Transmission re-fit
 

Just spent about 10-12 hours removing the autobox on my 03 XC90 D5 to replace it with a second hand one.

Does anyone know the best way of lining up the torque converter bolt holes with the flywheel? Is there an easy way of rotating the TC?

Thanks

Hope you got it sorted. How did you get the gearbox out? I tried doing mine but couldn't get it, and now it won't turn over.
Think I now have to drop the engine/gearbox and subframeas the passenger driveshaft simply would not budge.

For lining up the TC to flywheel, would be take the starter motor off, and this will give you a better look at what's going on.
John

@John L – I did exactly that, I had the starter off already so I lined up the TC and the drive plate (you can turn the TC with your finger through the starter aperture) and put one bolt in through the starter hole. I then did the rest and torqued them down from the prescribed hole at the back.

@2004 XC90 – getting the gearbox out is a long, tricky job. Out and in again for a first timer on their own is about 20-25 hours work. My suggestion, having now done it, is work as follows:

- Disconnect the battery!

- Remove what you need to from the top (air filter housing, selector cable, EGR valve, bottom rad hose, intercooler pipes and charge hose. Disconnect rear mount vacuum hose. Drain engine oil, coolant, gearbox oil, power steering fluid. Remove the starter motor. Disconnect the gearbox wiring at the plugs. Remove the gearbox oil cooler pipes from the radiator. From under the car remove the engine under tray and skid plate.

- Raise the car, remove the front wheels, support securely on axle stands – bear in mind you will need to remove the sub frame mounting plates so do not obstruct these with the axle stands. Raise it to sufficient height that you can remove the gearbox from underneath.

- You need an engine support (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1313030885...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT) you cannot do the job safely without one. You also need to make an extra bracket for it using M12 rod (about 60cm long) and a piece of chain to hold the gearbox. You also need a good, large trolley jack. You also need a good selection of metric sockets, spanners, extension bars and swivel joints.

- Use the above to support the engine/gearbox – attach the two chains to the hook on the top engine mount, loop the other around the exhaust manifold and power steering pump support bracket.

- Remove the entire sub frame next – disconnect the track rod ends, anti roll bar links and bottom ball joints (tip – it’s easier to undo the two bolts holding the ball joints into the hub than separate the joints). Undo the nuts from the 2 vacuum engine mounts, remove the gearbox mount from underneath. There are also some pipes and cables attached at the front. Remove the sub frame with the steering rack attached; you will need to disconnect the steering pipes (one from pump, one from cooler), the steering column and the mid-rear engine mount. Take the weight of the engine on the support and remove the two bolts from the mounting near the crankshaft pulley – you get to these through the wheel arch. Lift the engine/box off the sub frame to check it is clear and then remove the four bolts holding the sub frame and drop it. It’s heavy, us a trolley jack and beer crates or similar to support it.

- Remove the drive shafts from the hub after removing the bolts the secure them. Remove the driveshafts (on the drivers side you need to undo the bearing shell cap at the rear of the engine next to the turbo and slide it out. On the passenger side you need to drive a chisel or similar between the driveshaft and gearbox and jemmy it out - do not attempt to pull it out as you are likely to tear the inner CV joint boot).

- Next – attach two additional 1 ton ratchet straps around the engine support and engine/gearbox – this is essential as you will be working underneath it and if one of the chains fails it will drop the engine and gearbox on you with dire consequences…

- Remove the oil cooler and disconnect the coolant hoses (this makes a watery/oily mess)

- Remove the rear exhaust section by disconnecting the joint after the cat. Support the front section, I replaced two of the front transmission tunnel support bolts and attached a sturdy cable tie between them.

- Remove disconnect the propshaft centre mount, remove the front, rear and mid transmission tunnel supports.

- Disconnect the propshaft from the transfer box (six allen bolts) and slide it to one side.

- Working under the engine and mindful of the considerable weight above you remove the support bracket for the exhaust. Remove the anti-vibration weight from under the transfer box (2 nuts). Remove the transfer box (5 bolts I think, you need a long socket extension with a swivel joint or a cranked spanner to get the last one). When the last bolt is remove the transfer box will not drop, you need to slide is away from the gearbox as a sleeve goes into it.

- Remove the mid rear engine mount and bracket.

- Remove the six torque converter to flywheel bolts through the hole at the back of the engine, turn the engine using a spanner on the crankshaft nut to get to the next one etc. Use a good quality Torx bit – you don’t want to strip the heads on these!

- From the front of the car remove the ratchet straps, lower the LHS of the engine approx. 50mm and the RHS approx. 100mm so the engine tilts.

- Slide the M12 threaded bar through the engine support and spin a nut and a metal plate onto it so it rests on the support like the others. Using nuts/washers attach a chain to the bottom of it and bolt it to the gearbox – there is a lug with two holes in it at exactly the right place.

- Wind up the nut on the above to take the weight of the transmission, remove the transmission/engine bolts (there are 9 I think) LEAVE THE TOP ONES TO LAST.

- Slide the gearbox off the engine, lower to the ground checking no pipes/wires attached.
Refit is the reverse of removal as they say….

- ** WHEN FITTING THE TORQUE CONVERTER TO THE GEARBOX, rotate it clockwise whilst pushing it into the gearbox. You should hear and feel it drop TWICE. When correctly seated the gap between the torque converter bolt lugs and the bell housing surface should be 13mm. If you do not seat the torque converter correctly, the gearbox will be damaged. This is documented in the Haynes manual. Make sure you never tilt the gearbox when refitting in such a way that it could slide out again. **

- Fit a new crankshaft oil seal and torque converter/gearbox seal – genuine Volvo ones come to less that £30. Unless you get them out without marking the heads, replace the TC mounting bolts also. These are 1.20each.

- Refill the gearbox with the correct JWS3309 fluid. I used the Comma ASW version. The reasons to use only this fluid are well documented. Don’t forget new coolant, engine oil, power steering fluid.

- Slide the gearbox under the engine, attach a chain as before, raise it to the same height as the engine. Locate one of the gearbox mounting holes that has a dowel in it, mate it to the gearbox, use a sturdy piece of rope to hold them together. Line up the rest of the gearbox so it mates with the engine properly, put a few bolts in. This sounds simple but don’t try to use brute force, it took me about 40 mins.

Tips:

** When removing the gearbox, transfer box, subframe, engine mounting and other bolts carefully number them (push them through cardboard or something) so you put them back in the hole they came from – they are subtly different lengths. **

** Some of the bolts for the transfer box etc. are very tricky to access, find the correct spanner, socket, extension bar etc, rather than risking damaging the head **.

** Borrow or buy a VIDA set-up and run the gearbox TCM adaption task carefully – it makes a big difference **

I may have missed a few things out (charge pipe…) as I did this from memory but hopefully it will help.

WOW - and this is why I'd gladly pay my trusted Indy to do the job for me :-). Hats off to you Sir.
Thanks for the guide.

Cheers
Ian.

I would add that I have read that it is possible to remove the transmission buy just dropping the subframe on one side, however you get so much better access to remove the transfer box and other items when the subframe is removed i think it is worth the effort to do so. Also I think you would need a greater ground clearance, i.e. a workshop ramp........

That's where I got stuck. The passenger driveshaft will not come out. I tried a breaker bar, an extra long ball joint splitter and various cold chisels. In all I spent 2 weekends hammering, banging and swearing at it, but it will not come out.

I was able to split the gearbox from the engine in-situ but not far enough to achieve anything so when I put it back together I appear to have locked the engine / flywheel. It will not budge so the car is now broke.

I am now contemplating dropping the complete engine and gearbox out the bottom so that I can get the dam driveshaft out and spilt the gearbox properly.

Thanks very much for a brilliant write-up. It is a bit daunting but the car is knackered as it sits so might as well go for it.

That seems ominous that the engine is locked.... I never tried it but you could I think remove the gearbox with the n/s driveshaft in situ, probably best to remove the suspension strut to create more space. Or you could remove the cv joint clip and then slide the driveshaft and tripode bearings out of the splined hub that you can't get out of the gearbox....

Why did you want the box out to start with?

There is oil dripping out and I am losing a lot of engine oil, so I suspect the core plug needs changed.
Maybe a bit optomistic to do it myself, but I thought I would give it a go.

I will be replacing the core plug and real crank oil seal on my my D5 163 over the Easter break.

I ordered an engine support bar from Jago, who are actually based in Germany.

Retailing at £34.99, if you sign up for their newsletter, you get an extra five discount.

This engine support bar cost me £29.99 including shipping, and looks identical to those on eBay costing over £40 !

https://www.jago24.co.uk/engine-support-bar.html