Well, I've been able to find a working, I hope, replacement ZF transmission for my 740 TD. Since this is the first time I've ever done anything like this I wanted to ask for some advice from the forum.

Is there anything I should do or check before or as I'm installing the transmission? Is there anyone out there that has done this and would be kind enough to share their insights?

After finishing and test driving the 740 TD I'm planning on selling the Volvo and use the money to install a radiant floor heating system. Living here in Indiana the winter chill will cost me a fortune this winter. The radiant system should help eleviate some the cost.

Thanks

Jerry

Hmmm, SO are Volvo Turbo diesels worth a real lot in Indiana? I think this sounds like a fine restoration project, but i can't imagine the economics will work out.
My friends in VT have a radiant system in their house, it is a great idea and it feels wonderful. Go for it (both the car and heating system), but you better budget carefully............
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744 & 745 16v 4+OD, 245 SE auto, 242Ti 4+OD, 745 8v auto (new), 245DL auto parts car

I've been able to find all the parts needed at the local Menards. Currently I'm only planning on delivering radiant heat to the family room and the nursery. The family room has a ceramic tile and the rest of the house is oak hardwood. Fortunately or not our house is under two thousand square feet which allows me to use the water heater to tie into. Once I decided to plumb the rest of the house I'll create a closed loop system with a dedicated 10 gallon electric water heater.

I have to say in the beginning I would have agreed with you in the cost but after some research you can save quite a bit of money doing it yourself. It also helps to have relatives that are contractors and getting discounts on the parts! Based on pricing this project will run between $600-$700, this includes over estimating the project.

Thanks

Jerry

Take the pan off the thing and make sure it isn't full of water or crud. Check the condition of the kickdown cable, replace if needed. if OK put a new filter and gasket on. Replace the front seal ( easy to do now, but not after it's in )pull with regular seal puller, install new with a section of pipe with an appropriate size fiting on the end to drive it in clean ( 2" plastic with a reduction bushing fitting on the end wil do )
When you install, chances are will need to run it for a short time, then do a power flush to get old crud out unless it's been in recent service. If it acts sticky after a flush, get some auto rx ( www.auto-rx.com ) and run a treatment of that to get it working right.

When you pull the old tranny, make sure you remove both the little rods so you don't break them.

Soak the bellhousing to engine bolts for a few days with Aero-Kroil so they'll come out easier. You'll need some ling extensions and ujoint fittings to get sockets in there, easier to get to them after dropping the tranny mount and driveshaft.

Lining up the torque converter in the car is going to be real fun ( it's a blast with the engine and tranny out, it'll be real fun under the car ) get ahold of a real transmission jack to line it up, you won't be just stuffing that thing.

Have fun------Robert
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-------Robert, '93 940t, '90 240 wagon, '84 240 diesel (she's sick) , '80 245 diesel, '86 740 GLE turbo diesel, '92 Ford F350 diesel dually

It's not a big deal, just a simple trans replacement. I have not done a ZF in years but have probably still done more of them than any other Volvo trans. I was a trainnie at the Volvo dealership back in the day when we did multiple ZF transmissions a day. For whatever reason the diesel ZFs seemed to hold up much, much better than the regular gas cars did. The only tips that I can think of relate to the cooling lines and the torque converter. If you pull the converter make sure that you get that baby all the way back in, if I recall it has to drop in 3 times before it is seated all the way. If you do not have it all of the way in and you force it you will destroy the front pump, don't ask me how I know this one. On the cooling lines they are held in via banjo bolts and fittings, my advice is to unscrew the line where it goes into the banjo fitting and not unscrew the hollow bolt that goes through the fitting and into the case. I have seen more than one trainnie cross thread that fitting into the side of the case. What you do is crack the bolt loose so that the banjo fitting is free to swivel around and then carefully thread the line onto it. A crows foot wrench is handy to loosen them and to get the final snug on them. If you screw it up doing it the way I do it the worst you will do is booger up a line or a fitting and not destroy the threads on the front pump which will necessitate pulling the trans back out to fix or, God forbid, replace the trans. Beyond that it is pretty much just a straight forward transmission R&R. Do the flushes and seal work (rear main engine seal too) that has been mentioned in other posts and you should be ok.

Mark

That converter can be alot of fun especially with cold hands and gloves! When you do jack the trans up in place make sure it has a slight incline to keep the converter in place and doesnt slip forward.
Now Ive seen those transmission "jack adapters" that fits through the center hole of a floor jack, never tried one myself but something worth looking into.

As for heating costs... Well being in MN here we had a stretch of single digits for over a week and yes it was expensive, One of the "old home" magazines had an article about in-floor heating you might want to look into. I believe it was along the lines of "new england homes" or something of that nature. Was interesting to read about and might help give you some good information.

Brandon

I did one in the dark, and put the old (dead) torqe convertor on the new tranny. It was still stripped. The next day, I think the tranny R&R to swap convertors only took 3 or 4 hours with ample time for brews and bench racing. So, be sure to put the right TC in. A ratcheting box wrench for the top bolts, and loooong extension for the others. much easier than most 4x4s. The $50 tranny jack from Harbour Freight is not great, but not a bad investment.

I did a radiant system under a bamboo T&G floor last year, and I think it cost the owner around $35K, but the result is sweeet.