GM trans in a Volvo? Help me tranny guys...

W

WFO

Habitual Line-Stepper
Joined
May 24, 2001
Short version is that wifey just bought a 2003 Volvo XC90 T6 with 105K on the clock.

She's had Volvos before and had no problems. Researching this car leads me to believe she's gonna have tranny problems with this one.:mad:

Supposedly it's a GM transaxle that can't handle the twin turbo 2.9 powah and they apparently all sh!t their guts out eventually.:(

So c'mon GM tranny gurus...SOMEONE'S gotta have good news for me...there's gotta be a way to make this thing live,or at least a decently priced rebuild with good guts that'll last?:confused:

She LOVES this car,and I drove it over to the coast today and everything SEEMS copacetic for now...just don't have the heart to break it to her that the tranny's glass...not on mother's day anyway...:cool:


Later,Sean
 
cant you install better cv axles? ones that can handle the problem or is it the tranny it self?:confused:
 
It's not the CV axles it's the trans itself.:mad:

Volvo appartently sourced it from GM (while owned by Ford :confused: ) and it's originally from some FWD 4 banger sedan?
 
what kind of tranny code is it? like what kind of tranny?

did you have time ot ship those parts yet?
 
"GM THM-4T65E 4 speed Automatic fwd transmission/transaxle which is found in many 1997 and newer vehicles equipped with the 3800 engine and most 2000 and newer vehicles with the 3400 engine. This is a great trans and has been refined a bit over recent years and as many of you know has its shortcomings, especially when the mileage gets high or extra power is added."


Transmissions

Looks like versions of that trans have been used in lots of GM vehicles,including some supercharged 3800s.

I think the Volvo crowd is just ignorant,they just take it to the dealer and take their $7000 ass-reaming.:confused:
 
WOW.

WTF happened to the tranny forum?

I know I've been out of it for a while...but there was a time when there was 4-5 guys in here all the time who owned their own shops and gave advice...

It's like a ghost town around here now....:confused:

I guess I hafta call Bruce or Len direct...
 
WFO said:
WOW.

WTF happened to the tranny forum?

I know I've been out of it for a while...but there was a time when there was 4-5 guys in here all the time who owned their own shops and gave advice...

It's like a ghost town around here now....:confused:

I guess I hafta call Bruce or Len direct...
Click to expand...

Too much drama is what happened.
I talk to a couple of the supporting vendors and they no longer even come to this forum.

Len isn't doing transmissions anymore from my understanding.

The 4T65E is somewhat similar to the 4L60-4L65E.
It's not a bad piece in a V6 application.
 
Just built one for a V8 Fiero guy locally and his was pretty cheap compared to that one. He bought the kit and GY Shift Kit from TranStar and I assembled it for him. I think he may have spent a total of $850 with buying another core ($100) to get the correct final drive ratio he wanted.
 
GNeric said:
Just built one for a V8 Fiero guy locally and his was pretty cheap compared to that one. He bought the kit and GY Shift Kit from TranStar and I assembled it for him. I think he may have spent a total of $850 with buying another core ($100) to get the correct final drive ratio he wanted.
Click to expand...


Sweet,that's more like it.

I think the problem with the Volvos stems from the weight of the vehicle(4600#), decent power (270HP TT V6) and the mushy as hell old lady shifts.

I'm wondering if I had my local guy put in the transgo shift kit it would make the wife's last?
 
This one went behind a "500hp" 383 and he was eating up TH125's pretty regularly. The 125's all had a shift kit in them but he wound up killing the trans pretty often. The shift kits for the 4T60/65's are pretty straight forward and if your guy has installed even the SKJr for the 700, he will be able to do this one easily. :)
 
Damn...

Did you use anything special in that build or is it just properly assembled stock sh!t?

I saw a vendor that has Raybestos Blue Plates and some other higher performance stuff...

Is the Transgo kit the best one?

I REALLY appreciate your time Eric.:)
 
Just a normal straight forward build with the SK. Made sure no valve bores were worn and made sure all clearances were within spec. Nothing special really. :) The TransGo kit is the only one I have seen for performance use. I haven't built any others for performance use as where I used to work, the boss didn't like anything in there that the factory didn't put in. He didn't like ANY aftermarket valve body kits. Thought they were all "smoke and mirrors" but I never had problems with units giving up before a non kitted trans.
 
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