Need help. AX-15 input shaft question

Alright, I'm doing a clutch replacement on a '94 Cherokee. Ready to put the transmission/transfer case assembly back in... put in a new pilot bearing, and a new throwout bearing. I have everything assembled, except there is one clip that fell off the input shaft when I pulled the transmission off and I cannot figure out how it goes back on. It goes on the end of the input shaft, I'm pretty sure (it's not one of the clips that holds the throwout bearing to the release fork). The clip is in a U-shape... one side has a circular part that fits over the input shaft, and the other side has two pieces that need to be spread apart.

Does anyone know this clip I'm talking about, and can you tell me what direction it goes on the input shaft on the transmission? My stupid haynes/chilton manuals say nothing about this obviously important clip, so I'm hopelessly lost and at a stand-still until I figure this out (guess I should've bought a factory service manual).

I can possibly take a picture if nobody knows what I"m talking about..

I refuse to believe that not a single person here has ever had to remove/re-install an AX-15 transmission before.

Anybody know what clip I'm talking about at all, or do I need to trek down to the shop and take a picture?

Somebody... please?

It's just a wire clip, that fits over the input shaft on the transmission. I'm not even completely sure it goes there, it just fell off when we pulled the transmission. Can someone at least tell me if I'm nuts and that there is no kind of clip like this on the end of the AX-15 input shaft, so I can stop beating my head against the wall on this... I can't believe that no one on this board has swapped out an AX-15 before... please, somebody? I'm desperate... I even looked at a factory service manual today for a later model cherokee (96 FSM), and saw nothing of this clip, so now I don't know what the heck to do. If it were a simple chore to remove and replace the transmission, I would just put it in and try it, but I don't want to do this job twice.

My 95 has 223 thousand miles on the clutch, so perhaps this kind of job is very rare, thus no takers on your question.

I'm sitting here with the 95 FSM open to the clutch section, and like you can see no reference to a separate clip on the input shaft, but there is something called a "fork retainer spring" which is not well illustrated or explained, but you're supposed to replace it if it's bent or damaged. It isn't clear whether or not this is same as the "return spring" shown in the illustration, at the ball stud end of the fork, or another spring.

I've never done an AX-15/jeep clutch but I'm trying to figure out where a clip would make sense. The fork must move back and forth to actuate the release bearing, and shouldn't contact the shaft at all, and the end of the shaft must slip into the pilot bearing. The driven disk must slide freely on the shaft splines. There are no clips on the slave cylinder push rod. Are you sure this is a legitimate clip, not a broken part of something else?

A picture might help, but I hope someone who's actually done the job can chime in with a better suggestion.

I'll go down and take a picture today. I'm sure after I figure this out I'm going to be smacking my head and saying "IDIOT", but for now I'm lost.

Thanks Matthew.

NotMatt said:

I'll go down and take a picture today. I'm sure after I figure this out I'm going to be smacking my head and saying "IDIOT", but for now I'm lost.

Thanks Matthew.

Click to expand...

I've replaced the clutch before but I don't know what you are talking about as far as a clip. Maybe mine just didn't fall out like yours.

Alright, here's the picture everyone.

I got to thinking about it, and I'm wondering if this doesn't have something to do with keeping the fork seated on the pivot ball maybe. I dunno, anyway, here's the picture:

NotMatt said:

Alright, here's the picture everyone.

I got to thinking about it, and I'm wondering if this doesn't have something to do with keeping the fork seated on the pivot ball maybe. I dunno, anyway, here's the picture:

Click to expand...

Well, it's definitely a spring and not a broken piece of something else, and I have no ****ing clue where it goes! Your latest guess sounds good to me, but I guess I'm out of my depth until or unless my own clutch blows up.