How long to do a tranny swap in a 240? My reverse lights have failed again and I have to decide if it is worth just swapping in the spare tranny or just change the switch (switch takes a couple of hours).

3-14 hours. You'll probably polish it while it's out, so I'd budget the 14.

So a day is about right.

what matt said. but ya, james could probably do it in 2 hours, if it's your first time 4-5. just make sure the switches on your "new" transmission are in good shape- reverse wasn't working for me, but part of that was because of the short throw shifter.

Explain...how does the shifter throw alter the working of the switch? I've got a short throw shifter and a reverse light that won't go on. I thought it was activated by having accessed the reverse gear in the transmission.

can i explain? sure, i sit on the short bus, so ignore me! I got the lock-out and switches mixed up in my head a long time ago and never straightened them out.

I only propose a trade. I'll pull the M46 and rebuild the OD and do the reverse lamp switch.


You get to do an extension housing bushing and fix a governor and line valve on an AW. I'll do whatever you want done to an M46.

I've done the reverse lamp switch with the trans in the car before in about 20 minutes IIRC. Semi-deep sockee and a low profile breaker bar IIRC. It may have been a semi-deep socket with a hex end on it to use a wrench. I'd rather buy the tools than take a good M46 out. I might have lowered the cross member, I forget. Dumb question, but the wiring and the fuse is OK, right? The terminals at the switch get crusty. Reverse lamp switches don't go out a whole lot on M46s. I'm sure you've tested it though.

Iron M46s suck to do in 240s. I stay humble with them. It is a very tight fit. It is much easier to get it out and back in if you remove the reverse lockout plate and exhaust header pipe. If you can remove those two it is a bit less painful and I budget 5 hours for a basic R&R and am happy if I can do it in 2 with air tools and such and the exhaust hardware isn't crusty. It is certainly possible to take one out without removing the exhaust, but really awful to get it back in. 10 hours if I fix up the OD and reseal it all and have it all right with good OD, mount, cleaned, output shaft seal and cleaned lubed speedo cable.

Ha, ha...I wouldn't touch an AW with a 10 foot pole. Thanks for the tip re the exhaust. I'll pull it out first. I haven't put in the header yet, so that will make it easier. I've checked the wiring and the fuse. I will make the call after I get the bodywork done and think I will do it before I paint.

I wouldn't touch the AW either if it were my choice. They are quicker to fix (if they can be fixed....like a sticky governor or valve), but I had no choice. The automatic can also be thought of as the "hot oil undercoating package." Mine is amazingly dry for whatever reason. I think the tailshaft was done on time on it up until now and it is very clean.


Wait, you are painting the car? Just pull the motor (and transmission) and do the engine bay then. Not that much more time (mechanically) and less unpleasant, but does take more space. You may risk disturbing the engine wiring harness if you yank the motor...among other things. But knowing you, you'd be happier in your own sick little way pulling the motor out and fussing over it all and shoving it back in all nice and sorted. A non-A/C N/A early 240 isn't too complicated under there. I always do the engine bay and all the mechanical before detailing a car. Painting would be that and then some to me.

If you have it apart enough to do a nice job of body work and paint, the time to pull the motor is about an hour or two, the time to pull the trans alone is about an hour *shrug*. More fluid drainage I guess and the dreaded coolant involvement...though I have good luck blowing all the coolant out with compressed air and vacuuming it through the coolant bottle so as not so have it spill out of the motor much at all when the motor comes out and tilts a bit.


SOHC motors last forever anyway, so you could make it all pretty and bead blasted, not leak, not have electrical issues or vac line issues, zinc or cad plate all the metal parts and shove it all back in.

You're a bad influence James...that's a damn good idea. I was planning on painting the underhood as I am changing colour to #200 Blue with a gun metal GT stripe (doing the stripe inside door jams etc). I have a replacement engine harness (Volvo) and that needs to get installed and a new aluminum rad. Then I could completely detail the engine - I do, of course, have a bunch of powder coated engine parts (valve cover, intake, timing cover, etc) along with the header and a set of braided k-jet lines. Oops, this is my winter car. Damn it really is a sickness.

Lord help us...