v70 manual - reverse R is gone after accidentally engaging instead of 4th?

**bg2128506** · 07-02-2022, 06:11 PM

I know it's not about the XC70, but when I had XC, I received great advises here. So may be someone knows.

Yesterday accidentally, instead of 4th gear, at about 35mph, the car was put into reverse. Releasing the clutch was accompanied by a loud grinding noise. That happened twice before person realized it was not 4th.

So now the reverse does not work. Releasing the clutch, something click in the tranny, the car does not move.
Even while not in motion, with the released clutch, you can easily put it into reverse.
I would not think the splines on gears are sheared, as that grinding noise indicated the splines did not engage even when the clutch was released.

2001 v70 t5 (must be a m56 transmission).
I maintained the car rigorously myself for many years. Feels bad.
Any tips?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEWeS57cLeo

**albertj** · 07-07-2022, 06:50 AM

Originally Posted by bg2128506

I know it's not about the XC70, but when I had XC, I received great advises here. So may be someone knows.

Yesterday accidentally, instead of 4th gear, at about 35mph, the car was put into reverse. Releasing the clutch was accompanied by a loud grinding noise. That happened twice before person realized it was not 4th.

So now the reverse does not work. Releasing the clutch, something click in the tranny, the car does not move.
Even while not in motion, with the released clutch, you can easily put it into reverse.
I would not think the splines on gears are sheared, as that grinding noise indicated the splines did not engage even when the clutch was released.

2001 v70 t5 (must be a m56 transmission).
I maintained the car rigorously myself for many years. Feels bad.
Any tips?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEWeS57cLeo

Tips and advice: copy the numbers that are on the transmission (cell phone pictures will do if clear enough) then use those numbers to search car-part.com and to contact specialist Volvo recyclers to find a replacement used transmission. You can even check eBay.com, for instance https://www.ebay.com/itm/313281020900. If you do not want a used transmission, check rebuilders such as (but not necessarily) Jasper. Most likely you will have to ask for quotes on the rebuilds. Once you have located replacement(s), if you're going to do it yourself then buy the one you want and a clutch kit and then replace the transmission; if not DIY then contact independent Volvo mechanic shops in your area to arrange replacement. HINT: you may have more success searching in Europe for a spare gearbox, and current exchange rates will likely make it feasible to import that gearbox to the USA.

Insight: Every well designed mechanical system has a "fuse" - not necessarily an electrical fuse, but some sort of an operational, mechanical or perhaps electrical failure point in order to prevent an accidental or abusive operation from causing a disproportionate amount of damage. Too much load on a circuit in your house? The fuse blows or the breaker trips. Too much load on your garden tractor? The shear pin on the drive shaft snaps. Car gets accidentally put into reverse at forward speed? Depends on the speed. 35 mph has the mechanical momentum of two tons of fun moving in the opposite direction, so the fuse is for internal components in the transmission to shatter, making further such operation impossible. Grenading a transmission, if you think about it, is tantamount to doing something really serious and getting off with a wrist slap given the forces at play and their directions at the moment of the incident.

For more help with this, consider joining Swedespeed.com - there are a number of mechanics and enthusiasts there (some of whom also belong to this site) with insights into the MT.

**bg2128506** · 07-10-2022, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by albertj

Tips and advice: copy the numbers that are on the transmission ...

Thank you. I actually did post on swedespeed too, but got most replies on https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/,

Anyway, the tranny is M56 for that model and I already purchase one from a JY. Will do the swap in a couple of weeks (or at least start, as I estimate it will take me at least two weekends).