Heat soak or normal

93 4.0l ax15 np231

Under normal driving conditions it gets hard to shift.. I just chalk it up to age and trans just needs to be rebuilt. I do notice that when everything is cold it shifts fine but as everything heats up it gets harder to shift. How hot should the trans get under normal driving conditions?

Also the shifter gets so hot just above the boot that you can't touch it

Heat related, sure, but it's not what we talk about as heat soak -- Heat soak in a XJ is when the fuel turns from liquid to vapor in the fuel rail or injectors causing a very rough running condition -- I had it so bad in a 96 that it would stop running altogether

And no, what you are experiencing is not normal for any of my jeeps