Megadan

The long driveshaft of the MJ makes the SYE not really necessary. That said, the main advantage of an SYE would come in if you ever damage the driveshaft or rear diff, it makes it easy to run in FWD mode to limp back home.

I used a pre-bled setup. It saves quite a bit of time. The only thing to be aware of is you may have to shave a bit off of the rod end that connects to the pedal so you can feed the cotter pin in completely. I had to take about 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch off of mine.

The NP231 supposedly takes about 2 quarts. I have never been able to get more than about 1.5 into mine before it starts flowing out of the fill hole. As for the trans mount question you had. It may be possible to use the AX mounts, but the BA10/5 mount is so much different from the AX in the way it bolts up that you would probably be in for some time consuming fabrication, and even then it may not work. If the mount isn't bad on the transmission, then I would just leave it be.

Well, if it is necessary, then I did mine wrong. The factory did as well it seems, because three different TC's that I have dropped at the pick a part never had a gasket or sealer on them.

I have an AX-15 mated to an NP231J, no gasket, no RTV. Each unit has a seal on the output (trans) and input (T-case) to keep them separated as they use two completely different kinds of oils. Gear oil in one and ATF in the other. If there is oil coming out of that section, then it's because one, or both, have seals leaking. Now I could see some people using a bit of RTV to try and prevent dirt and grime from getting in there, but seeing as it's two machined surfaces being mated together, there isn't much of an issue. When I pulled my T-case out of the ZJ that donated it, the whole thing was caked in dirt, oil, and grease. The surfaces between the T-case and Trans were perfectly clean and shiny. Said ZJ was used off road, went through water, etc. It had no gasket and no RTV between the two. That should give you an idea.

The brake cleaner is to remove the oil coated on said parts to prevent them from corroding while they sit on the shelf. It helps give you a good oil free clean surface for the clutch disk to help break in and seat on. Pretty much the same reason you use brake parts cleaner on your rotors.

The angle on the transmission makes it hard to decipher anything honestly. As for the bags, those are just aftermarket load assist helper springs. They are designed to help level the truck when you have it loaded heavy. Most of them don't tend to last very long, but you never know. If you can find the air fitting to inflate them, put some air in and see if they will hold it.

Re-gearing the front can be done by any competent shop or mechanic. If I were you I would call around to some performance or off-road shops and see what they charge for a re-gear and axle swap work. If you get a 4.10 equipped 8.8, that will save you money to re-gear, which can then go to installation costs for welding etc. Re-gearing the front, depending on the shop, should cost right around 500-600. Again, just a ball park figure.

You can pick up a complete ford 8.8 with 4.10's and a limited slip from the JY for less than $200 in most places. Why pay someone 5.5 times that much to do something that you can get yourself for cheap? If the welding of spring perches and shock mounts is the only thing you need, then find a good 4x4 shop in your area, bring them the axle, and pay them a few hundred bucks to do the work. They would most likely be able to quote you a price, and if you can do some of the work yourself (IE. cutting off the old leaf spring perches) it may save you a little money. Even better, if you can get access to a basic MIG welder, you can buy the perches and shock mounts yourself, follow any number of threads doing said axle swap, tack the brackets on, and pay a pro welder a bit of money to burn them on.

Nice project, Longbeds rule! You do have a bit of rust to fix. have you checked the floors yet?

You will want a GL-4 gear oil in that trans. GL5 and GL6 oils have sulfides in them that eat the brass the syncros are made out of. That is why MT-90 or synthetic motor oil is recommended.

easiest way to tell an AX-15 from a BA10/5 is to look at the transmission itself. The BA10/5 is bolted together down the middle This thread covers it pretty well. http://comancheclub.com/topic/11104-how-to-tell-whether-you-have-an-ax-15-or-a-ba105-5spd-trans/

It's not hard to put a simple oil catch can in if you want to help prevent oil and you have already done everything you can to prevent it. I have a cheap e-bay unit that I bought. I added a simple tube to the inlet fitting with some holes in it to help direct the oil down but keep air drawn in. I am looking to mount it to the air box for simplicity. If you want to go even cheaper, a good sealed jar and a couple of fittings from the hardware store would work. Now, if you want something to collect oil that would otherwise go into the intake manifold, you will want an actual separator for the line coming off the rear of the head.

Soak the heck out of them for a few days. You should be able to just take those two flange/socket bolts off the lower manifold to the exhaust. When it comes time to remove them, if you can get a MAP or propane torch up there and heat the heck out of them, then use an impact gun (if you have one) and that should prevent breaking them. Otherwise, soak em, heat em, and use a wrench and as long as you are careful you should be ok.

Redline MT-90 is the way to go, but it is a bit hard on the wallet. After breaking in my rebuilt AX15 with Mobile 10w-30 for a few hundred miles I Put in MT-90, and the difference is night and day. The downside is that 4 quarts will run you about $65, or you can spend the same and get 1 gal for $67 and have some extra in case you need to top it off, or for the next oil change.

I would second this if you know of a shop with a good reputation. Or at the very least pick up a good condition used motor and at least have a basic overhaul done (new rings, bearings) Now, as to what I would do? Build a 4.6 stroker with 4.0 rods with a mildly cleaned up renix head. Won't make lots of horsepower compared to the HO engines, but oh the torque...

I always get a little laugh at the guys in newer wranglers with big tires, lifts, lights, etc who just completely go gaga over my mostly stock, spray painted, humble, small tire, long bed Comanche. All because it's a pickup.

Depending on the clutch kit, some come with new pressure plate hardware. If not, then grade 8 (or 10.9 metric) bolts from the hardware store of the same specs will work perfectly.

Yea, ARP's aren't cheap, but well worth the money. You can always search for other sources, just be aware that flywheel and flexplate bolts are different lengths on these.

You can always go for ARP, part number 146-2801.

Lots of people tend to convert to external because they tend to leak and fail before the clutches go out. That's why I recommended getting a GOOD one if you plan on sticking with internal

Flywheel isn't difficult aside from the fact that it weighs a bunch and the holes line up in a specific way (for correct CPS reading). Keeping the crank from turning while you try to break loose and tighten the bolts, but there are a few tips and tricks out there for that if you search. I would recommend getting new flywheel bolts if you have it in the budget.

The real question is, why do you believe the pump is going out? Are you getting low or inconsistent pressure readings on the gauge? If so, I would start with the much easier and cheaper sending unit for said pressure gauge.

Converting to external slave is more beneficial for servicing the slave cylinder itself when it goes bad. You can just unbolt it and replace it vs. having to drop the transmission. If you do replace the internal unit, at least make sure you get a good quality unit so you won't have to go repeating yourself too soon.

You could use old parts, but honestly I would just invest in new ones. Parts of unknown condition are always a gamble, but sometimes you end up lucking out. I think it would really come down to your budget. As for clutch master and slave, I purchased a complete pre-bled assembly with both units and hydraulic line already assembled.