Advice on AX15 in junkyard

found 89 XJ in the junkyard with a 5-speed

I cannot find what model transfercase it is. What can I do to see if it is a AX-15 with a NP231

the t-case has a MOPAR sticker with model and serial number but i could not see NP231 or similar

I am looking for an AX15 with a NP231 to swap in for my automatic tranny with NP242

will these parts work

also, the XJ in the junkyard has 196k on it

worth the chance?

i 've never seen a 242 behind an ax-15, to my knowledge it wasn't available that way. check the round tag on the back of tcase just to make sure though. i assume you made sure that was indeed an ax-15 and not the puke goat.

If the lever and console are still there, you can check to see how many positions it has. The 231 will have 2 hi, 4 hi, N and 4 low only.

x2 on check the console. Also be careful, the Puegot was still in use in 89 IIRC.

any comments on 196k miles? is it a waste of $100? i figured the manually tranny is not likely to be junk, simply because it is a manual. I am just wondering if i should hold out for one with less miles?

i saw the tag, just couldnt see the 231 stamp, it is the same type tag I saw on other np231s

would everything fit my 4.0 from a 1989? mine is a 1996?

i wouldn't worry about the 196k. my ax-15 just passed 205k-shifts like butter, no noises, etc.

Check the engine - if it's the 2.46L I4, it's either the AX-4 (four-speed) or AX-5 (five-speed.) The 1989 4.0L I6 could come with either the Peugeot BA-10/5 (early) or Aisin AX-15 (late) - and they're easily identifiable by the way the case splits. The BA-10 is a "clamshell" case, which can be easily spotted by the longwise split down the main case (you split the case in half to load it.) The AX-15 case is built of three cases assembled front-to-back, so you'll readily see the sections.

IIRC, pretty much all manual XJs came with the NP231 1987-up - with a 21-spline used behind the BA-10 and 23-spline pretty much everywhere else. Of course, it's possible to change the input gear - but be sure to use an early 23-spline gear (1994 and down, methinks) as they changed the helix on the input gear teeth slightly. It will mesh without the gears moving, but the first fluid change will probably have you draining teeth.

It's entirely possible to swap in a 242 behind the AX-15 (I'm planning on doing it myself, unless I happen to score a good gear-driven case instead,) but you'll probably need a new shift linkage for the transfer case. I've heard good reports from the field on the kit that Novak sells, and that's what I'm planning to do when my time comes. (My "ideal" combination would end up being the NV3550 and D300 - my "acceptable" will be the external AX-15 and the NP242. I do like having the full-time option for driving around with the rest of these mopes in the excuses for foul weather we see around here.)

Note that your 1989 AX-15 will still have the "internal" slave, and the transmission may be swapped in place of an extant BA-10 while still using the same hydraulics and clutch kit. If you are converting from the AW4, you'll want to be sure to grab the clutch pedal, linkage, operating rod, hydraulics, et al as well - if you think you'll need it, grab it! If you don't need it, no worries - but if you need it and didn't get it, you'll kick yourself very hard and say many evil words... The same crossmember should be useable (the crossmember is the same with the AW4 and BA-10 - I checked - and you'll just need to use the rearward set of holes to mount the crossmember.)

While this thread is primarily aimed toward those swapping an AX-15 in in favour of that wretched BA-10, it should still yield quite a bit of useful information for what you're doing as well - so give it a read. It may generate more questions for you, but it should answer quite a few as well.

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=70388

Good luck!