AW4 Tranny

[cftj]

I'm thinking my tranny is going out. Sometimes it is smooth as silk, and sometimes it doesnt seem to want to shift right... last night, I had trouble getting up to 55...

My thought is to pull one from salvage and have it rebuilt. Any other budget ideas?

[CORA (admin)]

I'd have it checked at a transmission shop first just to see if it's not something more simple. On the other hand, if it needs replaced, don't waste money on a week link. You can probably get a 700R4 with the 241 T-case in good condition from a full size Chevy on with the 231 out of a S-10 blazer for alot less. The only draw back would be the adaptor, but it's cheaper than the rebuild for the Crappy Jeep auto and it's a much better tranny all around.
They mean it when they say "Just Empty Every Pocket" for jeep parts, I Just bought brand new Super Duty Shock towers for my YJ, for only $32's fr the pair, when I called both Jeep service parts for some XJ rear sway bar brackets "just little the bracket that bolts on to the rear spring plate", they priced out at $120 "A PIECE!!!!" And they verified it was no mistake.
I know the 700R4 has become a good swap for TJ owners looking for O.D. and a stronger Auto. I believe your linkage will mount up as well.

[cftj]

Anybody have a shop they'd recommend?

[billyjk7]

how many miles are on the jeep?

have you thought about draining the trans fluid and checking the condition or changing the tranny filter? I cant remember if there are any vacuum lines on that particular tranny. You may check for loose vacuum or electrical connections. I have used the tranny shop at 21st and cornhusker (north side). I cant remember their name. Pretty honest people but I would do a little spywork yourself before taking it there. Hope this helps and you can get your Jeep back on the road.

Billy B

[cftj]

195K.. Fluid is on my radar, but I have to admit, I know almost nothing about autos... or even how to check it out...

[billyjk7]

if i were you I would crawl under there and poke around. you mights as well go get some trans fluid and a pan gasket. take off the pan bolts and pry off one corner, let it drain and then take the pan all the way off. replace the filter, usually just one screw or bolt. clean up the pan and reinstall a new gasket. Fill her back up and give it a drive and see if this changes anything. If not, youve only wasted an hour of time and about 10 bucks worth of parts. Im not a tranny person either but ive had good luck with simple filter and fluid changes.

[CORA (admin)]

195K is pretty good for an auto tranny, especially the AW4 in an older Cherokee. I think fluid or new filter at this point would only be a band-aid. Kendals auto salvage had about 4-5 just the other day when I was there. If you can find one with under 100K miles you'd probably have a good buy. Change the filter and gasket and add some trans medic (Lucas oil product to it.) Even a small extra cooler will help it last longer.

[1Hickey]

From what I understand, the AW4 is a great AOD type of tranny. They routinely got 250K miles behind a 4.0. I would personally not recommend the tranny swap. Lots more trouble than I think you want. Besides, the 700R4 will suck even more power and mileage out of a stock 4.0. I would find out about a rebuild first, then if it's too much, look for another AW4. There are hundreds of thousands of them out there.

The only downside to the AW4 is that it is kind of a hottie. You need to make sure you have factory or greater cooling capacity for it to run long term or under hard use. Also, it would be a good idea to flush the entire system annually. The torque converter getting worn out could be a cause for your mpg woes, but even a new tranny might only gain you 2mpg.

The amount of miles on your chassis are a good indicator things are getting tired. :(

[cftj]

My thought is to try a flush and fill. I've been told just a filter change can cause more problems... if that doesn't fix it, I'll look for a junkyard tranny and have that rebuilt and drop it in mine to reduce downtime... If thats too expensive, I guess I'll have to have mine rebuilt...

[cftj]

well, I've officially parked the jeep. I can't get it over 35mph, unless I'm going down hill. 15-20 going uphill. really pisses the people off who are behind me... :oops:

I'm going to call around to a few shops and salvage yards tomorrow and see what up, but I'm guessing a tranny swap is in my near future.... I was hoping it would still be driveable, but I may just have to take a day off and fix it..

The wifey and I will be carpooling until we get it fixed.. this could be a while...

[1Hickey]

Ralph, is the XJ still out of commission? Thought I saw you driving this morning.

[cftj]

Nope, I put a new to me tranny in it with a measly 106,000 miles... seems to be running much better. It was about $550 with all the misc parts.... plus a lot of donated labor...