WJ with AX15?

[Fry]

I've looked into this a bunch, and most say it can't be done, so don't bother.


I've read the Agitated Pancake Blue Submarine build an watched a video of a different conversion on youtube. The guy has a brief write up in the comments.



I've researched. I've taken notes. And I've bought parts.


Since I've only got nine other posts, this seems to be the only tech forum I can post in.


Here we go!


I won't bore yo with removing the old trans and tcase, other than I did't know there were three bolts holding the dust shield up. I ended up with a come a long pulling on the trans only to find I missed a bolt and was bending my shield. I used the harbor freight trans jack (scissor style) and it didn't work so well because I took the trans and tcase out as one unit.

The ax15 I used was out of a 90 xj, so it was internal style slave. I'm sure I'll regret it later, but it was $175. This caused a few issues, one on my part because I had bought a flywheel for a 99 xj and a clutch kit for same. I took it back and got the right one. (BTW, all the parts i bought were from auto zone) The pilot bearing that came in the kit was too big to fit in the end of the crank, but I have a lathe, so I measure the bore (1.002 iirc) and then turned the bearing down to 1.004 or so. There is a seal in the bearing that faces outward. The flywheel fit without a problem, although I did have to find 1/2-20 x1" flywheel bolts, again ordered from AZ. I used a grade 8 3/8-16 bolts to attach the pressure plate to the flywheel. I fought it for awhile before pulling the trans out and re-aligning the friction disk to the pilot bearing, and after that everything went back together smoothly. The t-case bolted back up no problem. So that part is just standard R&R of a trans and clutch. Here is where the fabbin starts.

The flywheel bolts I used.




Since the trans I had came with an XJ crossmember, I cut out the section where the mount attaches and then cut up the mount for the auto and tried to mash them together. This is looking at it from the passenger side. The front of the Jeep is to the right.





It looks hokey as hell, but it's a good mockup for a better mount. This is 3/8 plate for the base, drilled and tapped for the crossmember bolts. the big holes are there so I can get to the tans mount nuts.



And with the top setting on.



This is a 4.0, and the shifter pops up a little further back than AP's does. The way this shifter is bent, it does hit the ashtray.



I tried to make a good guess on where it would come out. I was close, but not as close as I would have liked.



All that has been the easy stuff. Easy as in easy to get to. Adding a clutch pedal really sucks.


I forget whether it was tj or yj pedals I bought from someone, but here it is.



I couldn't use the assembly as it was, so I took it apart and cut, then welded it to the wj brake pedal. I also had to bend them over a bit, and broke my harbor freight vise doing so. I don't seem to have a pic of the finished piece.



As far as the master, I had a later one that came with the pedals. It ended up sucking, so I switched to one used with the internal slave.It is bolted to a piece of steel that is bolted to the firewall. It is still a tight fit, but better. My only issue is the pushrod was too short for my setup, so I had to cut, drill, and weld up a longer one. I went with about a half inch longer and it works fine.



I measured before and after the trans swap and found that I need a driveshaft 2-3/4 longer. My driveshaft is currently long enough to reach and drive around the block, but I won't drive it anywhere else until I get a longer one.

The trans shifter comes up through the console where the dish is, between the ashtray and shifter. I was hoping to use the stock case shifter, but it ends up in the way when I am not in 2-hi. I don't know about using an XJ console and case shifter. IIRC the XJs are shifted with linkages, like the ZJs are.




Since I didn't get a shift knob with this, I made one. Actually I made a couple, but I like this one the most. It is a 10-1.50 metric thread. 3/8-16 does not work. I tried.



Oh yeah, the neutral start switch wire is the middle one on the round 42re plug, ground that and the cpm thinks it's in park and won't throw codes. The other two wires are for the reverse lights.


I guess thats enough for now, the wife is outside waiting on me to start cleaning up the leaves. Questions, comments? I'll be happy to answer.

[dubj]

Wow! Nice job, it's cool seeing more of these pop up.

I really like that the shifter came out in front of the dash, must be the 4.0/ax15 combo, my 5.3 is almost against the firewall and the nv4500 comes out a good 3-4" in front of yours.

Have you worked out the computer issues or are you just going to let if throw codes?

Any exhaust changes or is that only a. Problem with v8's?


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[Fry]

Must just be with the 4.7, because I never touched my exhaust. The front O2 is very close to the bell housing, but thats it. I don't think it will throw codes if the NSS is grounded, I bet it will think it is in park all the time. AS far as hooking that up, the newer master slaves have the switch built onto them, the older one I used doesn't, but I know there is a hydraulic pressure switch used on old 60's Scouts for a brake light switch, so that is an option. I'll have to look into the part number. I'm sure NAPA has them.

I have a friend who is also doing this swap, so add another to the list.

[dubj]

So your plan is to make the nss think the trans is in neutral with the clutch disengaged and in park when engaged? That seems like it would work fine.

Why not just rob a switch off a different vehicle? Or even just use a brake light switch nodded to the clutch pedal?

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[Fry]

Park and neutral are the same wire. Right now it thinks its in park all the time. My SES is on, but it's not for the trans. I was thinking to put in a hidden switch so I could disable the jeep via the NSS wire for added security. What to do with the rest of the wires, I don't know.

I did find what some claimed was either an ax-15 or a 3550 with the shift tower moved back even farther, but it is 2wd, in which case you either stick with that or run a divorced tcase.

[dubj]

Ok, I didn't think about the security part, can always build a linkage to move the shifter back

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[Fry]

I thought that too, but for the six inches or so to put it where the auto shifter is I don't think is worth it and isn't enough room.