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Steps to remove AW4 auto tranny

M

mhead

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Encinitas, CA
Hi All,

I'd like to create a list of steps to remove a AW-4 auto transmission from my 1992 XJ 4.0 4X4. Below is my start. I'll list steps in numbed order. If you see something I missed please give it a number-letter. For example if after my step 2 you see something, call it 2a.

The plan is to take the transmission out from under.

1) Remove hood. Install chains on engine to connect cherry picker.

2) Lift and jackstand XJ high enough for transmission to clear and be slid out

3) Drain transmission fluid.

4) Remove bolts connecting flywheel to torque converter and remove drive shaft

6) Disconnect shift linkage. Disconnect electrical. Disconnect hoses to radiator cooling.

5) Attach cherry picker. Tension. Remove engine motor mounts.

6) Lower engine/transmission to the point where Torx bolts at transmission top can be removed. Remove these.

7) Support transmission on hydraulic floor jack

8) Remove 4 bolts holding transmission to engine.

9) Remove transmission mount and cross member.

10) Lower transmission.

11) Drag it from under.


I know I've missed steps. Please help me by adding them at the appropriate places.

I know I need a torx socket for the upper two bolts. Any other special tools?

When the trans is disconnected will I be able to lower it mostly straight down? Will I have to move the engine forward?

Is installation of a new trans just the reverse of the steps?

Is there some other post with this information?

Thanks!
 
Is it really necessary to remove the hood and lift the engine?

In the past I've removed bell housing bolts with a 3 foot extension and a universal, but not on a XJ.
 
I've not removed a transmission but have removed four engines. Of course when removing an engine it is easy to lower it and get access to the torx bolts. I simply haven't tried getting them with the engine in normal position. Maybe someone else has a better answer.

It would be much better if the engine doesn't have to move since I fear that I'll have to disconnect the cooling system to lower the engine. I don't want to do this.

The engine, absent the trans, will have to be supported at the rear somehow. Might as well do this with the cherry picker to give more room under. So I would remove the hood and attach cherry picker in any event.

Can the torx be removed with engine in normal position? Anyone?

Mike
 
I follow the steps outlined in the Factory Service Manual (FSM). Support the engine and lower the transmission for better access to the upper bolts/torx bolts. The engine and the cooling system do not need to be messed with. As Chilton's and Haynes so informatively advise, re-assemble in reverse order. The FSM goes into more detail.
 
I've changed a ton of transmissions and I have never disco'd the motor mounts.
0) Disco Battery
1) Pull both drive shafts.
2) Disco tcase shifter
3) Disco tranny cooler lines
4) Disco NSS
5) Disco TV shift cable
6) Disco CPS
7) Disco Speedo cable
8) Put jack under Tranny

At this point I disco my exhaust at the header and swing it out of the way. Mine is a non standard exhaust setup so you may do this different.

9) Remove cross member
10) Remove Tcase
11) Pull dust shield on bell housing
12) Remove TC to Flex plate bolts
13) Remove both bolts on Starter and pull it
14) Remove Bell housing bolts
15) Pull tranny back and out

I have done this many times by myself, but it is nice to have an extra set of hands. As it turns out, I am going to be doing this in the next few days......again.

You can pull the tranny and tcase together, but if you do that, you REALLY need at least a second set of hands.
 
Last edited:
mhead said:
Excellent! At step 14 you would remove the upper torx. There must be a trick here. Got any advice for me?
Click to expand...

Get the right socket on a 2' socket extension, and laugh at people who have trouble here =) Theyre inverted torx. Some people recommend replacing them with hex heads.... but i find the invert-torx bolts much easier to work with...
 
Yes I have the correct socket and have used it for previous engine removals. I recall the bolts are against the firewall and really hard to mount the socket on. When removing the engine I simply lowered the engine and the bolt heads were easy to get at. Now that I am keeping the engine in place I'm scared I won't be able to reach the bolts. Is there a trick here or am I just paranoid (as usual...)?
 
drop the trans down a bit to get the right angle, once your tilted a few degrees trans down ,there is plenty of room. -edit- kinda like how youd attack a crankshaft position sensor -edit-

Dont forget the dipstick bolt... i allways forget that one.
 
Last edited:
I have a 1990 limited. When i pulled the engine i did not remove the hood. I just unbolted the small cables on each hinge that limits the travel. Then i took a strap from the front edge of hood to the roof rack and pulled it back so the hood was straight up. It gave me more then enough room and while the engine was out and the jeep was outside i just released the hood and closed it like normal.
 
mhead said:
OK I see a plan developing. How about some advice at the last stage, where the trans comes out. It will be too heavy to lift, especially when being re-installed. Can I get away with a normal hydraulic floor jack (the kind on wheels, not the vertical axle jack)? Should I purchase a cheap trans jack, maybe from Harbor Freight?

http://www.harborfreight.com/800-lb-Low-Lift-Transmission-Jack-60234.html

Any other options?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
That would be nice but not really necessary if you have a service jack. I made a platform for mine and later even bought the tranny adapter for my long frame jack. Too bad they don't offer that jack anymore. Many rental places offer tranny jacks. You don't need one that often.

Back in the day before most of you were born, I used a creeper and stacked lumber up to get to the right height.
 
xcm said:
Also, nobody mentioned removing the starter. kinda obvious, but if your gonna make a list... =)
Click to expand...

Check step 13........maybe you are only a 12 step guy ;-)
 
Thanks to all who replied. From the above lists I can compile a plan for my tranny removal project. It will be a while until I have to remove. When/if I do I'll check through the steps and give some feedback here. Until then I hope the information you all gave will help some other tranny swapper plan their job.

Mike
 
FWIW...

Do not try to build a platform for a regular floor jack. Use a transmission jack...or even a motorcycle jack. It will make it MUCH easier and you're not futzing around trying to balance the trans on a plywood platform.

I had to remove my original trans, and then need to stab the new one...and then I screwed up, had to pull it again, and stab it in again. NOT having a tranny jack would have made it quite uncomfortable.

You can thank yourself later.
 
buy cheap HF trans jack adapter for your regular floor jack.

that's what I use.
You'll need some 2x4 to block it at the right angle. adjustment sucks.
 
87manche said:
buy cheap HF trans jack adapter for your regular floor jack.

that's what I use.
You'll need some 2x4 to block it at the right angle. adjustment sucks.
Click to expand...

Did you really just recommend a product, then say it sucks in a single post?

Get the hf trans jack, not really NEEDED on an aw4, but man is it nice.
 
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