In US, you could buy a Volvo 850 Turbo with an automatic transmission or 850 non-turbo with manual, but turbo with manual was not offered. Being a factory option for every other country, the manual transmission and its associated parts are all bolt on.
I bought my Volvo 850 Turbo sometime in 2008.
Drove it for a few years, and then parked it due to an tired 333k engine and a leaky auto transmission. Took the engine/trans out and bought a replacement engine, shipped the head out to be ported and was going to put in a manual transmission. Well, the cylinder head never came back and in the mean time, I found a manual transmission, shifter, cables, pedal, etc in junkyard and collected other new parts when they became available and at a good price. Other projects occupied my time and energy so the swap never got beyond parts gathering.
In 2013, tired of having a non-operational car taken up space, I decided to do the easy route find a running parts car to swap all the running gears into it. I found a 850 R wagon with front end damage with 160k. I did the swap and drove the car for almost two years. I should have do the manual swap right then but I didn't. I was using my friend's shop space and didn't want to take up anymore time than I already did (3 working days).
In 2015, the 190k automatic transmission in my Volvo 850 worked fine mostly, but started to develop a strange vibration and hesitate to shift above 5000rpm. Given that I want to use the car to travel across the country in 2016, I thought I'd finally do the manual swap before 2015 ends. Took vacations in Dec 2015 so I can do the swap.
In the mean time, I acquired another parts car. Car came on the market with a great prices, lots of aftermarket goodies, and more importantly with a manual swap already done at the perfect timing. I can use it as a guide as I am doing my own swap. Use whatever parts I want from it, sell the things I don't want and get rid of the shell later.
Taken apart the M56H manual transmission to inspect and install Quaife LSD. Easiest FWD transmission I ever took apart and put back in.
Preparing to remove engine with trans.
Out with the old!
Changed the 20 + years old subframe bushings while I have everything out.
I bought my Volvo 850 Turbo sometime in 2008.

Drove it for a few years, and then parked it due to an tired 333k engine and a leaky auto transmission. Took the engine/trans out and bought a replacement engine, shipped the head out to be ported and was going to put in a manual transmission. Well, the cylinder head never came back and in the mean time, I found a manual transmission, shifter, cables, pedal, etc in junkyard and collected other new parts when they became available and at a good price. Other projects occupied my time and energy so the swap never got beyond parts gathering.
In 2013, tired of having a non-operational car taken up space, I decided to do the easy route find a running parts car to swap all the running gears into it. I found a 850 R wagon with front end damage with 160k. I did the swap and drove the car for almost two years. I should have do the manual swap right then but I didn't. I was using my friend's shop space and didn't want to take up anymore time than I already did (3 working days).

In 2015, the 190k automatic transmission in my Volvo 850 worked fine mostly, but started to develop a strange vibration and hesitate to shift above 5000rpm. Given that I want to use the car to travel across the country in 2016, I thought I'd finally do the manual swap before 2015 ends. Took vacations in Dec 2015 so I can do the swap.
In the mean time, I acquired another parts car. Car came on the market with a great prices, lots of aftermarket goodies, and more importantly with a manual swap already done at the perfect timing. I can use it as a guide as I am doing my own swap. Use whatever parts I want from it, sell the things I don't want and get rid of the shell later.

Taken apart the M56H manual transmission to inspect and install Quaife LSD. Easiest FWD transmission I ever took apart and put back in.

Preparing to remove engine with trans.

Out with the old!

Changed the 20 + years old subframe bushings while I have everything out.

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