gear crunch
 

hi people new to volvo ownership here im 24 and brought a lovely condition 460ES Ive worked through the issues that the seller didn't tell me about so the last one at the min is sometimes putting it in reverse it grinds even if you off the clutch and try again but mostly is fine any ideas how to sort this ? regards

Common fault on many cars not just volvo , it may simply be the clutch friction plate not fully clearing either the flywheel face or the cover plate . This can be the result of dust / rust build up on the input shaft . You won't notice it in the forward gears due to the synchromesh hubs doing their thing .

It may even be due to incorrect grade of gearbox oil causing drag that keeps turning the gears & crunching

Have you checked the clutch cable adjustment?

i know its common on most cars but i want to do the right thing in preserving the 460 like the one previous owner has ...... how would you check the cable or know the right setting ? ive only worked on hydro clutch

Adjustment is on the end of the cable in the engine bay. If you don't know how to do it, buy a Haynes book, if it's still tricky, get a garage to do it