Hi, all,
I was wondering what is involved in changing over an XJ from a BA-10 to an AW-15 in an '89 XJ 4x4 w/ a 4.0L...
My XJ is at 180K mi + and it sounds like a 5th gear thrust bearing is starting to complain.
Thanks!

 

Well first you need to let us know which tranny you are talking about....


AW-4 is an auto tranny used in XJ's....

AX-15 is the manual tranny used after the Puke-out...

AW-15 is an auto-stick???

 

Whoops...my bad. TYPO!
AX-15...Sorry!

I did a search, but nothing in Cherokee Chat.

 

No worries I fixed the title for ya..

 

If you find a donor vehicle that makes it easiest to get everything needed. I have the parts to do mine but I haven't actually done it yet, but here's what I've come across so far.

The BA-10 is shorter then the AX-15 so both driveshafts have to change, the crossmember is the same but moves back on the rails to the rear mounting position for the AX-15.

There's two different style clutches for the AX-15, external and internal slave cylinder types, so it's best if you get the clutch master cylinder and slave and hydraulic line as a unit off of the donor vehicle. The one I have for my conversion, I also took the clutch assy and the flywheel just in case.

There may be a difference in pilot bearings also.

The BA-10 has a 21 spline output and AX-15's have a 23 spline output, so the correct transfer case is needed or change the input gear on the 21 spline transfer case to a 23 spline one.

Also transfer cases out of YJ's and TJ's are clocked differently then XJ's, so make sure the replacement transfer case comes out of an XJ.

Probably more stuff I missed that I'll find out about when I do mine

 

Thanks for the info, 87xjco!
Sounds like a real project...
(Any chance of a write-up when you do it?)
I was hoping it would be a more direct bolt-in swap...looks to be expensive, too!
I guess I'll start saving now...

 

Not all AX-15 have a 23 spline output...

Jeep changed from the BA-10 to the AX-15 part way through the 89 model year. So early year 89's got the Pukeout and late year ones got the AX-15. But the spline counts weren't changed until 1991. So if you can find a late 89 or 90 model year donor, you will have 21 spline outputs. This is the period when Jeep was changing towards Chryco control rather than their own so some strange things were happening.

 

I may be wrong but I thought besides the BA-10 in the years 84-89/90, only the AX-5 21 spline was the other 5 speed trans, that was available.

After mid 1990 the AX-15 internal slave cylinder transmission 23 spline replaced both, and sometime in the mid 90's, it was changed to an external slave cylinder set up

I will do a write up when I replace mine, but I don't know when, as long as the clutch and tranny keep working o/k, I might as well keep the BA-10 in there!

 

FWIW, I had a BA-10 and it was a great tranny. I kept waiting on it to grenade....but it didn't. When I sold it a year ago the tranny was one of the best things on the XJ!! It worked flawlessly the entire time I had it.

 

I have a BA 10 and it is working great but leaks a little at the seam. I am thinging about the swap because I don't want to get stranded in the middle of a swamp w/trany problems. I guess if I don't hammer on it it might last awile. at least till the cluch needs changing

 

Just a friendly FYI...make damn sure that you get the crossmember to tranny mount PLATE. It has a "step" in it that sets the tranny mount height, and if you do not get it when getting the tranny good luck finding it later. If you don't have it, then you will have some fun trying to make it. (ask me how I know....) Also, the AX changed to the external slave about the mid-95 model. I don't know about the later ones, but the early AXs' used the SAME clucth as the Pukegoat. That saved about $200 right there. You can also change the bell out for the late model if you can only find the early slave set-up, for now.