87 YJ

It is all explained on the Advance Adapters web site,

and in their Jeep Conversion Manual, which costs$10 and is worth every penny. You don't have to buy the parts from them,but their literature is a big help in identifying what is what. Earle

I guess the question i should really ask is: has anyone done a similar transfer, Auto to manual, and was it more trouble than it's worth? I haven't bought the Jeep yet so I'm wondering if I should just say forget it and keep looking for a five speed.

I guess the question i should really ask is: has anyone done a similar transfer, Auto to manual, and was it more trouble than it's worth? I haven't bought the Jeep yet so I'm wondering if I should just say forget it and keep looking for a five speed.

I looked at the advanced adapters site, thanks for that link

More trouble than it's worth. The Aw4 is a stout transmission and will hold up just as well as the AX15 so long as you put a nice big cooler on it. Biscuts to donuts says you have the NP231 transfer case, unless it has been swapped. Considering the NP207 was mostly used in the 84-86 XJ's behind ( I think) the AW4 and Chev 2.8, I find this highly unlikely.

Everything that says it is for an 88 will fit an 87.

HTH

Carl

I know that the NP207 was used for a very short time on the '87 Wranglers before they switched to the NP231. The situation is: I'd much rather have a manual tranny, and this would be a project jeep, so I don't mind doing unnecessary work on it. In fact, I'd enjoy it. This is an '87 that has a few things I want: 6 cylinder, hardtop, clean chassis/body (little to no rust) but is carbureted (obviously, being an '87) and has an automatic tranny. I guess it comes down to a general opinion: would it make sense for me to buy this vehicle for about a grand and swap the auto for a manual or just wait for a manual to come into my price range (not very high)? A key point - this is a project for my father and me. It will be torn apart and rebuilt almost completely anyway.

The 5sp in the '87 to early '89 is the Puegot tranny, you will likely want to swap that out for something stouter even if you wait for a manual setup.

Swapping an manual in for an auto involves a lot of little detail parts. Finding a wrecked doner vehicle is clearly the way to go. It's not to hard to find a really trashed early YJ for $500, all the parts you want (bellhousing, flywheel, pedal assembly, etc) are not really wearout parts.

I suppose if you were tearing everything else apart it would be worthwhile. You could get a wrecked YJ or a wrecked XJ for parts. Later than 90 on both counts, because that's when the AX15 started. If you do have the NP207, just use the 231 that will come with your donor vehicle.

So long as its in decent shape and the price is right, it sounds like a good find!

HTH

Carl

I agree with Carl here. If you are going to take the whole vehicle apart anyway, then what you are looking for on the '87 is the maximum number of reusable parts, not necessarily the precise mechanical configuration that you hope to end with. If it has a good frame and body, then it is a good place to start. Rust is a big issue. A lot depends on where you live, rust belt versus desert. If it has a decent axle ratio, that is a big factor too. There should be a tag under one of the pumpkin cover bolts on each end.

Earle

worthwhile.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the input.

Some considerations: on most of the swaps I've looked at where the tc was an NP 231, the input shaft for the tc had to be changed to make the swap as the spline count on the AX15 is different. You will need the bell housing, flywheel, clutch hydraulics, pedals (brake and clutch), and pedal hangers. I don't about know YJ, but on the 88 XJ or MJ you also have to change the cross member and rear mount. 87/88 use the same body parts, so you are looking at about the same deal.

You really want to do this ?

Everything's been done, going manual from an Auto will be a lot easier than vice versa but there's still a serious pile of parts you'll need and thousands of dollars to spend unless (and possibly even with) all junk yard parts.

I would say this though, unless you're seriously in love with the old carb'ed 258 you should look for a 91-95 YJ with the far superior injected 4.0 and a manual tranny already in it for $2500 to 4k

It will save you a BUNCH of work, get you a better motor, AND save you the trouble of a swap... Unless you get your manual transmission/donner YJ AND this 87 YJ for less than 2 grand... You'll spend the extra money plus some running to the junk yard, paying for major parts and fiddly bits that you never think about until you need them.

If you're REALLY into completely doing it yourself and the price is right (around a grand is very good if the 87 is running and has little rust) then get the 87 YJ AND a 4.0 equipped donner Jeep (could even be a Cherokee) and turn the two engines into a 4.6 liter stroker... Crank and Rods from the 258, block, head, fuel injection, (etc.) from the 4.0.

258's longer stroke with the 4.0's bigger pistons + 0.30 overbore = 4.6 liters... which on a budget build (stock compression ratio, cam, injectors etc.) will get you over 240 HP and around 300 ft. pounds of torque at the wheels with a power band that will put a smile on your face.

I probably sound like the news groups biggest 4.0 stroker advocate, but I seem to be the only one on here who has one, and knows how much fun they are.

Or perhaps you meant "donor".

Earle

The AW4 is indeed about a bullet proof auto transmission but I believe (pretty sure) it was never used in a Wrangler of any variety... could be wrong but I believe it's Cherokee and 4.0 ZJ/WJ only part.

I know it has been swapped INTO YJ's and TJ's on occasion. No doubt they were after some of that XJ bulletproof-ness ;)

It is long (27" inches I seem to recall, 5 more than most YJ/TJ manuals like the NV3500 at 22" IIRC) and so has drive shaft/Pinion angle issues among other things like TC mounting location issues, custom drive shaft length issues etc.

Anyway I didn't just google all this up (unlike someone around here). I have 2 spare AW4's one of which is in the process of being swapped into my YJ for the french POS10 (that's: Piece O Shit10). I'm doin' it because there's just no chance in hell that Peugeot garbage is going to live behind the stroker the YJ's getting. And I know the AW4 will.

I spell it: S T A L K E R

:)

AFAIK, the aw4 was an availible option on all wranglers from 87 to 05. AFAIK, it was the only automatic availible in any YJ or TJ.

Carl

"Sim>> More trouble than it's worth. The Aw4 is a stout transmission and will >> hold

The reason for the auto to manual switch is little more than that my dad and i want a stick. We just find the driving experience more fun, more engaging. It's not that we're worried about the auto holding up, we just like manuals.

I like the idea of combining the engines into a stroker. How much trouble would this be? My father has a decent amount of interior engine experience, but not since the advent of EFI. Is this a painstaking process that we could easily screw up?

My '93 is a 4banger and rema> The Merg wrote:

No, it's basically identical to a total rebuild, with a little extra minor machining. There are excellent write ups, including build up recipes for various budgets from lowest budget 4.5L (no .30 overbore and using all stock and junk yard parts), to high compression custom piston, custom ground stroker crank 5.0L. putting out 300HP normally aspirated.

Nothing special is needed in terms of fuel injection knowledge, there are a few things that can be done to resolve pinging if it runs too lean (and it probably will if you use stock size injectors) but these are none to complicated and there are write ups of them as well. (adjustable fuel pressure regulator made by He$co, larger Mustang injectors, adjustable throttle position sensor using 3 dollars worth of radio shack bits; are three of the potential solutions. Besides having the factory ECU chipped and dyno programmed which is the best highest performance solution).

These are good starting points:

The Yahoo strokers group is a good place to ask specific questions and get help, the latest topics here are a few guys working on prototyping a roller valve train(!)

and the forums at naxja.com are filled with Cherokee owners quite a few who have stroked 4.0's (very popular mod with XJ owners)

Corporate Torque Flight 999 3 speed in the YJ's AND TJ's until they got the 4 speed 42RLE in the later TJ's.

Can't find any mention of the AW4 ever living in a YJ or TJ, if you can find something please post a link or any info you find. I would absolutely love to pull a transmission cross member, transfer case and drive shafts out of a salvage AW4 equipped YJ or TJ.

Maybe you're thinking of the AX5 manual they put behind the four banger? I'd love to be proven wrong here it would save me from custom drive shafts and time fabbing my own cross member.

I've been doing some extensive classified searches and it seems like I'd be kind of dumb to pass this up - I can't find anything else within

200 miles that's below 3k. Are there better Jeep-specific classifieds where I'd have a decent chance of finding part-cars? I've been over to 4x4wire, not much there. I think a junkyard trip is in order for tomorrow morning.