Need Big Help w/ replacing my AX-15

Hi folks!
My AX-15 after 183K miles is dying soon. The gears are getting stuck, when I let go of the cluch in neutral I can feel the grinding on the shifter, I can't downshift and I need my jeep very much at this point in time. I'm going to look around for a used tranny and see if I can replace it myself. Cash is a big concern as well. School is taking a toll on my finances.
Well Id like to know if a newer (96 and up) AX-15 is compatible with mine which is a 93 from a 4.0 4x4 231np transfer case. I beieve they might use a different bellhousing alignment system, but I'm not sure.
Also anyone who is experienced with this tranny or have done a replacement the job before, please help me with some good information because I need lots of it.
Thanks in advance.
Later, Nick.

I did mine in a '93. swaped it for another '93 because the trannie case was cracked and leaked.

it's prolly a 2 day job. seperating the t-case makes it a bit easier to wresle down. As stated in another post, you will need an E12 socket for the top two trannie to engine bolts. they are inverted torx.
I had a buddy help be through out my project (swap trannie and both axles). You can drop the S pipe from theheader if you want clearance for the trannie to drop. i didn;t take mine out. And make sure you save all your bolts. :farmer:

with 183k miles, are you sure its the tranny and not the clutch or pressure plate. even if its the tranny you will probably need a new clutch, slave and throwout bearing.

i had the same prob with mine around 190k and i took it to a local shop and had them do it it was about $700 for new bearing, syncros, and a new clutch pressure plate & bearing $ labor. i thought this was very reasonalble considering that if you get one for a junk yard you only get the tranny. besides you have no clue how the x-owner treated the tranny.

i called around to many shops and the cheepest i could fine was around $1500 so i went to the junk yard and they said they knew a shop that was very reasonable and did good work so i went to them. sometimes the big shops do charge more and you are better off looking for the little guy who takes pride in what he does. i would recomend going around to you local junkyard's / gas station u know the ones with good mechanices that don't do tranny work so they won't try take the work themselves and you should be able to send you in the right direction.

ps i just joined when i saw your post i am a member at ju and jeep forum so i am not too familliar with this forum so i'll say send me a pm but i dont' know if this forum has that feture so you can always e-mail me [email protected] or you can IM me POPEYE1865 hope this helps sorry for the long post

I'd second 89xj's thoughts. 190K on the original (??) clutch and components is pretty impressive, but they just might be shot. I'd pull the trans and see how much friction material is actually left on the clutch disk, and that might point out the problem. New clutch kits, complete with slave/throwout, can be had for less than $200. You might want to replace the flywheel also, because others on the board have reported that you can't machine the later-model ones...they are contoured to a specific shape, and machining them removes the contour. Also might want to drain/refill the tranny with new fluid while you have it all apart.
HTH,
Jeff