I'm lost and I feel stupid...

This is the first Volvo I've worked on in near 30 years of being a mechanic.. It's a very nice 1988 240 DL wagon, 5 speed,214,000 miles, rust free, super clean. Customer said shifter felt loose for a whilethen got very loose.

Checking it out, I can only get 3rd and 4th. The clutch is fine. The shifter flops back and fourth without resistance. With the car on the hoist and the foam insulation removed I'm staring right at the shift linkage and it appears to be in perfect shape. The nylon ball it pivots on is intact.

There is a single rod coming out the back of the transmission. The rod moves in and out and clicks as it snaps into place. All looks to be normal. Yet I can't see how the shifter works ! It appears to rotate the linkage as it pivots about the nylon ball, yet it has no rotational effect on the rod coming out of the back of the transmission !? There is a joint at both ends of the linkage... apparently allowing for this rotation.. so I'm lost as to how the linkage is supposed to get 6 different positions within the transmission (5 gears forward and 1 reverse) when all it's doing is moving the rod fore and aft !

Is the shift linkage supposed to be twisting the rod as the shifter moves from side to side ? If so, I must have a broken joint where the shiftlinkageconnects to the rod... yet it doesn't appear broke... unless it's broke within... ?

And insight would be appreciated. The customer has insisted I figure this out..lol

Thank you in advance

 

Yes the rod has a rotational twist as the shifter is moved side to side. Remove the shifter and you'll find the bushing it sets in to be worn out not rotating the main linkage rod. I'll try to get you a pic of it in the next hour or so.

 

Ok, so I must assume the joint where the shift linkage connects to the rod coming out of the transmission is broke "internally" as the shift linkage is twistingwhen the shifter swings from side to side... but the rod is not turning. What is throwing me isthe joint"looks"normal from the outside, yet must be broke internally (somehow). You have confirmed my suspicions and I thank you for your time. I'll pull it apart and report my findings. BTW, The nylon ball/socket and all is in perfect shape. Thanks,

Mark

 

I couldn't find a decent picture on ALLDATA to explain what I was talking about but it sounds like you've figured it out. If the rod coming from the transmission is rotating with the shifter, then the correct assumption is the ball end is broke internally of the trans. or the shift fork that the ball goes into is broke. Either way it doesn't like a fun thing...Good luck with it and take pics of the broken assembly, if you get a chance, and post them here.