1985 240 dl volvo clutch

My sons 1985 240dl wagons clutch is slipping. How hard is it to
replace? Can it be done at home by a 60yr old with experience on
working on cars in the 60's?

 

I did a clutch on my '92 last summer, they should be similar. Some of the
bellhousing bolts are a complete pain to get to, and some are different size
than others. Make sure to brace the engine well, it will move once the
trans crosemember is disconnected. Get the car up in the air enough to be
comfortable under it, use a tranny jack if you have one.. Can get by w/o if
you don't mind bench pressing 75 lb or so. Clutch itself was a piece of
cake... it's the getting to it. And while you're in there do the release
bearing and pilot bearing (need a puller for that one - I rented mine at
AutoZone). They're too cheap to not do them. And have a spare rear
mainseal handy in case you find a leak, might as well get that too while
you're in there. If you don't need it, that's a good thing, it's only a few
bucks and you could probably return it in it's original packaging for a
refund.
Other things to consider while in there - the "rubber donut" on the
driveshaft, U-joints, tranny mount, motor mounts.

Took me a day to remove and replace the tranny with a new(er) one and did
the clutch also, took my time, took lotsa breaks
mkl

 

The last one I did we completed in about 3 hours, but were fortunate to
have access to a hydraulic lift. Do the inside the car part first, lift
up the shift boot and open the center console to disconnect the
overdrive and backup light wiring and then pop out the snap ring holding
the shifter assembly in. Now go under the car and you can do everything
else from there. You will need to have the whole car off the ground so
the rear wheels can rotate freely to get all the driveshaft bolts out.
Some long extensions and a U-joint help greatly in removing the top
bellhousing bolts. I roll the tranny on top of me and use my leg crossed
over to hold the output end then bench press the bellhousing up into
place, I never had much luck trying to do it with a tranny jack since
you have to rotate it some for the starter hump to clear the firewall.
Never needed a puller for the pilot bearing, maybe I got lucky but a
good shot of P'Blaster or Liquid wrench and it's always come out by
poking my pinky in it and giving it a little tug. Wouldn't hurt to have
one on hand I suppose. While you've got the tranny out, it's a good time
to drain it and refill with some synthetic fluid, I did that and mine
shifts noticeably more smoothly. As for the rear main, definitely have
one on hand, I'm split as to whether it should always be replaced or
left alone if not leaking. I've had them start leaking later, but I've
also had a new leak while the original one had been fine, doh!

 

You can do it, but it's a royal PITA.

Two problem areas:

1) removing ALL the bolts attaching the bellhousing to the motor: the
top two are nearly inaccessible.

2) Removing the tranny: pulling it out of the rear of the engine while
it is on a jack, hoping it doesn't come crashing down on your leg or
crotch: priceless.

 

I seem to always encounter the stubborn pilot bearings... spent 1/2 a day on
one using every method I could look up... caved in, bought a slide hammer,
it was out in under a minute. that was on my '86 mustang 5.0L. Same issue
on my 245 - needed the puller, but I had it this time. The '65 mustang I'm
rebuilding had a solid brass bushing, needed a puller for that too. the
pilot bearing puller attachment for a slide hammer is $15 at autozone. was
well worth it to me. Resides with my "seldom used but invaluable" tools

Agree with the rear main.... one day it WILL start to leak. I'm pretty much
of the mind to leave it alone if it's dry inside the bellhousing and behind
the flywheel. "if it ain't broke don't fix it"