Seriously. In the rain tonight. You gotta be kidding me. Got home in 3rd gear only.

Someone tell me what I did.

Then tell me if it's possible to replace it without dropping the transmission.

I think this might be repairable, depending on how much oil seeped into the aluminum.

Thank you.

--
MPergiel, Walker, MI

I have replaced the cover on various transmissions while in the car over the years. This is admittedly much easier if you can work with the car on a lift. It did require lowering the transmission enough to be able to get to the six bolts holding the cover on and to create enough room to persuade the cover off and out - I believe I had to move forward and then rotate it to the side to get it out of the tunnel. Make sure it's in neutral before removing the shift lever. The most difficult part would be removing a broken gasket and cleaning the surface prior to installing a new gasket and the cover. an inspection mirror on a telescoping arm is your friend.

Thanks Danny. Getting the old one out won't be a problem, because the big boss on the top is busted off.
Slipping the new one in will be the trick, but the gasket is new.

It would only be better if the temperature dropped another 20 degrees to 10F

I'm going to see if my machinist can tig weld it up as a spare with little reinforcement supports. The aluminum is <1/8" thick.
--
MPergiel, Walker, MI

Are you sure your aren't Bruce Banner?
--
Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502

Do you have a spare you can ship me? There's one on ebay for $62 inc shipping.
And do you think I can lower the tranny enough to get at the bolts through the shifter hole?

--
MPergiel, Walker, MI

I'll check to see if I have any left in decent shape. You will probably need a new top cover gasket and I have those as well.

You might be able to get the cover off and on without removing the transmission, but I wouldn't try it.

I personally have broken a top cover when I wasn't paying attention and that was with the transmission on a bench, so I strongly suggest you pull the transmission.

It's not that bad a job, the hardest part being removing the 4 transmission Allen bolts. We use a long 3/8" drive long Allen socket with a 3/8" ball end similar to the one in the picture below.



In case I haven't drummed into your head before, remember that most of the hardware SHOULD be UNC or UNF, but there are some nuts, bolts and fittings that require metric tools and there is always the chance that someone else who didn't know or check, used the wrong hardware.

For example, we just removed an exhaust manifold from an 1971 1800E that had been replaced with the updated manifold from a 1974-1975 140/240 and someone in the past forced UNC bolts into the exhaust flange even though the updated manifold uses metric studs. The original manifold did use 3/8" UNC studs, so I can understand the mistake.


--
Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502
hiperformanceautoservice.com or oldvolvosonly.com

I got it installed, without removing the transmission. This is an M40 original car, so the tunnel is the narrow one. Have new motor mounts, was able to undo driveshaft and rear mount, lower the whole this until the exhaust limited further, then pried it over with a 2x4 just enough to slip the new cover in. If I'd had to clean the surfaces it would have prolly been easier to remove the trans, but there was a new gasket in there and it came off clean. Sneaking the bolts in requirea magnet and 1/4 drive universal extension, and final tightening with a offset wrench. Re-attached trans rubber mount and driveshaft and all good. Geeze.

Apparently it was bad motor mounts that caused the boss to knock against the tranny hole and weaken the cover. I didn't notice any damage, bu then it's alloy and just snapped off.

Still haven't resolved the overdrive slow engage issue. The box switch was really gummed up, so that's cleaned and resealed internally, tested ok, could still be the culprit, will confirm when I bypass it. I think it's the solenoid, though.

The advice I saw somewhere about making your own m16x2.0 tap from a bolt is kinda iffy, IMO. I did it, but it is not as good as a real tap, which I found on ebay for $5. Job done for now though.



--
MPergiel, Walker, MI

In my experience with an M41 D type in a 444, it would both engage more slowly, and drop out of OD and down into 4th when it was low on oil.

1st to swap the o-drive unit in, then to reseal the leaking odrive, now to replace the top cover. I'm getting too good at it.
--
MPergiel, Walker, MI