The trans won’t shift into 2nd gear and only goes partway into 1st gear but pops out of 1st if I try to drive it. All the other gears work fine.
When I have the car in reverse it feels like the parking brake it partially on, and when the trans is in neutral it feels like it is partially in gear.
Any suggestions?
Follow up question: Is the tranny noisy or still sounds normal? If noisy it could be bad bearings. If it sounds normal most likely the synchromesh. Have a tranny expert check it out.
Forgot to mention ... a fluid change? The 1990 240 DL wagon with M47 II had a notchy second gear.
Yet a GL-4 fluid change, and clean the magnetic fill and drain plugs of metal sparkles, with the overfill of fluid
AMSOIL Super Shift® 10W Racing Transmission Fluid
https://www.amsoil.com/p/amsoil-super-shift-10w-racing-transmission-fluid-art/
Shifts smoothly when last I drove the thing in October 2021.
Been sittin' out doors in a MO-state storage locker.
The owld fluid was sort of brown.
The 1992 240 GL M47 II had a piece of gear tooth come out in the dark brown fluid that came out. Sprayed brake part clean with the passenger side up higher for drain.
Over filled both with the SuperShift and also the Redline version the Redline site says we should stuff into M47 II.
Overfill! The same with the differential with quality GL-5.
Yet thyme to change fluid again.
Where is 240WStick?
Go to Reddit and Quora site and put up the brickboard and Turbobricks (for performance Volvo stuff). Getting them to come here to save more Volvo! Hope it works.
The instant Nescafe with cinnamon flavor is not. So another mt peanut butter jar of that stuff.
Still wanting that 1972 164 with M410 to gently motor in the purple mountains majesty. Maybe WY "the equality state" or MT-state.
New stickers has comes with WA-state DMV mail asking where I am! Ha!
And moar buttermilk!
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I'm back. the trans has been a little better, I have not had too much trouble until recently, if I stay in first gear for around 10 seconds, then it wants to pop out of first.
I filled the trans with redline MTL, but I can fill it more.
if I put it in first gear it only takes a very short time at higher rpm until it kicks it out of first gear, if i am doing low rpms it takes a little longer to kick it out of first gear, but it still kicks it out.
if you have any thoughts or suggestions they will be appreciated.
Replace the motor mounts. The US driver side motor mount usually fails first as the engine, when revved, pulls up on the US driver side mount. The exhaust passenger side mount gets squished, is sometime bathed in motor oil, like when replacing. the motor oil and fluid.
Dunno the state, yet get the diesel 240 mounts if you can. The failing or failed mounts allow an engine to move in ways the drive line does not like.
Next, verify the 3-5 mm of clutch cable free play at the throw out arm. As the clutch wears, the clutch cable slack is consumed. So you can expect what appears as slippi9ng clutch that is actually the clutch cable that is tight when you release the clutch pedal.
Also, do NOT maintain a depressed clutch pedal at stop lights, train RxR crossing waiting for a 4-mile long train that takes three or 15-20 minutes to pass with any manual gear box. Wears the throw-out bearing and does not good for the pilot bearing (replace clutch kit).
Press the clutch pedal ONLY when engaging gear and when removing from gear. Leave in neutral for those long stops. The owner manual states to use the parking or e-brake when well parking. I use first gear when parking on a flat. NEVER use reverse gear when parking.
Also, help to run through with grease or drip oil into the cable to keep it lubes and prevent fraying and breaking of the cable inside the sheath. (Not done this in some years, shame on me.)
I know the parking brake pads on any 240 by now, if factory original, require replacement with new parking brake pads. Some other bits may need replacement.
Else, with new motor AND transmission mounts, full or overfilled correct gear box fluid, proper clutch cable free play should resolve the symptoms you describe.
Also, when you replaced the gear box fluid, you did clean the magnet load plug (fill and / or drain plug, my 1992 has magnet loads in both fill and drain plugs).
The shift selector bushes, made of nylon, installed at the factory, can also fail. Replace these if lots of free play in the linkage.
If none of this works and the shift selector drops out of gear, you may have worn synchros or the gears themselves may be worn from high miles, incorrect or low lubricant, abuse like maintaining a pressed clutch for an enduring period, and more. Also, an old clutch kit with weak pressure plate springs may be a cause, yet doubtful. Worn bearings on or a worn input shaft may or may not also be a cause. Don't maintain a pressed clutch.
Don't do burnouts or horse around with 240/800/900 with M47. It is durable with gentle use and care and can last the life of the 240/700/900 in models without factory or added Turbo. Also, shift the M47 gently. Do not force or crash the gear selector. Ever drive a gear box without synchromesh? Like that. Know RPMs versus speed or as you up-shift feel the synchro engagement and like Zen or some published sections of Papas Kierkegaard and Heidegger you'll slide into gear. Raise the RPM when downshifting. A warmed gearbox may be easier to shift than a cold one.
Swapping to M46 is a pain. Not a drop-in. If you can get a good condition M90L, or newer, or one that has the third gear synchro welded from a global supplier as dumb dumb Volvo Cars never brought the to North America.
The M90 is a for real three shaft gear box, unlike M40-M47. I'm not sure, yet these are a direct drop in if the donor model has the silhouetting notch for the CPS. Yet scarcity is like that of hen and rooster's teeth. Last year for M90 in the rest of the world is 1998, when the final RWD Volvo was made. The M90 can take horsepower.
You may have options with a swap kit to Tremec T-5 with bell housing to fit that requires fabrication including drive shaft shortening and re-balance while preserving the two shaft drive shaft. Someone somewhere in North America may have a used kit to sell for 1989 non-turbo 240, yet caveats on a used gear box, like M46.
Here, on the Turbobricks:
M47 popping out of second gear
https://turbobricks.com/index.php?threads/m47-popping-out-of-second-gear.333611/
Let's ask the experts. I've seen articles either way for swap between M46 and M47.
Articles here yet also the specialty of turbobricks. Access to some imnformatrion like modding and performance.
You can change to M47 to M46. Both are rare like hen's teeth. And a Tremec T-5 out of a V8 Mustang may need some serious work as would an M46 from Turbo 240, 740, 940.
Try and find an M46 from a normally aspired (or aspried? ha!) 240. M46 from a 740, 940 has a longer shift assembly. Clutch bit are different. Yet you can do it.
here ya go:
https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-240-740-940-12/possible-replace-m47-m46-41623/
Get an account and find the articles you want or start a new thread there.
M46 can take more horse power yet at nearly 40 years of age, you'll have some wear item issue like the overdrive hydraulics unless already serviced.
I've not done such a task. Hope this helps you.
M47 images with silver sparkles? What ground up? How many miles? Modded B230 with Turbo or ? Drifting? Wong fluid? Amsoil Super Shift works well as does the Volvo synthteic and Redline MTL. What happaned?
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Did you find this out by disassembly of the two through shafts or observation from only the top cover?
I’m suspicious of the bearing in between the two shafts running at two different speeds from input to outputs. It supports them under the gears and probably has an issue of not enough or inadequate lubricant.
It’s been posted to overfill them by tilting the transmission.
I have studied the level in relationship to seals and gears. I agree it seems lower than it should be from the location of the fill plugs bottom. I use about 15-20% of a liter extra to see how that works out.
I want to disassemble the one bad of the three as I got nothing to lose.
I wonder how many special tools are required or will I have to make my own and boy, that might take some time with my lack of enthusiasm lately. I’m not as full of **** and vinegar, as I once was. 🫤
I suggest that you and hope you have replaced using ATF with either Volvo synthetic or what I have found is FUCHS synthetic to be working as good or better in my other two cars that are presently running.
My original 1991 ran most of its life with ATF and was treated well by the two previous owners as it a hand me down car. I did the same until running into my 1993 that had a few less miles than my 1991.
Just after the 200,000 mark was when I got the surprise on it.
How many miles on yours and your replacement?
The 1993 is the one I want to open up.
It is now going to be spare unless I do something miraculous and correct it. If so I will do it to the other one.
It is noisy but shifted fine up to that point I exchanged it.
I had bought the car knowing I had a spare, of unknown quality, so it being stiff didn’t worry me as the rest of the car was worth its nice price I got it for.
The other one, that was a spare from a 1990 junkyard engine pull is only slightly noisy by comparison.
This is because I think the ATF plainly wasn’t changed regularly or sooner the recommended.
It even got smoother after switching to FUCHS but still reminds me at times to get experience and do what I can beforehand.
The 1993 went bad because someone put other type or used regular oil in it. It didn’t smell like gear oil of a rear differential but it was thicker than ATF. Maybe they make gear oils without pressure additives for gear boxes as I’m not familiar with any but Volvos or automatics.
When I bought the car it seemed to shift stiffly and started making some noise within a few thousand miles.
That’s when I said whoops and got into investigating oils per bulletins and Brickboard posts.
I found FUCHS synthetic fluid to being equivalent to Volvos very pricey fluid.
FUCHS was at least half price and I knew Volvo and other car manufacturers don’t make lubricants.
They just get it repackaged.
I would like to see more details on what you have going on with your transmission.
I removed the m47 trans and found little cylinder metal pieces inside the trans case along with metallic brown oil (the oil was about 1 month old) and lots of metal paste. Me and my brother think a bearing may have exploded.
I would upload a picture, but I don’t know how to.
Hope I’m wrong, but it sounds like it might be a bad synchro in second gear. Synchros usually go first in second gear as they take more of a beating when shifting than in the other gears.
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