This is an interesting forum discussion about Volvo’s manual transmissions. From durability to feel, manual transmissions have some distinct performance differences than automatics:
I am going to drive a 5 speed V70 and a 6 speed V70R. What am I looking for when I drive these cars? Should manual transmissions shifting action be very well defined or can I expect a bit of rubberiness in the action? Clutch take up, half pedal and strong?
I’ve never driven a non-RWD manual Volvo and don’t know how it should feel.
jimmy57 » Both of those cars will have self adjusting clutch covers that have little clutch pedal feel change even when the disc is worn to the rivet heads. This assumes no replacement clutch kit that deleted the SA clutch cover.
You should have good take up feel at about 1/2 travel and easy shifts between gears. Keep pedal depressed for 2 minutes and then see if clutch takeup spot changes due to leaking slave or master cylinder. Release pedal with gearbox in neutral with foot off pedal. Wait a minute (engine running) and then depress pedal and immediately select 1st or R to see if it grinds from incomplete release.
metalhead » Hey, this is actually my first post here although I love this site and have been using it for a long time. I’ve got a 95 850 glt with a stick and I love it to death. For me the clutch feels great; not too high or low and decent take-up and engagement. I find it very stable and predictable. Even my wife enjoys my transmission and clutch.
I’ve had the car for about 8 years and got it with about 100k on it. It now has about 235k and the (original) clutch is still all there as is the original exhaust. I was about 95% on the way to stage 0 on this car and had just started my annual clay bar and seal about a week ago when a kid pulled out of a parking lot directly in front of me at 35 mph or so…. Took out the front fender and both doors. After the shock, I have set about repairing my baby. I took it in to make sure the front end was okay (the front rim got clipped) and all was fine after an alignment. PS Insurance cars love to total old Volvos. I don’t think they get the whole Volvo thing.
If you find a good one with a stick, I can pretty much guarantee you’ll love it, assuming you like to shift. My wife’s 99 S70 feels like it weighs a thousand pounds more than mine and goes through brakes much more quickly. When you get these engines over about 3500rpm, they really come alive. And I’m happy to report that mine still likes being up there! They don’t rev that readily but once they get in that neighborhood they seem to realize that you want to play!
As far as slippage goes, my kids told me my clutch was slipping about 60k ago. I can’t make it slip…Volvo strong!
jimmy57 » The self adjusting clutch covers (not self adjusting function of hydraulics) changed the game a bit. With conventional clutch covers the preload force from spring diminished with thinning disc from wear. As a result the feel would change over the life of clutch and the force would go down and the disc life was shorter as a result. The SA cover has the spring rest against a height adjusting ring. As the disc thins the spring will travel more and lift off the adjusting ring and springs will push the adjusting ring around so its stepped rest points place the ring closer to disc. Releasing pedal now lets the spring have a higher (closer to disc) point that the spring levers against to clamp disc between pressure plate face and flywheel face. This gives you pretty much the same pedal feel and take up point until the SA spring rest reaches it travel limit.
The bad news: the clutch can be near the end of its life and you wouldn’t know…..
