question about transmissions

i have a 93 cherokee sport with a 5 speed that i am told is the ax-15. the transmission is cracked on the output shaft casing?( im new to this kinda stuff so bare with me here) and the clutch is going....i just picked up an 87 cherokee for parts and i was wondering if that casing would be the same and if i can use the clutch parts because it is said to have a brand new clutch in it.....any information would be a help.....thanks.

Your 93 would be an AX15, the 87 would be an AX15 if it has a 4.0L.

Output shaft casing I'm guessing is the Adapter Extension Housing. Could that crack be welded? If it can be welded, can it be done while it is in the vehicle?

the 87 does have a 4.0 in it....and my 93 is cracked in the crappiest of location it stems off of a bolt hole for the cross member....and another thing i was told was the 87 had the peugeot trans in it because it was an 87....yet again like i said i dont know much about these but it would be a great relief if it was an ax15..im going to have to get it in the air to find out. the casing im talking about is in between the trans and the tranfer case....

joe_peters said:

Your 93 would be an AX15, the 87 would be an AX15 if it has a 4.0L.

Output shaft casing I'm guessing is the Adapter Extension Housing. Could that crack be welded? If it can be welded, can it be done while it is in the vehicle?

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Freeze!

The 1993 will have the "internal" AX-15 (the slave cylinder and throwout bearing are combined into a single unit.) The 1987, however, will have the Peugeot BA-10/5 (barely fit for scrap metal,) and it has no parts in common with the AX-15 (they're not even made by the same company.) They share clutch friction, and that's about it. The BA-10/5 may be readily identifed visually - the case is split longwise, with a parting line visible on the bottom. The AX-15 is split into three sections - forward, middle, and rear (with lateral parting lines.)

If you've cracked the transfer case adapter housing (in between the rear section of the transmission case and the transfer case,) you can replace just that - you will need to source a replacement, of course. The XJ used the AX-15 from mid-1989 to 1999, and all of the transfer case adapter housings should be the same. Check under 238ci V6-equipped Dakota pickups as well, since the AX-15 was used in there (I am not sure if the transfer case was "clocked" the same as under the XJ, so pay attention there.) Don't get the housing from a YJ or a TJ, as the transfer case is definitely "clocked" to tuck it farther up into the belly, and you will have to modify the transmission tunnel to fit the transfer case.

"Output shaft housing" is the generic name for that part - if it's on a 4WD transmission, it's the "transfer case adapter housing," and on 2WD it's simply the "tailshaft housing" or "tailcone." The difference? Provision for mounting a transfer case.

Yes, you can have aluminum parts welded, but it would cost a bit more than typical welding. You'll need someone who can TIG weld (I believe aluminum can be MIGged, but don't hold me to it) and TIG rigs aren't necessarily cheap. Where's it cracked? You can save some money on the weld by prepping it yourself - you would drill about 1/16" right at both ends of the crack (it's called "stop-drilling," and it's a standard practise in crack repair,) and use a grinder and a carbide burr to gouge the crack in the surface for fill with weld metal.

Considering that the housing would need to be degreased thoroughly so you don't have "blow-outs" in the weld, you may as well remove it.

NB: If you get stuck trying to describe something, recall the old maxim - "A picture is worth a thousand words." It can help considerably if you show us what you're seeing!

5-90, my reference says if the 87 has the 4.0 it will have the AX15, and the OP says its a 4.0 in the 87.

Error in my reference book? Info from Eric Zappe's 84-2001 xj builders guide.

joe_peters said:

5-90, my reference says if the 87 has the 4.0 it will have the AX15, and the OP says its a 4.0 in the 87.

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Interesting - what source are you using? From what I've seen, the BA-10 was used by AMC until the purchase by ChryCo, in the XJ, MJ, and YJ (behind the 258ci.) Sometime around August 1989, ChryCo went to the Aisin AX-15 (internal) until the end of 1993, then used the AX-15 (external) 1994-1999. After that, the NV3550 was used (with the MJ and YJ/TJ paralleling the XJ, except the YJ had the 258ci until the end of the 1990 Model Year, when it was replaced by the 242ci.)

The FSM did not show sections for the AX-15 until 1989 (it's not in the AMC manual I have from 1988 at all,) and my 1988 had the BA-10 until I replaced it with the AX-15.

Anyhow, that's my sources - FSMs and experience on my own. I've not run across any sources that disagree with all of that, which is why I was asking about yours (it's a cinch that there's going to be a source that's just off on some point, once you get past a certain number. Look how consistently the FSM screws up on proper lubrication for the AX-15!)

okay so if it comes down to it i can use the clutch out of this 87 at least?

5-90 said:

Interesting - what source are you using? From what I've seen, the BA-10 was used by AMC until the purchase by ChryCo, in the XJ, MJ, and YJ (behind the 258ci.) Sometime around August 1989, ChryCo went to the Aisin AX-15 (internal) until the end of 1993, then used the AX-15 (external) 1994-1999. After that, the NV3550 was used (with the MJ and YJ/TJ paralleling the XJ, except the YJ had the 258ci until the end of the 1990 Model Year, when it was replaced by the 242ci.)

The FSM did not show sections for the AX-15 until 1989 (it's not in the AMC manual I have from 1988 at all,) and my 1988 had the BA-10 until I replaced it with the AX-15.

Anyhow, that's my sources - FSMs and experience on my own. I've not run across any sources that disagree with all of that, which is why I was asking about yours (it's a cinch that there's going to be a source that's just off on some point, once you get past a certain number. Look how consistently the FSM screws up on proper lubrication for the AX-15!)

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The reference is Eric Zappe's "High-Performance Jeep Cherokee XJ Builder's Guide 1984-2001" from the stock XJ specs in Appendix A; but you are right they didn't start the AX15 until ChryCo bought it. I'm going to make a note of this.

OP--5-90 is right.

joe_peters said:

The reference is Eric Zappe's "High-Performance Jeep Cherokee XJ Builder's Guide 1984-2001" from the stock XJ specs in Appendix A; but you are right they didn't start the AX15 until ChryCo bought it. I'm going to make a note of this.

OP--5-90 is right.

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Hm. I have that book - Eric and I swapped some time ago. I must have missed that little detail...

OP - Yes, you can use the clutch cover and clutch plate. The TO bearing is similar, but the hydraulic connection is different (the BA-10 setup uses 1/4" SAE flared tube joins, and the AX-15 uses some variety of quick-connect.)