The Joy Of 240's, with issues...

[Bugjam1999]

Originally Posted by Bob Meadows

Well done: ~ regarding the drain & filler plugs- these are notorious for being difficult to remove, I’m convinced Volvo used Loctite on these or similar.

With this in mind apply heat from a gas gun/camper gas type direct to the plug- this will break the bond between the box & plug, doesn’t need a lot of heat. Use a tight fitting socket and it should move.

Both plugs are worth having a hex nut welded to the ends ready for the next oil change or next owner! Oil from the back of the box could just be because the same has been tilted more than normal? I found the same so removed a bolt and used gasket seal red hermetite – the box was overfilled as previously mentioned (Type F oil for this one) but once back in the normal position it remains dry.
Regards Bob.

Buy or borrow an impact wrench, they're invaluable for jobs like this. The rattling action will loosen and undo bolts that would just shear off if a big lever was applied. The gearbox drain and fill plugs will come out easily if you use one.

As you’ll have realised the plugs are a hex shape already so no need to weld anything to them, Bob maybe you’re thinking of the diff fill and drain plugs which are square?

Cheers

[CosmicBike]

Sadly the fill would not shift with spanners etc, and eventually the hex head rounded off. This was all with the 'box on the car.

An hour this afternoon has been an adventure with no good outcome. I have the gearbox out while I wait for a few bits to fit the new clutch, so easy access. I have tried heat by the bucket load, no joy. Hammering round with cold chisel is cutting lumps of metal off and not moving the plug. Nut welded onto remnants of hex head, weld cracked off. Remnants cut off, nice flat surface and soo clean I could eat my dinner off it. Nut welded on, nut cracked off!!

This thing does not want to move. I was toying with drilling it out, with some hefty magnets and grease to collect the swarf as I go, but I'd never catch it all, and metal shavings don't go well in any gearbox.

My current thinking. An oil sump temperature adaptor, in the drain plug. With a suitable barbed fitting I could pump 1.5 litres of Type F in through the drain, then quickly replace barbed fitting with blanking plug. Not ideal, but since I reckon I'll only change the oil twice (1 fill and run 1000 miles to flush, then replace), a workable solution.

Can anyone confirm the drain plug thread size? I think it's a straightforward 3/4" as opposed to an 18 x1.5...

I did at least fix the damaged reverse light switch cable. Unless I damaged it when removing the 'box I may have been trundling around with reversing lights on all the time.....

[Bob Meadows]

https://www.volvoclub.org.uk/faq/Tra...ionManual.html
https://www.skandix.de/en/spare-part...-plug/1032014/
https://classic-volvo.com/magnetic-p...0-740-940.html

Aren’t they fun!!
The impact gun may work- but with a box on the car you are extremely limited for space, the gun will just not fit between the body cover & gearbox, from memory the lower plug may be possible? But the top isn’t. Bad enough to fill with oil without being inventive: ~
Above is further advice on removal together with a couple of suppliers- I can’t see the thread size though. When I removed my plugs (box in place) the bottom yielded—eventually—but the top just wouldn’t move. I heated the plug up and then with a long BLUNT chisel firmly located on the hex flat hit it with a lump hammer- it moved after a couple of blows.
Descent mole grips may also help if heavily rounded off.
Now that the box is out of the car I would persevere with heat again & a welded on nut or bolt as advised in the above link. The plug is a descent length so you may be able to use an extractor but I personnel don’t like or use them. A properly welded on nut/bolt is probably the best bet and avoiding any sort of drilling. (The plugs will also be reusable)
Once done use anti-seize on the threads—Good Luck it will go!

[CosmicBike]

I wasn't going to bed without this sorted! I had found the parts needed to create a means of filling via the drain plug, but that would have been a bit of a pain, and would also mean no magnetic plug.

Out with the drill, and I started with a grease covered 2mm bit and a magnet. Went in really easy for 10mm or so then became very tough, so I gradually upped to 6mm, always grease covered. Looking at a new drain plug it would seem I had hit the magnetic part, didn't expect that on a fill plug...

Rather than continue drilling, I figured I had a good enough hole to try an easi-out. Never had much luck with them, but the biggest one was a good fit. With a suitable socket on a 3/8 ratchet it wasn't moving. Blowtorch out again, this time remembering it's only a butane job as the MAP is broken, so left on for quite some time, along with 'bouncing' on the ratchet. Hurrah! A wonderful sound of the plug cracking and out she came!!. New ones fitted with copper slip and only nipped up for now. Happy days.

[Bob Meadows]

Brilliant! you can now move on to the next task knowing that the oil change is straight forward.
Bob.

P.S. :~
If you want to replace the plugs without the overpriced Volvo tag- take it to a descent engineering supplier who will also assist with the thread size and purchase etc.

[Bugjam1999]

Originally Posted by Bob Meadows

https://www.volvoclub.org.uk/faq/Tra...ionManual.html
https://www.skandix.de/en/spare-part...-plug/1032014/
https://classic-volvo.com/magnetic-p...0-740-940.html

Aren’t they fun!!
The impact gun may work- but with a box on the car you are extremely limited for space, the gun will just not fit between the body cover & gearbox, from memory the lower plug may be possible? But the top isn’t.

Oh definitely no space with the gearbox still on the car, the OP already had he box off before I commented.

Cheers

[Bugjam1999]

Originally Posted by CosmicBike

Sadly the fill would not shift with spanners etc, and eventually the hex head rounded off. This was all with the 'box on the car.

An hour this afternoon has been an adventure with no good outcome. I have the gearbox out while I wait for a few bits to fit the new clutch, so easy access. I have tried heat by the bucket load, no joy. Hammering round with cold chisel is cutting lumps of metal off and not moving the plug. Nut welded onto remnants of hex head, weld cracked off. Remnants cut off, nice flat surface and soo clean I could eat my dinner off it. Nut welded on, nut cracked off!!

This thing does not want to move. I was toying with drilling it out, with some hefty magnets and grease to collect the swarf as I go, but I'd never catch it all, and metal shavings don't go well in any gearbox.

My current thinking. An oil sump temperature adaptor, in the drain plug. With a suitable barbed fitting I could pump 1.5 litres of Type F in through the drain, then quickly replace barbed fitting with blanking plug. Not ideal, but since I reckon I'll only change the oil twice (1 fill and run 1000 miles to flush, then replace), a workable solution.

Can anyone confirm the drain plug thread size? I think it's a straightforward 3/4" as opposed to an 18 x1.5...

I did at least fix the damaged reverse light switch cable. Unless I damaged it when removing the 'box I may have been trundling around with reversing lights on all the time.....

Another approach would have been filing the plug hex size down to the next smaller size and then using a 6 sided socket and an impact wrench- but you’ve got it out now, well done 👍

Cheers

[CosmicBike]

Rather frustratingly I'm waiting for parts to arrive. I have a new Sachs clutch kit and release bearing, I await threadlock for the flywheel bolts and the gearbox mount.
Nevermind, I guess on the plus side I can do a little at a time, so this afternoon I figured I'd change the rear main seal which was clearly leaking.
Didn't want to come out with the usual methods, so a small self tapping screw wound in and pulled with grips. Old seal was shot. New seal went in nice and easy, and I've refitted the flywheel albeit with loose bolts.
Hopefully my remaining bits will be here tomorrow...

[CosmicBike]

No bits first thing, so out on the bike for a steady 38 miles. Parts arrived just before lunch, so a couple of hours under the car this afternoon. Flywheel suitably thread locked and torqued, time for the new clutch. Fortunately I had borrowed my brother's clutch alignment tool (bought for replacing a 306 GTi6 clutch, that was a sod of a job), unfortunately as I realised after nipping the clutch plate up, it's no good for use with a pilot bearing, so bolts out and try again. This time a suitable alignment tool made up from a combination of 1/4" & 3/8" sockets/extensions. Now it's torqued down it looks pretty central, time will tell.
No desire to try and get the 'box back in today, so settled with fitting the new mount and filling with oil. Amazing how soft the old mount was compared to the new, and how red the new oil was compared to the thick coffee that came out.

[CosmicBike]

Well I'll call that a success. It took most of the day, but Grace is now sporting a new clutch, not that you can see it of course. The nicely painted gearbox crossmember on the other hand..
No major issues getting it all back together, initial struggles to get the 'box to go on the last inch or so were soon resolved once I realised that I was trying to move it forward against the CPS mounting point, doh! Add to that having to remove it again because I'd removed the clutch fork so I could have a good look at the input shaft alignment and that made up a fair bit of extra time.
Has is made any difference? Oh yes, gear selection at a standstill is as smooth as silk, reverse goes in without a hint of noise.
Quite pleased with myself, all done single handed with a combination of jacks, ropes and blocks of wood. Always nice to have a good end result.