Volvo S80 (P2) 6-speed conversion

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Alright gang, long time no speak

My Volvo S80 D5 is developing an annoying gearbox whine in 3rd and 4th gear, I think the box is just getting tired after 275,000 miles. I'd already decided my days of doing DIY gearbox swaps were over, but the prospect of paying the garage £500 + parts to fit a secondhand box was upsetting me and somehow I arrived at the slightly 'man-maths' conclusion that a DIY effort might be justifiable, if the outcome was an upgrade from 5- to 6-speed operation. I did some reading and youtubing and decided that if a later 'Euro 4' P2 Volvo S60 would donate its M66 gearbox, selector cables and air filter box & pipe, the swap would be a bolt-in job, and that if I was patient and got myself organised maybe it could be a goer.

I found a dude on FB who was breaking such a car and agreed on £275 for everything I needed, so i went up to Wakefield a couple of weeks back with a bootful of tools. It was a 'remove it yourself' type gig - i thought removing the box myself would give me some valuable knowledge that would come in useful when I got stuck into my own car.

Spent a not unpleasant day dismantling this thing on my own in a gravel yard. It did take me all day but I got the box out without smashing anything, the seller was well impressed

 

Quite a major war to get the box out. I dropped the subframe on the passenger side but I think on my own car I would have to remove the subframe completely for easier access when refitting the box. The steering rack bolts to the subframe so its quite involved to remove it. Still, I got what I was after:

the Volvo M66 gearbox is ONE HEAVY BASTARD. I can just about lift it, but with a 75% risk of giving myself a hernia. Still, here it is in my wheelbarrow

The plan is to clean this up a bit and fit some new driveshaft seals in it before installing it. Also Ive got to take the gearbox mounts into work and put them through the hot wash. Then borrow my mate's motorbike jack for lifting the box into place. And finally book a Friday off work so Ive got a 3-day weekend to tackle the job (nights are drawing in now eh)

Why am I telling you all this? Well I hate doing major works on my own car which I need to use to drive to work on Monday mornings, so any wisdom anyone has on this topic, which will make the job any easier or pre-warn me about potential pitfalls, I wanna hear it. I'm not starting the job just yet (got to tidy the driveway, book the day off and psych myself up generally) but so far my main inspiration is some dude on YT called 'IAMASPANNER' who has done this job, and apart from smashing his flywheel teeth by not tightening his starter motor up properly afterwrd, made it look relatively straightforward. Having said that his car was a V70 - mine is an S80 P2, which was never offered with the M66 box from the factory, so maybe theres some major problem with my idea that I'm blissfully unaware of. Cheers!

 

[High Jetter]

You need another international collection to calm you down.

[Rustybullethole]

15 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

You need another international collection to calm you down.

Which would take all the stress out of the gearbag shuffle as you'd have a spare car should it not quite be buttoned up Monday morning. 

[Jazoli]

Brave move if you’ve not a spare/borrowed/hired car and you need to get to work the next day.

can you not recruit someone to help you?

[ruffgeezer]

Did you get the clutch and flywheel too? Otherwise it might be worth checking that the I put ahadt is the same on your new box as the old one before you get to lifting it in.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I didnt get the clutch and flywheel cos my existing ones were new just over a year ago!!! I will measure up/count the splines but I am about 85% sure they're compatible.

[Snipes]

Too l8 now m8 but a straight swap sounds far less fraught if you really need it on the Monday. 

Take the Massrarti. Or the bollox box to work.