Volvo Maintenance Hints for 7xx/9xx - Bill Garland's Nuclear ...

kind of need an assistant to help with the cable, and a long pair of narrow vise-grip pliers.
Basically :
❍ Drain the transmission of fluid.
Kickdown Cable
❍ Unbolt the dipstick/filler tube from the transmission sump (may be "very" difficult
and require a giant pipe wrench). More fluid will run out.
❍ Unbolt and remove transmission pan. More fluid will run out.
❍ Unbolt and remove the transmission filter. More fluid will run out. You now have
access to the cable and tranny innards.
❍ Have somebody fully extend the cable, this will rotate the internal valving fully.
Clamp onto the rotating valve (where the cable attaches) with the narrow vise grips
immobilizing the valving (it is spring loaded). With a second set of narrow pliers remove the cable end from its recess in the
valve actuator. [Tip from Ian Billerwell] I recently replaced cable on my 89 745 with AW72L and found a handy tool to rotate
the pulley. A bit of coathanger wire 6 to 8"long with 90 deg. bend only 1/4". In my pulley there is hole in the side near where
the cable locates, I found it a cinch to rotate pulley. [Tip from Bean] I tried needle nose pliers to squeeze two of the locking
tabs together but to no avail. Instead I put a medium sized screwdriver in the middle of the plug (from below) and whacked it
with a hammer. This released the plug with no effort at all.
❍ Remove the cable & sheath - friction fit in transmission, bolt-on at throttle body.
❍ Re-assembly is reverse of disassembly. Careful not to remove the vise grips until the new cable sheath is seated in the tranny
and the cable end is attached to valving
[More Tips from Don Foster] Replacing the cable is straightforward. If you have the pan already off, swapping in a new cable should take
only a few minutes. Look in where the cable attaches, and you'll see a cam-like or pulley-like gizmo around which the cable wraps. You
can (carefully) turn this with a sharp tool or screwdriver (it's spring loaded.) You'll be rotating it against it's return spring, and as I recall it's a
little tricky. Once rotated to the fully extended "full throttle" position, stick a screwdriver in to wedge it and you should be able to pull the
cable end free of its hole. The old cable will disengage -- it has a round thingy at the end fitting into a recess.
The tranny end of the cable housing friction-fits into the tranny housing. I'd clean and blow-dry the outside area before removing the old
cable. As I recall, you can "pop" if out with a screwdriver -- and "pop" the new one in similarly. I used a touch of synthetic grease on the Oring-like
seal.
Once installed, you install the upper end and adjust it so it just slackens when the throttle's at idle. Also, you should be able to hear the
tranny valve "clunk" slightly when it slams back to idle. Install the small crimp around the cable core about 1/8" upstream of the orange
rubber gasket. This crimp is sorta important -- it prevents excess cable from entering the tranny and keeps the cable in the pulley groove.
Park-Reverse Lockout Button Repair. [Inquiry] The other day on my 1990 740 GL w/auto trans, the little thumb button / reverse lockout,
whatever, popped and popped up.It looks like some kind of retaining ring or clip used to locate the rod. It can now be completely removed
and it is a bit stiffer to shift. I've been leaving it in neutral and using the hand brake to park and wonder if it is a terribly involved job to get
down into the console to fix it. [Response: John B] The thumb button can be replaced easily...get a new one and pop it on. Make sure you