I've recently been considering putting a new tranny mount on my XJ. I got an estimate from a shop of 130$, around 80$ of that is labor. I looked up the procedure in my Haynes Repair Manual and the procedure sounds very simple; Unbolt the mount from the cross member and the tranny or t-case, raise the tran or t-case with a jack, and remove the mount. Is it really as easy as it sounds? Should I just do it myself and save 90$????

 

It's pretty easy

Stumbling points would be

Getting the crossmember down (the bolts and nuts on the frame rail)

And not marking things

Spray the nuts and try to spray the bolts with PB Blaster (there's a couple small holes in the rail around where the bolts go in so you might be able to get a spray wand in there).

Mark the crossmember / frame rail on one end, and mark the tranny mount/ crossmember so you can reference the orientation.

BTW I use a floor jack and take the crossmember down. You can use the jack to lower the TC a little to get the crossmember caught on the tranny mount, and then to jack it back up to the frame.

Make

 

The Haynes makes it sound like you just take off the relevant nuts and bolts on the mount, jack up the t-case and pull the mount out..... not that simple huh? So would you use two jacks or just one?

 

ABSOLUTELY do it yourself, I did mine and it took MAYBE an hour tops including cleaning all of the mud out of support.

 

No...just one jack. Put a block on it and (some might correct me, but) go up under the oil pan. You're not trying to lift it, just support it.

Unbolt the 4 bolts in the mount that connect to the CM (crossmember). Don't worry if you shear them off. The nuts on mine were 1/4x20. Look for new nuts with the new mount.

Rust is the issue in any repair. Personally, I sprayed the frame hardware a couple times, hit them with the impact and they came right out, while others.....well there's some stories.

Unless you live in a snow belt, it should be an easy job.

When all else fails, you always have this place

 

So you remove the cross member? That's not part of the procedures in the manual....so you are.......
1)supporting the t_case with the jack-
2)removing the cross member-
3)removing the mount off the t-case
4)putting the new mount on
5)then putting the cross member back on?

Sorry if I'm slow understanding this... I just hate it when something simple turns into a night mare.....

Also do you mean you are placing the jack with block on the tranny oil pan itself??

 

yeah, your pretty much right but i put a block of wood under my oil pan and then jacked it up just enough to so it would stay in its orignal position. im not sure how the t-case would holed to the weight

 

You understand PERFECTLY

I will probably catch it for saying it, but I use the engine oil pan. It's just forward of the CM and it's nice and flat. Just use as big of block as you can fit to dissipate the weight.

And you're doing the best thing you can. By the time we're done talking, in your mind this job will be done already.

 

Well thank you for the feed back... I hope rust doesn't screw me... even though I live in one of the few places where rust isn't an issue, my XJ came from NY, there is a protective undercoat to protect the body(or maybe some one painted over the rust!), but there is some corrosion on the unprotected mechanical parts..... well we will see how it goes!!!!

 

No problem

Good luck

 

Oh BTW

You might want to get or have a pry bar, lady slipper or something with a point so if the tranny shifts a little, you can pull everything back into alignment by using the CM bolt holes.