NP242 behind a AX-15

[xjtrailrider]

Terry, could it just be some porosity in the case casting? JB weld that sucker!

 

[terryd]

A rubber plug. They sometimes fall out.

Where can I get a new one? Maybe drill and tap it something like 5/16 and use a super short bolt? What's behind the plug?

Terry, could it just be some porosity in the case casting? JB weld that sucker!

I wondered about that Jon, but this evening after work, I wiped all the dirt off the case down to bare aluminum all around the shifter and down under the case. Then I drove it across town and checked. There was a triangular shaped trail of ATF coming from this hole. The fluid gathering on the underside of the case was frothy, where it was being stirred up and slung out. A leak through the case like a sand hole or something usually would leave a very dark red (not frothy or aerated) color trail wouldn't it?

I'll look at work tomorrow and see what we have there I could put in the hole to stop it up.

 

[terryd]

NP242 is fixed. It was with out a doubt the hole leaking. It is also the perfect size for a 1/8" NPT tap. I used a nut driven on the back of a tap and a stubby ratcheting wrench to tap the hole, then installed a hex head 1/8" pipe plug. Test drove it up to about 55mph after wiping off the case again and it's dry as a bone. Thanks for all the help guys! So far so good!!!

 

[terryd]

So, 20 months of running this combo now. Still trucking right along! Great mod for a DD. Only issue is some bucking when maneuvering in tight spaces in AWD under power. Coasting is fine. Anyways, for anyone looking to do the swap, I say go for it!

 

[gradon]

Somewhere down the line I'll pick up a 94-95 2dr manual Cherokee and I'll do the 242 swap(and use the Eagle 6150s that've been on the shelf for years). It'd make a great rally-cross setup. Now if I can find one with that gray metallic paint I had on my previous 94. . .

 

[IslanderOffRoad]

Ya know I bought a 2wd 5spd that I'm planning to swap... Maybe ill do a 242 just to be different

 

[IslanderOffRoad]

what did ya'll do for driveshafts on this setup? will your ax15/np231 driveshafts work? or did you need to customize it.

 

[terryd]

I used the custom rear shaft that was built for it in a Jeep with a NP242 behind a AW4. It was a 6" lift on that Jeep though I think.

 

[Super mud]

Hey bringing back a thread. I just finished a drivetrain swap in my comanche, consisting of a ax15 and a np242. Makes a bunch noise from some sort of backlash or slop, I'm assuming coming from the transfer case since I heard it can make some noise from the center diff but then others don't mention it. Mine sounds like dog crap and you can feel the clunk. Any experience with this or ideas? I've had both cases apart so I was assuming I screwed something up.

 

[ehall]

check to make sure the case is closed up properly, I left a gap in the output housing once (pinched the pump) and it made all kinds of racket

 

[Super mud]

Ok I'll check that. Was there a visible gap between the output housing and the main case?

 

[ehall]

No, it looked fine but when I ran my finger over the top of the output housing then I could feel it