What changed?

So, I am trying to sell the NP242 out of my 1988 XJ. It is 21 spline and I assumed it would fit 1987-1990 Renix XJs. When I looked it up on car-parts.com to get an idea of what to ask for it, it said the NP242s where different from 1987 to 1-Nov-1988 and 2-Nov-1988 to 1990. What is the difference? Please help, I have someone asking about it right now and he has a 1989 to put it in and I really need the money. I don't want to have to buy it back off him if it doesn't fit. TIA

It should fit either way. I mean its going into the same era of Jeep. I don't want to send you in the wrong direction but I don't know why it wouldn't fit.

They both must be from auto, or both from manual, otherwise input shaft will have wrong length.
Spline count was changed when they introduced HO engines, so that's '91.
He should be just fine.

mr_W said:

They both must be from auto, or both from manual, otherwise input shaft will have wrong length.
Spline count was changed when they introduced HO engines, so that's '91.
He should be just fine.

Click to expand...

I take my word back now.

I've got NP231 from '87 renault 2.1 four banger diesel, with whatever gearbox they put inside. I suppose AX5, but have yet to check. And I have '90 4.0 with AW4 and NP242 - pretty standard rig. Now I've swapped cases yesterday (put 231 into 4.0), and I was prepared to have to switch input shafts. However, to my surprise, they were same length. Same spline count was expected anyhow.

So, sometimes, manual and auto version can have exactly the same input shafts.

Weirdo.