Manual Transmission Issues

svendyensen · Post by **svendyensen** » 28 Jun 2010, 15:41

Hello All,
I have a 2000 V70 non-turbo with a Manual transmission and 165k miles. I just completed doing a bunch of work on it: replaced the catalytic converter, muffler, exhaust manifold seals (I had to take the manifold off to get the old cat off the car), new brakes (piston seals, rear brake lines, rotors, pads), new parking brakes (shoes, springs, clips), and replaced the boots on the drivers side cv joints. I took it for a test drive after completing the work on Saturday, pulled into a parking lot, and the bottom radiator hose clamp broke, draining all my coolant into the parking lot. Got someone to bring me a new hose clamp and coolant, fixed that up and went home. All was good. Then on Sunday I cleaned the car and washed the engine bay (used the engine cleaner spray from autozone, let it sit 10 minutes, then washed it off with a hose on low pressure). After letting the car sit for awhile, I turned the key and it started up no problem. I let it run for awhile to dry out the engine bay, and everything was fine.

Later Sunday night, I decided to take it for one last test drive before my commute to work today (65 miles each way). About a mile down the road, I noticed there was some rough idling, and my car threw a CEL (P0505). I kept going, as it didn't seem to be affecting performance any. A little further down the road, I shifted into 4rth gear, and a couple seconds later, it slipped out of gear. I put the clutch down and re-engaged 4rth again without a problem. I kept going thinking it was an isolated incident, but then it kept happening. I decided I should turn around, but before I could, it slipped out of gear once again, and then would not re-engage (I tried all the forward gears, 1-5, and reverse...nothing). I ended up having to call a tow truck to get me back to my house. When the flat bed tow truck arrived, we began to put the car up onto the bed (so the car was at a steep angle), and suddenly my transmission fluid started gushing out from the seal by the driver side cv joint.

Has anyone had anything like this happen? My initial thoughts were that it was the clutch, but i've had a clutch go on me before and it was more of a progressive slippage than this immediate failure. Thanks for the help everyone.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 28 Jun 2010, 15:58

You may not have fully seated the axle after you replaced the CV joint boots. It takes a bunch of pressure to snap the clip back in on the driver's side axle. The bad news is all of that really expensive Volvo gear lube that you get to buy again.

...Lee

svendyensen · Post by **svendyensen** » 28 Jun 2010, 16:23

Hey Lee, I was thinking the same thing. I tend to over tighten stuff, but it's possible I thought it was seated and it wasn't. Any thoughts/ experience with my shifting/ transmission issue?

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 28 Jun 2010, 20:09

My bet is that if you re-seat the axle life will be all good again unless you drained all of the lube before the tow while on the highway.

If one side of the axle pops off the car will loose all drive.

...Lee

svendyensen · Post by **svendyensen** » 29 Jun 2010, 08:36

Hey Lee, Thanks for the info. I didn't think about it, but it does make sense that if the axle was slipping in and out of the socket, i'd have the driving characteristics I experienced. I am going to refill the transmission fluid and re-seat the axle tonight. Hopefully all will be well thereafter. When you re-seat the axle, do you put any type of metal/metal adhesive in? I think i read in the Haynes manual you're supposed to do that. If so, can you recommend what to use? Thanks again for the help!

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 29 Jun 2010, 13:16

When you re-seat the axle, do you put any type of metal/metal adhesive in?

I don't use it and I have never had any problems. I think its function in life is to fill any voids on the splines where it goes through the hub but that nut gets torqued down so tight that I don't think one needs to worry about it. In your case I think you can likely re-seat the axle without needing to take the hub off again. To seat my axle I use a 5 lb sledge hammer and a block of wood and smack the back of the inner CV joint until it snaps back into place.

...Lee

Post by **jblackburn** » 29 Jun 2010, 13:23

I have never used the adhesive either.

To seat my axle I use a 5 lb sledge hammer and a block of wood and smack the back of the inner CV joint until it snaps back into place.

I find it hard to get leverage on a hammer from under the car - (my old jack stands don't go very high), so I push it in, then drive a jack into a block of wood against it just to make sure it's in.