I figured some of you old timey resourceful types would enjoy this scenario.....

Last night at about 2AM the Volvo (84 242) stopped moving foward. It gave some warig as for the last da or so the idle would surge after shifting and it would race the engie if I didnt let off the gas pedal ad ease it ito gear. Well, while attepting to turn into a gas station the shifter was stuck in neutral and wouldt allow me to downshift. I got the car parked. I could shift if I turned the car off but it would lurch if I tried to start (almost as if I was trying to start it in gear)
I have no idea if my clutch has ever been changed (the car has 175K on it)Keep in mind that this is the car that I learned how to drive a stick on so I haven't exactly been ice to it but, it didn't seem like a problem untill a day or two ago. I have some of the records and there is nothing suggesting it isn't the original. Is this possible? I didn't think a clutch could go that far.
If it isn't the clutch I'm assuming it to be the tranny which in my limited mechanical knowledge just means $$$$$$

Is it worth fixing? The car is a bucket out and out but, I like it. It has damage from three minor accidents (smashed rear quater panel, blue fender passenger on beige car, smashed in drivers door.... all not my fault btw) Nothing pretty to look at, runs a little rough, has a 10psi drop in pressure on the #2 cylinder. Suspension is crap (simply put) But again, I like it.

I have new tires, rotors, calipers, exhaust, motor mmounts.

Other option.... I found an 82 wagon with a front engine seal leak. $300. also 300 miles away I need a car ASAP so I would not have time to do repairs on either car myself and I have almost exactly $600 of cash to spend on the solution. What do you do.... DO NOT SHOOT THE HOSTAGE!!!



(sorry couldn't help)

My money is on a broken clutch cable. Easy to fix and pretty cheap.
--
George Downs Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!

The "engine surge" is confusing me, but if it won't go into gear while running, but will go into gear while stopped, it suggests that either your synchronizers have failed in the transmission or the clutch is not disengaging. I think that you said that it surges forward when you try to start it in gear, which narrows the suspects to the clutch.

There are three reasons why the clutch won't disengage:

1) The clutch cable has failed. This is the cheapest scenario, but you would have noticed that the clutch pedal resistance went away when it failed.

2) The throwout bearing has failed. This should have given you warning by being noisy for a while before it failed.

3) The clutch pressure plate is completely shot and the last of the friction material crumbled and is causing the clutch to drag. This is not the most common failure mode, but it could happen.

For the throwout bearing or the pressure plate, the $$ is not too bad if you repair it yourself, but it is not a fun job. You need a transmission jack or a couple of (good) strong friends to help you drop the transmission and put it back up. I have done it alone but I am pretty stong and very stupid.

Get underneath and see if the clutch cable tip is still attached to the arm that goes into the bell housing. If so, see if that arm feels really loose, which would indicate a failed throwout bearing.

If the problem is not the clutch cable, then you are going to have to drop the transmission. Drain the transmission oil. If it has a lot of metal dust in it, go shopping for a new tranny at the local Volvo junkyard. Expect to spend $400 to $600 on a different tranny.

to compound matters even further my "n" key appears to have crapped out as well