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AX-15: Converting to an External Slave Cylinder

RAVC1

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Michigan
My 1989 Laredo has the AX-15 with the hydraulic throw-out bearing. As any of you know that have this hydraulic TOB assembly changing it requires removal of the engine or the transfer case & transmission.

People have converted to the external slave cylinder to get around the hydraulic TOB I just do not know what they did to perform the conversion. Can anyone tell me?

Salvage yards tell me the later model year AX-15s they have with the external slave are not a direct replacement for the AX-15 in my 1989. Why?

Please advise.

Thanks,

Rick
 
Last edited:
RAVC1 said:
My 1989 Laredo has the AX-15 with the hydraulic throw-out bearing. As any of you know that have this hydraulic TOB assembly changing it requires removal of the engine or the transfer case & transmission.

People have converted to the external slave cylinder to get around the hydraulic TOB I just do not know what they did to perform the conversion. Can anyone tell me?

Salvage yards tell me the later model year AX-15s they have with the external slave are not a direct replacement for the AX-15 in my 1989. Why?

Please advise.


The front end of the transmission with the bell housing and release fork are different. The transmission is not a direct replacement because obviously there is a difference I just mentioned. Also you would need the newer style slave and hydraulic line, probably master cylinder too. I think the input shaft may even be different but the the swap can be done you can accumulate the right parts.
 
Replace hydraulics.
Replace Bellhousing (include fork and pivot ball.)
Replace Front Bearing retainer (the "external" one will have a sleeve around the input shaft, on which the T/O bearing rides.)

If you find two sets, let me know - I'm looking to do this job as well. Also note that the NV3500 (external slave) uses the same bellhousing as well.
 
bajacalal - Which interface are you referring to? The interface between the bell housing & engine or the interface between the bell housing & transmission?

I am planning on replacing the entire transmission, bell housing, fork, TOB & slave cylinder as I find used transmissions are not that expensive in my region of the country. It's also easier to ask a salvage yard to pull the entire transmission rather than just a bell housing. I can get a much better value if I purchase the complete AX-15. If the gearbox is bad I can simply exchange it with that in my current AX-15 (This is a maybe.).

Replacing the master & hydraulic line to the slave as part of this does not bother me as it is only a little more cost.

So it seems the salvage yards are likely to be correct in the bigger picture but I think I am in the sense I was asking about. Meaning, will the newer AX-15 with a slave cylinder bell housing bolt up to the 4.0L. Apparently, yes.

Rick
 
lawsoncl said:
Don't forget that the output of the AX15 may have a different spline count if you've got a 4wd.

Not so. The spline count between the Peugeot and the Aisin was different (21-spline vice 23-spline,) but the Aisin had 23-spline output throughout its life.

That was the spline count - 23-spline all the way up.

However, the tailend of the 4WD and 2WD are different - if you're going to get a 2WD as a spare, you're going to need to be able to reuse the transfer case adapter and the mainshaft/tailshaft from the 4WD box... The main case and bellhousing are, as I recall, the same.
 
All,

Sorry, I should have stated this in my original post. Yes, my 1989 Laredo is a 4x4 and I knew the 2WD 5-speed might not be identical to the 4WD version.

It is also useful to add that it looks like the Puegeot went away in 1990 (1991?) and all 5-speeds thereafter were the Aisin. I have no issue with using a Puegeot except the repair costs associated with it. The Aisin AX-15 is much friendlier in this regard.

Rick
 
RAVC1 said:
All,

Sorry, I should have stated this in my original post. Yes, my 1989 Laredo is a 4x4 and I knew the 2WD 5-speed might not be identical to the 4WD version.

It is also useful to add that it looks like the Puegeot went away in 1990 (1991?) and all 5-speeds thereafter were the Aisin. I have no issue with using a Puegeot except the repair costs associated with it. The Aisin AX-15 is much friendlier in this regard.

Rick

As I think I've mentioned elsewhere, the Aisin replaced the Peugeot sometime in 1989 (August production, I think.) And yes, the 2WD and 4WD version of pretty much any transmission will be different - requiring changing of not only the tailshaft housing, but also the mainshaft/output shaft assembly.

Having killed four BA-10/5 transmissions, I damn sure do have a problem with using them - it was fine for the Peugeot 505, but that vehicle had half the engine, a third the power, and was bout 800# lighter. The BA-10 is woefully underspec'd for the XJ.
 
You can get all the clutch plumbing from partsmike.com. Call him up and tell him what you are doing and he will send you everything that you need. We swapped in a NV3550 into my son's Scrambler. Thought we had the correct bellhousing but didn't - picked one up at the dealer for $140. Not too bad considering....
 
5-90 said:
Not so. The spline count between the Peugeot and the Aisin was different (21-spline vice 23-spline,) but the Aisin had 23-spline output throughout its life.

Thanks for the correction. I must have been thinking of the AW4, which I believe changed from 21 to 23 somewhere along the way (with the change to the HO?).
 
lawsoncl said:
Thanks for the correction. I must have been thinking of the AW4, which I believe changed from 21 to 23 somewhere along the way (with the change to the HO?).

The AW4 did change along the way - somewhere around the same time as the shift from Peugeot to Aisin (and for the same reason - ChryCo took over.)

No worries - I get my wires crossed a lot more lately. I wish people would stop hittin' me on the head...
 
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