Joined: Oct 2018

Posts: 5

Likes: 0

Model: Cherokee (XJ)

Ok everybody, it’s time to play WTF did i do 😂

I am rebuilding my 97 Jeep Cherokee. I have an AX15 5 speed transmission. I pulled it out with engine during the rebuild, it was shifting fine with no issues but it needed to be cleaned up. It was leaking out of every seal and joint so I pulled both sides of the case off,cleaned them up. Then I looked over the synchros and gears and they all looked great. Shifted it through the gears for fun to show the kids and then set everyone neutral. Put it back together, new clutch ect....

I forgot to run it through the gears once it was back together (my bad , I know) and when I finally got around to installing the shifter I found it will not shift into the upper side of the gears, i.e.. 1, 3 & 5.

It shifts fine into 2, 4 & R with or without the clutch.

I figured it was just hung up so I put the transfer case in neutral and started it up, same thing. Bottom gears go in nice and smooth but the upper gears feel like there is something I’m pushing against and it doesn’t want to fall into gear.

My assumption is that maybe I installed the upper fork rod that holds the upper shifter fork in backwards but I’ll have to pull the transfer case to pull the rod out.

I was hoping someone in here was an expert on these transmissions and might give me something else to check. I would really rather not pull this transmission out and crack open the case just to find out it was something simple I could have fixed while it was in place.

Sorry for the long story, thanks for hanging in to the end.