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Strange Tranny Problem, Is it toast?

S

StuckonTheDock

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Lakebay, Washington
Hey all, I was just given a "Dead" 89 Larado edition. The previous owner said that the tranny would work just fine, till about 15 minutes on the freeway, then would slip so bad it had to cool off to move it. Could this be electrical, or is it most likely that the tranny is shot? TIA!!
 
Yellow brown? That's a new color for me.

The fact that it smells burned, you could maybe try doing a flush, or at the least a fluid and filter change....maybe change the fluid a couple of times (i.e. change it once, drive it a bit, change it again....as just doing a fluid and filter change does NOT get all of the old fluid out).

The fact that it does it after it gets warmed up makes me wonder if maybe the previous owner put the wrong type of fluid in it.....the AW4 (assuming you have an automatic) is quite picky about what you put in there...
 
The AW4 can take some abuse....more than a lot of other auto's....however, slipping isn't good for any transmission. I'd change that fluid ASAP and stop driving it untill you can get it changed. Hopefully it's not toasted and you can still get some life out of the tranny. If not, time for a swap!
 
It is (and has been) stationary since the slppage started. I had it hauled by flatbed to my place. I have another XJ that I managed to kill on an icy road (Sad and stupid, please don't ask) that has a solid tranny. The final question is, is it a nightmare to swap?
 
No more so than any tranny swap.

There's awkward bolts to reach, heavy weights to sling, and the initial 'shove that %^&*er onto the gorram output shaft; but it's doable. The AW4 is worth it. It's a good tranny, and tough as nails. If you get a solid donor tranny, and take care of it, then you shouldn't have to do it again for a looooooong time.

:)
 
Thanks for the advise! The donor is solid as far as I can tell, has all the symptoms of a bad tps, no kickdown for example, but solid. Does the transfer case cause a bunch of headaches to the task? I've done tons of trannys, but never a 4WD...tips and tricks would be appreciated!
 
E12 inverted Torx on the top two bellhousing bolts. CPS is best left in place, just fish the wire down from the back of the valve cover. I'm thinking the exhaust downpipe has to come out between the manifold and the 4-bolt flange by the crossmember. Nothing crazy, really.
 
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