YJ: AX15 woes

[OU812]

Yesterday I was having trouble shifting out of third. When downshifting to second I could not get it in gear and up shifting to fourth It would grind hard as it went in. Today while coasting in first and second gear it is making and awful grinding noise. I think this AX15 is only going to give me 240K miles. Seems like the path of least resistance is to find another one and swap it in. So, what years should I be looking for? I found one on CL from a 97 TJ but that doesn’t sound right. Did TJs get the AX15? If anyone has and AX15 in their garage they would like to sell send me a PM. Or is there something else I should be checking first?

[Materdaddy]

I have an AX15 in my TJ. Why do you think one from a 97TJ isn't right? AFAIK, they only put the AX5 behind the 4-banger if that's what you thought the TJs have.

Not sure if this will help you or not, but here's a service manual I found:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billav...ssion_AX15.pdf

[OU812]

No, I just thought the TJs has a different tranny. Maybe I'll call that guy in CL that has an ax15.

[aw12345]

Up to 2000 TJ's used the ax15 behind the 6 cyl.
2001 they went to the NV3500 which will fit also

[6spdYJ]

The difference is the input shaft snout. GO TJ!!! The YJ has the plate for the internal slave. That internal is excusive to the 92 with a 6. The TJ uses the external slave from 94 and up and can use the throwout bearing from 94 and up. You'll have to get the 94 and up bellhousing. This was the best swap I did before the NSG-370.

[OU812]

Awesome. I just talked to a the guy on craigslist. He has a AX15 out of a 97 TJ with the external slave cylinder. Im going to go pick it up tomorrow. Not sure if it has a bellhousing on it. If it does will the TJ bell housing work on my YJ?

[6spdYJ]

As long as the donor is the same motor, 4.0-4.0 or 2.5-2.5 it'll be a slam dunk. The weakness in the ax-15 is that the bearing that supports 5th wears quickly with tall gears and anything over 31's. Other than that, it's strong. It's an easy and cheap tranny to rebuild yourself.

[OU812]

I picked up and AX15 yesterday that has the bellhousing and the external slave and master cylinder on it. I think that is all I need. I am going to put a new clutch in while I am in there. Should I replace the CPS while I have the trany out? It dosn't seem like a wear part but it sure is easy to get to right now.

[6spdYJ]

Not worth the effort. It's easy to get to. I ran a 98 bellhousing with a 94 slave and a 97 bearing (still in the NSG-370. Been there, glad to help.

[6spdYJ]

If you want some good motor mounts, check out browndogoffroad.com His are just like MORE without the price.

[OU812]

Why run the internal slave with a bellhousing that is capible of using the external slave? Do I need a press to put on a new throw out bearing?

[inVERt'D]

Up to 2000 TJ's used the ax15 behind the 6 cyl.
2001 they went to the NV3500 which will fit also

Actually, they switched to the NV3550 in 2000, but due to a design defect in the internal shift mechanism, that's not a desirable year. That's what lead to my NV4500 swap.

The 3500 is like the 3550, except it has an integrated bellhousing and was used in Dodge pickups, so it's not really swapable to Jeeps. They also had the problem in 2000.

[6spdYJ]

The internal can only be used with the internal style bellhousing. The external can only be used with the external style bellhousing. The bearing for the external just uses two spring clips to hold it to the throwout arm. The arm pivots on the passenger side on a ball. The driver side rests over the slave rod. The throwout slides over the tube snout that sleeves over the input shaft. On the internal, the slave and bearing are one. Once removed, they're junk.
What parts did you get from the TJ? To do the full swap you need the external bellhousing, the external style input bearing plate on the AX-15, the throwout lever, ball, throwout bearing and slave cylinder with tube to the master. It's a one day job for one guy.

[OU812]

The ax15 I got came with the master and slave cylinders attached. Its all pre-bled and ready to go. It has the throwout lever and the throwout bearing on it. But when I spin the throw out bearing with my hand it feels rough(grainy). I figured I should just replace it. I'm happy to hear that it goes on easy though. I have been driving my 53 Chevy pickup for the last two weeks so I could sting out the cost of this repair. But on my way home from the beach today I think I may be loosing my throw out bearing in the Chevy. What luck. Its a Muncie four speed so I am sure it would only take me an afternoon to change it. But it would be nice if I had a working transmission in one of my cars soon.

[6spdYJ]

When I swapped to external I got a used 98 bearing. It worked great. When I did the 6 speed, I put in the 05 bearing. Screamed like a banshee when I put the clutch in. Back to the 98. Working great. Looking forward to seeing yours done.