I brought home my "new" XJ yesterday and while it seems in fine working order I want to make it a little better. At risk of sounding like too much of a Star Wars geek I think I can nicely describe it by adapting a K2S0 quote and say shifting into gear seems vague and unconvincing. I've logged about 200k miles in manual transmissions in my lifetime and my opinion is that a good gear shift should feel like chambering a round in a well oiled bolt action. This XJ however, feels like I'm digging around in the sand with a stick. I know that with other cars, warn out bushings in the shifter can cause this. The previous owner says that the tranny was rebuilt about 20-30k miles ago but I don't know if this included any work in the shifter or not. It should be said that right now it's totally livable and it doesn't pop out of gear or anything.

My question is; is this normal even for an XJ in top spec? If not, what can be done about it and what should I be looking to replace/repair first?

For reference, we're talking about a 2000, 2-door, 4x4.

Thanks.

 

They are not real precise like a good old Hurst shifter. But you can check the bushings in the top and cross pins for wear. Not sure if there is a short throw kit for said tranny, but that would probably get you where you want to go

 

If it has the AX15 transmission, you can buy a short throw shifter kit.
https://core-shifters.com/products/c...w-ax15-5-speed

if you are expecting a smooth sports car like experience then it's probably not going to happen. I would be money that when the transmission was rebuilt, the guy took the shifter off from inside the vehicle. Then dropped the transmission, rebuilt it, put it back in, and dropped the same shifter with the same old parts right back in.
I have a 98 XJ with the AX15 with 189k. I would describe shifting it like... an old truck transmission. You have like a foot of shifter throw and it's not exactly presice lol. Its notchy and sloppy. I did put Redline oil in it and it helped alot as far as the grindy notchiness.

 

Ha...I guess I should have mentioned that 99% of my past experience in manuals has been in a mustang or a Corvette...significantly different indeed.

 

As mentioned, using the right oil makes a big difference. Do not use GL-5. You want something meant for manual transmissions with brass synchros such as Redline MTL or MTL90, Synchromesh, or lot of people are running synthetic 5W-30 motor oil.

 

A 2000 XJ should have an NV3550 transmission, I have driven one in a Wrangler and it was much smoother and less positive than what I am used to but I am use to driving an F250 with a ZF 6 speed.

 

+ infinity to this ^^^^^^

I'm not going to drag this thread into the weeds and chemistry of how and why not but GL-5 is NOT the transmission oil we are supposed to use.

There was an error in one edition of the printed service specs that said GL-5. It was wrong and later corrected by a service bulletin.

 

Yes. The NV3550 was used in 00 and 01 XJ's. It's possible that an AX15 was put into it, but as someone who bought a 00 TJ (brand new) with that god-awful POS stick shift - "vague and unconvincing" is an apt description of the feel of the shifting. I drove it for over 300k miles, so I am quite familiar with it. The AX15 is a bit better, but if you're used to a sports car shift, you'll need a lot of acclimation to the very "trucky" feel of the a Jeep stick shift.

Definitely use the recommended Redline fluid (the AX15 uses the MT90, I don't know if it's the same for the NV3550) - I used Pennzoil Synchromesh, but it was that tranny blowing a bearing that ultimately ended my daily driving of that TJ.