Tranny swap

I'm swapping the tranny from my 96 into my 99, the 96 has a 242 while the 99 has a 231... will this make any differences?

Can't think of one.

the transfer case shift linkages.
the gate is slightly different between the 231 and 242, and i believe the linkages are different as well (about 10* difference in the lever section)

drivershaft lengths may also vary (the 242 is longer than the 231)

the cps (spinning block and sensor in the spacer between the transmission and transfer case) may also be different. i am not sure of the exact year of the change, but 95 and earlier have a 2 bulb magnetic sensor, while the 99 and later have a 4 prong optical sensor. i believe the change was in 97, so you will need to swap those out as well (the sensor tells the TCU how fast it is turning so it knows when to shift)

there may also be some harness differences as well. if the harnesses do simply plug together (if the pulgs are different) spend some time researching exactly what wire is what.

h2opete987 said:

the transfer case shift linkages.
the gate is slightly different between the 231 and 242, and i believe the linkages are different as well (about 10* difference in the lever section)

drivershaft lengths may also vary (the 242 is longer than the 231)

Click to expand...

I swapped a my 231 for a 242 in my '00 XJ and the old linkage worked just fine. The old shift gate lets me go through all the ranges on the 242 without problems. The driveshaft is the same length.

All I am swapping is tranny's, no TC's

CPS is same plug type

Did find some interesting things on my 99's tranny

There were no bolts holding the mount to the tranny, so basicaly it was just sliding sideways on the crossmember

The bottom CPS bolt is a flathead machine screw

There was a Torque Converter screw below the flywheel just layin there

Missing 2 bolts along the bell housing



Haha, gotta love previous owners and their shotty maintnence or lack there of

The 99 trans has an additional sensor that the 96 wont have.It may be a problem for the controller!

ZacSquatch said:

All I am swapping is tranny's, no TC's

CPS is same plug type

Did find some interesting things on my 99's tranny

There were no bolts holding the mount to the tranny, so basicaly it was just sliding sideways on the crossmember

The bottom CPS bolt is a flathead machine screw

There was a Torque Converter screw below the flywheel just layin there

Missing 2 bolts along the bell housing



Haha, gotta love previous owners and their shotty maintnence or lack there of

Click to expand...

Let me know how it works out. I was thinking about do the same but with 93' trans in a 98'.

RCP Phx said:

The 99 trans has an additional sensor that the 96 wont have.It may be a problem for the controller!

Click to expand...

Bingo! I'm not positive what year the change was - one reference says 96/97 with the odbII change and another says 98 (what I currently think). Anyway during the change a front input shaft speed sensor was added. The rear sensor also changed from 1-pulse/rev to 4-pulses/rev. You can pull the back end of the tranny and swap the rotor and use the older sensor, but you're still going to be missing that front sensor.

You might be able to plug in the 96 TCU and have everything work, but I think the ECM will throw a code since it can't talk to the TCU (odbI versus obdII?)