Hi all,

I just picked up a '90 240 wagon for a song. It's our 4th 240. My son has an '83 wagon, in really fine condition, with a manual trans, and it's a blast to drive.

The auto trans in my '90 is the flakiest thing on the car; it just feels like it's not long for this world. I've found a donor car with an M47 and all the pedals, etc. Is this do-able, or a terrible idea? FWIW, I'm a fairly competent driveway mechanic.

Thanks,

monty

 

It's just going to take time and money....I hope you have a garage to work in, it would make things at least a lot more comfortable. Go for it....you can do it. If you are considering a auto to manual swap...think about a 5 or 6 speed manual transmission. Could one be adapted to a Volvo? Ask Tech.

Wedwagon

 

Yes it can be done with time.

Also the 5-6 speed out of the Chevy or Ford could be done. It would take some $$$ to get the adaptor plate but I have seen it done before.

my buddy has a 740 with a 6 speed Vette trans in it.

 

I'm thinking about doing the same thing. The 5 speed M-47 cars are fun, the automatics are not worth considering. However, you will often see the automatics in nice shape cheap, and there are plenty of 5 speeds in rusted out old 240's. I think it would take about 3 days to do a swap if you have a donor vehicle. I have not done this, but I've been thinking about it and I'm about to make an offer on a 240 wagon that was garage kept and recently blew it's transmission. I have a donor car picked out also--for the pedals and misc parts I might need.

I say go for it. Drop me a line if you do, because I'll be doing the same thing and we can compare notes.

Like the other fellow said, some people put 6speeds in these cars. I am considering that also, but the Volvo swap is straight forward.

 

nightsailor...you do realize this was a 3 and a half year old thread, right? And, you're mistaken about transmissions. There is a reason the M46 and not the M47 was used on turbo cars...it's stronger. And, it is a little juvenile to say the automatics "are not worth considering". First off, these transmissions all have 150-200k on 'em. And...there is a ton of difference between the n/a AW70 versus the heavier AW71. The AW71 handles more torque than the M46 or 47.

 

The shocking thing is that more people haven't done this mod. As for the automatic, it is a deal killer because it makes the car even slower. The 5speed manual makes the 240 a joy to drive, the automatic is pretty boring.

At the present time there are many automatics that are not doing well on the resale market. The 5 speeds are far more popular and unfortunately these are either beat up, or priced quite high. Now more than ever a trany swap is a good idea.

 

The autos are fine if you mod them for better shifts. Even if you don't, they still last forever.
My car came with a receipt stating the auto was rebuilt at 240k kms, which is typical for any auto in any car, so they're hardly weak.
Of course a manual transmission is more enjoyable for spirited driving and that is reason enough to have one, but don't dismiss the auto just because it's an auto.

Regards, Andrew.

 

I drive the auto, but I have to say I agree with at least one thing, it's boring. Which is good, because in traffic (largely when i drive it) I don't want the entertainment of shifting in and out of first.
But with that said, at some point i have to supplement the brick with a sportier 2 door standard (maybe a 242 if i'm lucky) so some days i can beat bikes uphills.

 

I thought about going to manual as well, but as you say, traffic and autos make sense. Plus, I like my wagon as an auto, it just suits the car and it's use. It's also nice to blow away other cars with an automatic Volvo wagon!
I'm on the lookout for second sportier car at the moment, definitely manual, for track days etc. Probably a 323 BMW or earlier Saab turbo.

Regards, Andrew.

 

I'll put my auto 242 up against just about any 240 or 740 on the board. I can't honestly say i'll beat them all, but my car certainly isn't anything to be bored of. The best you can hope for out of an M46 (the better built manual) is the ability to handle 250hp.

Tranny swaps are sort of a moot point unless you swap in a T5 straight off.

 

I've thought about putting in a chevy six speed.

I like The sporty feel of driving a stick. Another very attractive factor is the outstanding fuel economy. Our five speed sedan Has a 3.31 axle ratio. It gets. 25-26 mpg average and consistently in the low 30's on the highway in the summer. Best was 32.5 mpg.

It would be fun to swap axle ratios on a wagon and improve the aero dynamics some with underbody panels, wheel skirts, and also to use synthetic oil to see what I could get. Some people are removing alternators as well as Air Conditioners to improve mileage.

Back to the six speed idea. I think it would work well for some of the distance driving I do. There are many flat sections where dropping rpms would allow either higher speeds without sacrificing fuel economy, or else slight speed increases with improved fuel economy.

A 5 speed makes sense for me. I could care less about putting a stronger transmission in a Volvo, if I want performance I'll buy a Corvette. I want a car I can sleep in comfortably on long trips, that gets good fuel economy, and can carry whatever I want. No other car offers both fuel economy, safety, capacity, and sleeping space behind the front seats.

If I could stuff a modern turbo diesel in there with a six speed, I'd gladly sacrifice hill climbing ability, and acceleration for greater fuel economy and 40 + mpg.

 

yeah, see that's all I want. Something I can drop parts in when i have spare cash (rare). Stiffer handling, standard and 250 hp is plenty for me (I go to autocross events, not drags). Plus, a bit more cool looking haha. Not that the brick isn't nice looking. 242s are actually bloody hard to find round here.

 

The two doors are nice looking than the four doors. I presume they are easier to get into. I wonder though if the four doors are safer with that extra metal around the middle.

 

Hmmm, some serious silly talk here.