• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

2.8l trans swap info and new to forum

D

dan68rs

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Birmingham, Alabama
I have been looking around here for some time so I figured I should sign up, My name is Daniel, In Birmingham Alabama. I have a 86 2 door cherokee that I am working on, I have a question about it though. My trans is bad and I found a 4 cyl cherokee that is a 1987. Will this trans work in my jeep? All the info I found from searching looks like it will work, but thought I would ask before I went out and bought it.
 
yes the bellhousings are the same. they're a GM 60 degree bellhousing pattern.

it has to be the same tranny for a direct swap. any other ones from a gm 60 degree bellhousing could be swapped in.

your best bet is to consider an engine upgrade in the future...that 2.8 is a boat anchor. the gm 3.4 from a early 90's camaro is almost a direct bolt-in.
 
to put a 4.0 into an 86 you have to change the entire header panel out (radiator support) along with your front crossmember.

then you have to swap the entire wiring harness in the engine bay and cab. the entire truck has to be disassembled to do this.

the 3.4 swap is a direct swap with not many issues.

even better than a 3.4 swap is the 3.8 buick from a mid to late 90's camaro or firebird (I did this one), but that requires all new exhaust manifolds (headers), motor mounts, altering frame a bit, altering bellhousing (notch to fit starter), and a few other things. and that's all custom work...you can't buy the parts to do it.
 
Yea I thought about the 4.0 but it would be easyer to just buy another jeep. This one was free so I figured I would work with this one, I also liked the 3.4 because it will be more like what it came with. Easyer to get parts when they break.

Hopefully Im going to get that trans this week, I bought a lift kit before I got the jeep to my house and then after I got it here we found that the trans was bad, so waiting to put the lift on untill I get it driving. The trans was working fine but it has been sitting for about 5 or 6 years and now it wont move. :banghead:
 
Another question, I wouldl like to have overdrive, If you use the newer trans from the 4 cyl jeep with overdrive how do you make it work, that is if it is electronic shift like Im thinking or am I wrong. Hasta
 
I assume that an AW4 is the transmission that you are talking about, if that is the case you'l need to get a TCU for it and wire it for it to work. They are around every where and are about 60 bucks new. There are also lots of wiring diagrams out there for them so it shouldn't be that hard. Now I dont know but I think that the AW4 is a little longer then the TC904
 
well...to put an aw4 in you need either the tranny computer and wiring, or you need to get BrettM's shift kit. you'd run it with the stock shifter, put it in D, then use a button shift to upshift/downshift. to go reverse, you shift the stock shifter to reverse.

you can't use your 2.8 shifter for the AW4..they're different. you have like a TH900 or some crap like that...it's a shitty trans.
 
if you find one you need everything. mounts, driveshafts, wiring, trans.

you'll be lucky to find one though, they were only available from 87-89 behind a 2.5 MJ/XJ. if you find one though, they were equipped with stock 4.56 gears so...
 
So, is it an auto? I didn't see that in the original post.

The manual will swap piece for piece.

The IIRC, the automatic 2.5L in 87 is an AW4, and is electronic. Will need the TCM from the 87, wiring harness and shifter. You will also have to make up a TV cable setup so that the tranny governor knows how far open your throttle is.

If indeed have the 2.8L automatic setup, thats a TH904 and are an easy rebuild. Clutch kits from Mopar Performance are a bit over $100. If you have a tranny shop do your rebuild, make darn sure that they rebuild your tranny and not do a swap because your tranny has a lower 1st gear than the normal off the shelf Chrysler TH904.

Good Luck!
Ron
 
yeah but the TH904 is a piece of shit that lacks overdrive
 
jeepcomj said:
yeah but the TH904 is a piece of shit that lacks overdrive
Click to expand...

Your opinion, not fact.

Though the TH904 used lack an OD, it is not a "piece of shit"; hell, it doesn't even resemble a chunk of a toilet snake.

The TH904 is well suited for its job in those Jeeps. The fact that it does not have OD or a lock up converter is actually a plus when coupled to a low torque engine with a high RPM powerband like a 2.8L.

Ron
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

L
Manual to Auto transmission swap
Replies
9
Views
199
lvcanyoneer1
L
M
1992 Electronic Control Module - Can these be purchased new anymore?
Replies
8
Views
170
lawsoncl
L
R
2wd to 4wd conversion trans and t/c questions
Replies
9
Views
2K
kastein
kastein
J
Cherokee 2001 2wd to 4wd conversion
Replies
5
Views
2K
kastein
kastein
X
Can you install a Trans Intercooler without cutting the Trans line?
Replies
5
Views
2K
maxbraketorque
M
Back
Top