Need advice on AW4

It's on a stock 98. It's been slipping on the highway, sometimes worse than other times. The fluid isn't smelling the best (just recently), and it makes metallic noises. I had some trouble making it up a hill on the highway today (slipped it as little as possible and pulled over when safe) and checked the fluid. I let it cool down for 10 minutes, started it and it didnt have any major problems (still slipped a little).

As far as diagnosis, it'll make these noises when engine is running both in or out of neutral. It won't make noises is vehicle is turned off and coasts from 10mph or so. Because of the "neutral exception", I think it might be torque converter related. Anyone replace it, how hard? Thanks a lot.

I doubt it's the torque converter. Neutral with the engine off won't tell you anything. Engine off- no pressure in trans- nothing is engaged or moving except the output shaft. With it running in neutral the front part of the geartrain is still spinning as far back as the forward clutch.

Grinding noises leave their mark as metal in the fluid. Drop the pan and look for chunks.

What about neutral with the engine on? Maybe its the pump or something. If I have time tomorrow I'll drop the pan and see if anything is visually outta whack. I wanted to take it somewhere to have them flush it out good instead of me just draining and changin' filter.

If it's just flushed, the evidence will be washed away undetected. Flushes never clear out a plugged filter, either. A plugged screen could cause a hydraulic whine at times.

If the magnet doesn't look like a Chia pet then there's hope for more minor repairs. If you've got a hard metallic noise that is definitely originating in the trans, there will be metal, and you're on for a teardown or replace.

I think I mentioned above- in neutral, engine running, the front geartrain is spinning all the way back through the forward clutch, involving several bearings, sprags, a clutch or two.

Low mileage AW4's are as common as dirt and are cheap, much cheaper than a rebuild. Try www.car-part.com. Swapping a transmission is not highly technical, you just need to rent a tranny jack, take your time, and have a good service manual that doesn't say Haynes or Chilton's on it.

Thanks for the website www.car-part.com, that site is awesome.

Is there a writeup anywhere on simple maintenance such as tightening random things and such? I'll pull the pan and change filter hopefully next wednesday.

Haynes or Chilton's are useful for instruction on changing fluids or replacing the brakes. Anything more involved or technical than that and you will really need a Factory Service Manual. You often can get them from your local Library, and of course they are for sale on the Internet and at eBay. The FSM explains how to fix, adjust, or remove and replace everything on your JEEP.