the clutch plate.

I had a wagon with over 220 Kmi on it at the time of a clutch job. This was a car which two, count them, two, kids learned to drive on and was their daily driver through high school. I could have squeezed out more miles from the clutch, but it got to a point when I had to ask, "How long can this thing last?"

I curse the designer who put the transmission fasteners on the inside of the bellhousing - if it weren't for that, changing out a pilot bearing or throwout bearing without doing a clutch job might be justified.

Rich (near The Burgh)

PS - Replacing the rear main seal at the time of a clutch job is a judgement call. If it is replaced, OE Volvo is the only way to go. I would trust an OE Volvo seal which has 200Kmi on it which is not leaking over a brandy-new Elring made in PRC (Peoples Republic of China), but that's me.

++++1 to whut Uncle Phil Machine Man is saying.

I also suggest checking the clutch cable free play at the throwout arm. As the clutch wears, the clutch cable slack (free play) is used up. The clutch may not fully separate and eventually stop spinning.

Also, release the clutch when not actively using it. Or, in other words, do not maintain a pressed clutch pedal fro any duration like at a stop light or railway crossing.

Else, I also find a few forward gears like fourth and third to slow and stop rotation when pressing the clutch pedal to find reverse as Dave says.

Yet as Phil says about old clutch works bearings ...

--
Kittys are fuzzy and sometimes fluffy! Spokane, WA RULES!

Hi,

This is how I figure it.

The front half of the input shaft is supported by three bearings. The pilot bearing, a main large bearing and one under the gear wheels, that is allowing the two shafts to spin at two different speeds.

In most cases it’s a pilot bearing, that is providing the turning energy and is the root of the problem.

It so happens, it’s that small inexpensive bearing and that’s given me the first clue.
For its few dollars worth of a bearing and it doesn’t speak out and say,
“How long has it been since a clutch job?”
For more money maybe someone with make them speak out! (:)
But for now, this “drag symptom” of a rolling the shaft, is it!

Like most bearings it’s in the hottest or dirtiest environments that affects a bearing.
The amount of lubricant that is in it there does eventually dries up, a little too much.
When it gets warm and loses its own gel effect, it can starts turning smoother.
The heat of the crankshaft does All this and Operating the clutch helps too!
During this time, of course, it gets ignored a lot and from where it’s located, that’s a whole lot!
So that’s my experience.
What I gathered here it’s the pilot bearing during start ups.

The part about harder to get into low gear “could be” an alignment thing related to the other bearings. How many miles are we looking at here?
Do you hear slight rolling noise, the main shaft turning when idling in neutral and the clutch out?
That is a sign of the large main front bearing going bad.
It can cause some shift resistance.
Is there excessive slop in the shifter lever working in the shift gate?
That might be plastic bushings but it’s a slow wear out item and you have no new reference to gage it by.

An oil change can help get things be more slippery for this shifting, maybe?

About any clutch, the fingers of the pressure plate assembly could have worn or weaken to a point that they are not pivoting enough to release the disc.
For me this is Doubtful, IMO is this case as Adjusting didn’t help.
If they lose their straightness and flex more and cannot move away it talks differently as a shot clutch and slippage.

If a clutch slips, of which, we are not complaining about, then, you shouldn’t be having trouble with getting into reverse. Right?
Pressure has got to go one way and not come back, just in the morning?

I wish I knew what the factory specifications of a pressure plate were so I could know for sure what’s failing and causing slippages.
My disc’s just don’t seem to get much wear off their thickness and there isn’t much material above the rivets when new either! That sort of gripes me!

So in saying the least on that thought.
I was killing time one day I stopped into a clutch service shop for information.
I was told, by this shop, that all the clutches discs are held to 8 MM thickness and you have to reface the the flywheel ever time you change out the clutch.
He said, “A new clutch system will not last as long as it should, if you don’t “Blanchard“ grind the surface. I humored for a second and said that the “Blanchard” is a name of the machine company, not a finish.
He said, well you have to remove old clutch material from the surface.
I asked how much for this, as a walk- in and he said $35.

I agreed with him about the old material reasoning as I use flap wheel and spin my brake calipers, while on the car before each a pad change.
I only turn them if they have run out or get hot blue spots.
He listened but ...
He said, of course, that’s not good enough for a flywheel.
He wanted to go back to work and I pleasantly left, saying to myself, I’ll do my own work thank you and keep his equipment in my mind for future needs.

I asked myself later ...
Well then, what happens within that fixed space thats going to get wider toward the engine?
How do you compensate for that?
Get a rebuilt disc custom made thicker? Another new flywheel?
I remember he said all?
I wonder if he meant only SACHS as He was a retailer of them.

I’m not big on machining unless I have hard spots on flywheels or brake calipers.
Fortunately I don’t drive that way. 40+ years and only worn out two brake rotors to their minimums on everything I’ve had!
I break any high ridges down flat and skin nothing.
A nice swirling finish is good enough for me.

I have Never seen a flywheel get as bad as calipers, but then, I have done a lot more brakes than clutches.

Warning!
Just one added note or a story for readers, about my stickler on having work done.
I had one rotor turned locally by a young man who screwed it up.
This machine that was located out back and he turned it true on both sides like normal.
He didn’t get it flat on his cone or arbor.
I put it on the car and it ran out. I mean really visually!
I took it back and he remounted it and then called the owner over.
They looked at each other and the owner came up with it and said there was nothing wrong with it.
I asked if he had a depth micrometer as I can prove it right here on the counter measuring down to the back side.
He said, I don’t have any!
I was shocked, as He rebuilds alternators, starters and even radiators, for his main business, at the time. He didn’t want to replace it. I know it was the bigger issue!
I said ok, it’s now just above the minimum thickness but I will fix it myself anyway!
I went home turned the back inside surface, under the bolt holes true it to the fresh cut disc surfaces.
It barely swung around in a gap built into my lathe, but I got it done.
I would have used my milling machine, if I had too!
I have my ways!

I went back, but left it in the car as he had bunches of customers this time!
I told him I saved it, but he refused to look at it again on his machine, but the way I’m, I wanted to show him and the young man something. No biting!
So, I will never again get brake rotors or drums turned there.

Now that we have two more automotive chain stores in the last 30 years, but he has the odd repairing stuff!
I only buy occasional parts there. Mostly diodes and brushes from him as this Is a small town.
Is His business bigger, not so much, but he is a very knowledgeable man and is 78 this week.
About the young man, well, he still works there too and has gone thin gray haired in the meantime.
He looks related to the old man in many ways but he is not.
I guess you can turn into what you work with or the same as, you are what you eat?
(:-)

I’m gonna miss this old timer, as I like him a lot!
Hard headed but he is in a business, I’m not!

Phil

Thanks you for the extensive answer, it really helps!
So, new clutch and associated is the ticket as the transmission has no other noises or issues!
I believe it's on the original clutch, 130k on the miles.

Save wear and tear on your transmission by putting the shifter into one of the higher forward gears first. Slip the lever into 2nd or 3rd - then go to 1st or reverse before letting the clutch out. While a new clutch might solve the problem there are other possibilities for your problem. - Dave

That makes no difference, if I go into other gears-- only way is to shut off the car and put it in reverse when this is going on, which is not all the time by the way... Most of the time it's all good except going into first from a stop takes more pushing force than it should...

If it's not the clutch, what else could it be?