AW4 rebuild/upgrade build thread

[child9]

I should also add that if you are in fact experiencing slipping on a stock trans, you'd better get it pulled apart and get a "soft" rebuild done. This will replace all the seals and most importantly the friction plates. Once you start welding clutch baskets together (friction creates a LOT of heat), repairs get real expensive and time-consuming.

 

[O-Gauge Steamer]

As far as your test dummy goes, I have unaltered and semi low mile(54,378 to be exact) AW4/4.0 drivetrain. With 4.5", 33s, and stock 3.55 gearing, I notice on long trips, in example my 120 mi trek to the mountains in the winter to go snowboarding, if I drive on the HWY in overdrive eventually she starts slipping on hills, I think? :dunno: When I start to go up hills it will bog down, then eventually make a sluggish attempt at downshifting into 3rd and then once I level out she doesnt want to go back into OD or I have to manually downshift and the upshift or on its own accord it performs a 3.5second upshift back into OD...

If any of that made sense, would it help? Im recalling purely on ~8 month old memory of the issue. Obvious said issues are due to over strain(improperly geared) and heat, correct?

You need to adjust the TV cable... Your lousy downshifts should resolve. My 98 was doing the exact same thing. Had to basically floor it to get the transmission to downshift. Post cable adjust, it behaves itself.

 

[jblack'00xj]

This is going to be my first trans build. And I dont want to spare any possible upgrades. Once the block gets about 100k on her or I find 5k burning holes in a bank account :rofl: I plan to do a 4.7 stroker.

When the XJ goes under the knife(hopefully this fall) everything from the transmission back is coming out and getting upgraded. I have a trans cooler I got from a racing buddy, BNIB, capable of handing 10bars. Considering the "GoJeep" deep pan mod(obviously going to build a custom belly skid.) Internals are the only thing that has me at a loss. I was thinking this VB and then the "light"? transgo kit P/N: SK 340? Opinions? Should we take this to PMs and stop cluttering up this thread?

You need to adjust the TV cable... Your lousy downshifts should resolve. My 98 was doing the exact same thing. Had to basically floor it to get the transmission to downshift. Post cable adjust, it behaves itself.

Link for further info?

 

[Fringe XVO]

Well, it's official. I'm official.

 

[O-Gauge Steamer]

OOOOHHHHHH. Blue Letters... Pretty.

Congrats!

 

[Fringe XVO]

Indeed.

 

[child9]

Alright, it's only way past time for this girl to be 100% street legal in Texas.

New air filter setup with MAF sensor is now installed.

 

[Boostwerks.com]

Sick

 

[Fringe XVO]

There's just something about this engine...I find myself staring at it a lot.

 

[Fringe XVO]

Regarding VB upgrades:

I am going to be as honest and accurate as I can be.

The Transgo kit is good for all the AW4 valve bodies.

The valve body specific gaskets must be slightly different. They change part numbers from 2000 and up. Get the gasket that is appropriate to your year please.

I've never needed to source a whole complete valve body that wasn't in a transmission, but you can get parts from here: (for those that want to send in a core to minimize down time)
https://www.wittrans.com

As far as a complete working VB, I would suggest a used and already working VB. I have acquired entire transmissions from CL before for $50.

I just laid out a 2000 VB and a 1996 VB... NO DISCERNIBLE DIFFERENCE.

I should say this as well. This service is mostly figured out, but there is still information that is coming in. I am good at handling data, but the quantification of it is a process. I can tell you that if I make a mistake or do not have an answer for something, I will rectify it with you or find the answer. Some things take time. Some things take money. Some things take both.

That said, I am confident that ALL the VBs are swappable BETWEEN AW4s...however there are different VB gaskets part numbers from 2000+. Something must be slightly different between 1999- and 2000+, I just don't know exactly what yet. Despite the part number difference, the uppers and lowers of each VB on the 1996 and 2000 I just had next to each other show no real difference. Both have the same 4 digit casting numbers...although there is another number above (2 digit) that was different and casting dates were different. Every bolt location, every hole, every contour looks to me to be identical. Solenoids are slightly different in color, some have numbers and some don't...but they are definitely swappable. Merdock69 can confirm this.

I am 99% sure I have just visually confirmed that with Talyn's 2000 VB and my original 1996 VB sitting next to each other.

ALL SYSTEMS GO.

 

[merdock69]

Regarding VB upgrades:
Every bolt location, every hole, every contour looks to me to be identical. Solenoids are slightly different in color, some have numbers and some don't...but they are definitely swappable. Merdock69 can confirm this.


ALL SYSTEMS GO.

Confirmed, I had a weak overdrive (4th) solenoid in the VB I shipped to Chad, he replaced it with a known good solenoid (don't know year) and although it took a few cycles to get the piston firing freely in the cylinder and it initially threw a CEL, it did end up working properly after simply driving it around for a few miles and letting it cycle.

 

[Fringe XVO]

I was just reading back through this thread and I thought I should clear something up, in case it isn't already. I feel there is some mystique to the VBs purpose, and I'm starting to hate that people call it the "brain".

The modified valve body will go into your AW4 and make it perform better. The transmission itself does not need to be "built". The valve body does not know what's in the transmission nor does it care.

The valve body does not control when or why any shifts or locking happens...it is not the "brain" of the trans as I've seen it called numerous times. The "brain" is the TCU/ECU combination. The VB is more akin to a central nervous system. It takes electrical signals it receives (@ the solenoids) and turns them into hydraulic flow, which in turn causes a physical device to be pushed or pulled...essentially being the middle man between the brain and muscles...telling a muscle to move and the muscle actually moving. If you could make your response time faster, that would be sweet right? Well, you CAN do that for your Jeep.

Summed up, the VB mods CAN NOT affect the rpm a shift occurs at...it simply changes HOW FAST and HOW HARD the devices hold when they are commanded to do so.

Savvy? Yarrr!

 

[cal]

Hmm. With us blowing the trans on 4643, I guess its time to re-read this thread a few times..