I just rejoined the ranks of Volvo owners with a purchase of a 1991 240. While checking the transmission fluid levels I noticed that I didn't need to push down the shifter button to move through PRND, etc.. Same going back through the gears. The plastic shifter boot has been broken so the previous owner may have been messing with it. While it's convenient to just "grab a gear", I'm thinking driving at speed and accidentally bumping it into reverse or park just might not be the best thing for the transmission. Haynes doesn't really give much info. Any thoughts?

 

The "detente" pin is likely missing/ broken from your shifter.

Volvo Shift Control Assembly | Assembly# 24397307

It's #12 here. It rides along the topography on the top side of the gear selector gate. When the button is pressed and held, it has a free path along the bottom.

 

this is largely from studying diagrams, as opposed to actual diassembly.

to repair those, you'll probably need to go under the car, and unhook the shift linkage bar/rod from the shifter lever via clip 42. then inside hte car, remove hte bezel (2 screws on the front edge of the bezel) aund under the bezel there's a metal can (17 in that picture), which has like 4 screws holding it down. remove those screws, and the whole thing should lift up.

NOW you can remove the main pivot pin and take it all apart and R&R it. reassembly is the opposite of disassembly (as Mercedes service docs are so casual to toss out.

replace the bushings 40 and 45 on the shift rod linkage, and everything will shift much crisper.

 

Thanks for the help. I'll take a look at it this weekend.