M40 and M47 gearboxes

[Anza]

Hi!
Does anyone know if I can replace my old and noisy M40 gearbox (4-speed) with a M47 gearbox (5-speed, from Volvo200, 700,... -series)? And would the replacement be just "plug-and-play" or would it need some "tricks"? The car is -69 Amazon with B20 engine.

Anza

[PaulJacksonUK]

I'm biased because on the one M47 gearbox I've owned I thought the gate was awful! I would of thought that a 4 + OD conversion (using perhaps an M46) would have parts more readily available although obviously the electrical side of the conversion is slightly more envolved.

Paul Jackson

940 Turbo Estate.

[PaulJacksonUK]

One thing that has just come to mind, do all M47 equiped cars have electronic speedoes driven from the back axle. Whereas an early 80'S 200 series with M46 overdrive gearboxes (Possibly <1983, but I'm not 100% on that) has a conventional cable driven speedo from the back of the gearbox/overdrive? Do later ones have a blanking plug with no drive behind it?

Paul Jackson

940 Turbo Estate.

[Anza]

I think the "old" 200-series cars do not have electronic speedoes. And somehow I have a feeling that also 740 Volvos have cable speedos.. though I'm not sure. Can anyone inform me(/us)? Sure is that 940's have electronic speedos and also the whole M47 is a bit different (in many ways) from the ones in 200- and early 700-series.

Anza

[Andrew (UK)]

Yes it is possible, no it is not plug and play. There were very few bell housings made that will mate a B20 to an M45/46/47, so you would probably have to get one made by cutting and welding. The drive shaft length will also need adjusting. The transmission cross member may not be in a suitable place. Mods will need to be made to the gearbox mount in any case. I don't know if the tunnel is big enough either.
The engines that use M45/46/47 boxes are mounted at a slant, but the B20 is upright. Depending upon how the bell housing is made, this may affect the position of the gear lever, this may not be correect fore/aft anyway necessitating changing the linkage.
I don't know what sort of clutch you would have to use either.
Now if you wanted to fit an M41, life would be a lot simpler even considering wiring up the OD.

[Andrew (UK)]

Pre 85 240s have cable driven speedo's. My 84 244 with M47 is cable driven. My 86 245 with M47 is electronic from the diff.

[Anza]

Thank you all who replied! Maybe I'll finish few other projects first and then go into gearboxes :)
Does anybody know a good forum (like this one) for old OPELs, specially for Kadett A and B?

Anza

[PaulJacksonUK]

My 1989 (1990 Model) 740TD engine as far as I can remember was not inclined at all, this had an M46 gearbox with electronic speedo (IE non cable driven). My 265 (1982) M46 gearbox engine not inclined (V6).Possibly the B230E engine in my old 88 244GLT (M47 gearbox) & my current B200FT (M46 gearbox) in the 92 Wentworth are inclined.

Paul Jackson

940 Turbo Estate.

[Andrew (UK)]

You are of course right, I forgot about the diesels and V6's. The 4 cylinder petrol engines in the 200 and 700/900 series cars are the ones that are inclined. It's just something to think about when sorting out the bell housing.

[vanapeer]

I did not see anyone mention number of splines of input shaft and therefore clutch disk. Later 200 probably had change in number, cannot confirm splines' numbers now though.

[940_Turbo]

Holy thread resurrection............