CCPAJeeper

Hi guys, 97 XJ, 170K on the clock. Recent purchase. Bought it, drove it home, 3 hour trip. Tranny shifted fine, once it was warmed up. when cold, it was a little difficult to shift.
Ok, so mods done, 4.5 RC lift and 33 x 12.50 15s on 5 x 10 steelies. Right after I did the lift, wheels the tires, I went through and changed all of the fluids. I put Red Line MT90 in the trans and filed to the proper amount. I did a lot of research on line and that brand and viscosity was the most highly recommended. Here is the problem, now I have a shifting issue with the trans. Even when warm, very notchy shifts. Difficult to get into first. Absolutely will not go into reverse without grinding. Never had an issue with reverse previously, before the lube change. Further, the notchyness was only present before the change, when cold. Now it is all the time. Further, the trans seems to be heating up. We drove it for an hour and you could feel heat coming from the trans tunnel inside the vehicle. I have never experienced that previously.
The old lube was pretty black and definitely needed to be changed. Some slight metal on the drain plug, but nothing that alarmed me.
what do you guys think is going on with the trans? I change the lube, put in the most expensive and most recommended type, that "hits all of the required specs" and the trans is working way worse than it did with the crap lube in it. Could the change have knocked some internal debris loose and that is now effecting my synchronizers? I am half tempted to put the synthetic 10W 30 engine oil in it and see how it shifts. That seemed to be the second choice of all the posts I read on this topic.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. I am baffled by this odd situation Again, the level is correct.
Thanks,
CC

BwanaBob

Did you fill it all the way to the fill hole?
Does it ever grind when going into gears other than reverse?
Do you see any evidence that the transmission is leaking or was leaking in the past?

That said, difficult shifting could also be a clutch problem. Is the clutch fluid level low?
Are there any leaks from the master cylinder where it connects to the clutch pedal?
Any leaks at the slave cylinder?
If not, you might try draining the clutch cylinders and refilling with fresh Dot3 fluid and bleeding it.

My 98 XJ is on its third clutch master cylinder. The clutch plates have been changed a couple
of times over its 160k miles, the last time with a factory clutch kit. I changed out the synchro rings
two years ago because one gear was grinding. On that one, the synchro ring was cracked and the
synchro keys were out of place or damaged and we replaced those, too.

this is from the Factory Service Manual for the AX-15:

HARD SHIFTING
Hard shifting is usually caused by a low lubricant
level, improper, or contaminated lubricants. The consequence
of using non–recommended lubricants is
noise, excessive wear, internal bind, and hard shifting.
Substantial lubricant leaks can result in gear,
shift rail, synchro, and bearing damage. If a leak
goes undetected for an extended period, the first indications
of component damage are usually hard shifting
and noise.
Component damage, incorrect clutch adjustment,
or a damaged clutch pressure plate or disc are additional
probable causes of increased shift effort. Incorrect
adjustment or a worn/damaged pressure plate or
disc can cause incorrect release. If the clutch problem
is advanced, gear clash during shifts can result.
Worn or damaged synchro rings can cause gear clash
when shifting into any forward gear. In some new or
rebuilt transmissions, new synchro rings may tend to
stick slightly causing hard or noisy shifts. In most
cases, this condition will decline as the rings wear–
in.

s346k

PatHenry

Agree with the possibility of hydraulic/clutch issue.

Also check that the breather tube is not clogged.

The AX15 (after '93) is an external slave and bleeding a new clutch master is reportedly extremely difficult. I would recommend just getting the pre-bled master/slave assembly if you go the route of replacing the clutch master - it's surprisingly inexpensive.
Fortunately replacing the slave on a 94+ doesn't require pulling the transmission off the engine.

4.3L XJ

I agree on the clutch not releasing all the way when cold

Morat

If you're replacing the master, I'd do the slave at same time. I've generally found that when one goes the other isn't far behind.

CCPAJeeper

Guys, thanks for the advise. I will check out the clutch components.

The lube is definitely full. I was certain on that issue.

Thanks again, I greatly appreciate the advise.

CC