anyone heard of this???
I recently used my 1986 740 automatic (no overdrive)to jump another vehicle w/ a dead battery...
shortly thereafter, the volvo barely moves forward as if it is in a very high gear, but it goes in reverse as normal. The tranny doesn't feel like it is slipping, it is like it is in neutral or something???
I used the throttle inside the hood to rev it up to supply amps to the other car, so I checked the "kick down cable" which appears to be fine???
what else could this be???

Sorry to say but you learned the hard way like I did a few weeks ago. Somehow I never read about not revving in park. I trashed the tranny so have a good '86 740 for sale.
Ray
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'94 850 wagon, '86 740 GLE, '88 740GLE, '86 760T that may go, '80 240 DL wagon and '81 240 DL that need to go.

IN 86 the non turbo's has a ZF tranny, you may have destroyed the tranny by revving it, in california they used to do the smog checks long ago by revving the cars in park thats changed quickly in part because of issue like what happens with the ZF

You probably have a ZFHP22 transmission (identified by the PRND321 gear-shift pattern) which does NOT like to be revved in park or neutral (Read more on this).

You can destroy it very VERY quickly by revving it in Park or Neutral. Ask me how I know :(

Check the transmission oil for signs of burning. How high and how long did you rev it ?

Noel

You somehow altered the kickdown cable by changing its adjustment or snapping a fitting, causing it to bind. Tha tis the only explanation, since the tranny is entirely mechanical and the jump start will not affect it.