'91 240 wagon "noisy" 5 spd

[brujenn]

Hello Volvo people!

I'm looking at re-entering the 240 world with the purchase of a '91 wagon. My concern is that the transmission is reported as being noisy in the upper gears, and I haven't been able to find much at all about repairing these transmissions. I've searched this site, and read several threads, looked at ipd etc. I was surprised to learn that automatic fluid is called for in the manuals.

I'm asking for general info on rebuilding the tranny, but for all I know the noise could be a suspension, exhaust, brake, driveshaft or rear end problem. So - please chime in with any general advice or speculative comments you may have.

Also, a more general question: Are the manual cars know for being troublesome? Are they more or less desirable than automatics?

Me: Fairly experienced amateur mechanic, have done engine swaps, clutch replacements, and gotten in as far as replacing heads and timing gears.

Thanks, Bruce

[jimmy57]

that gearbox uses synthetic oil in Europe and someone made a mistake when ATF was specified.
I worked on those when new and they gave loads of troubles with ATF, primarily failed bearings due to a plastic caged roller bering getting hot and the plastic melting and getting into a synchronizer and 1st gear selection being hard due to excess drag from a noise controlling "brake" assembly. Synthetic transaxle oil or synthetic motor oil fixed all these problems.
Noise in upper gears that goes mostly quiet in 4th and 5th is front countershaft bearing.
Noise in all gears but goes quietest in 4th is input bearing noise. Noise greatest in 5th is the 5th gear support at back end of countershaft or the final tailshaft bearing.

[brujenn]

Thanks, Jimmy57 - good, specific answers. Who makes this tranny, and where would I go for parts?