I did a manual swap in my Volvo.

HarryLui

Golden Member
Aug 31, 2001
1,518
33
91
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.

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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).

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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.

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

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Preparing to remove engine with trans.

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Out with the old!

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

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HarryLui

Golden Member
Aug 31, 2001
1,518
33
91
Install master cylinder, clutch hose, and slave cylinder

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Pedals installed, also changed the heatercore while I was there.

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Shifter and shifter cables install, didn't see the knob was broken until after I installed it :(

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Last steps where to change the knob and the boot.

All done :)

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Entire process took about 7 working day. My 21 yr old 371k Volvo now have a new long and FUN life ahead of it. :)
 

Insomniator

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2002
6,294
171
106
I always wanted an 855R after my first car was an 88 745T. Can't believe they are all 20+ years old now.


How is the interior holding up after 380k miles?
 

HarryLui

Golden Member
Aug 31, 2001
1,518
33
91
My 850 is a 94, it's not an R.

PO put those Titan wheels on, 2 of which were bent. I replaced them with S80 interceptor wheels. OP also put R front seats in but left rest of interior/seat brown. The parts car I had came with all the other pieces I needed to make a black interior swap.

Front seats need to be redone due to crack on leather, but no tears yet. Back seats are ok. To be expected for 20 + years old car seats.
 
Apr 21, 2012
125
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Love it! wish my old S70 had a manual, those are fun cars to drive. I drove a new Jetta (i think 1.8T or 2.0T - cant remember what VW uses these days) and it really reminded me a lot of the S70/850 in the way it drove.
 

HarryLui

Golden Member
Aug 31, 2001
1,518
33
91
Nice but no turbo upgrade cmon now ;)

I have a short block with H rods installed, also have a rebuilt Turbonetics ball bearing turbo with Volvo turbine housing, bigger injectors, M4.4 ECUs, Spec 3 clutch and pressure plate, full catback obx exhaust, but those parts can wait.

Reliability and dependability comes first for the time being. There is always time to modify the car for speed later.

I installed an all aluminum radiator, all aluminum intercooler, silicone coolant hoses, RIP intercooler pipes and hoses, manual swap, coilover, rebuilt 15G turbo, and etc all for reliability and comfort reasons. ;)
 
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