89 Renix 4.0/AX15 -> 91 4.0 HO/ AW4

[SuperWade2]

So I finally got a "donor" 4.0 HO from a 91 XJ. It's "recently" rebuilt (1000 miles, but sat unused for 2 years), and I want to swap it into my 89...I have access to basically everything except the T-Case that my friend is going to keep (SYE and 4:1 installed). It was a roll over, so likely will need a new radiator and maybe front fan.

 

So I know all the wiring/computer, etc from the 91 will need to be pulled for my 89, but what about the Tranny (from my AX-15 to AW4, don't even start with the manual vs. auto conversation)? Will I need other adapters, or a different rear DS? Dash/Gauge Cluster?

 

It will likely be at least a couple weeks before I get the Rig to start figuring out what I need to do. Anything else major that I need to worry about, know about?

 

SW2

[Geonovast]

You will need to swap everything. You're putting in the auto, yes? Shouldn't be difficult with a complete donor.

 

Your current T-case is a 23 spline being behind an AX-15, should bolt up to the AW-4 just fine.

 

You'll obviously need to use the 91 gauge cluster.

 

Your rear driveshaft will be about an inch too long going from an AX-15 to an AW-4. Front shaft out of the donor will work fine.

 

Feel free to ship me your AX-15 when you're done. PM me if you want my address :thumbsup: :D

[SuperWade2]

You will need to swap everything. You're putting in the auto, yes? Shouldn't be difficult with a complete donor.

 

Your current T-case is a 23 spline being behind an AX-15, should bolt up to the AW-4 just fine.

 

You'll obviously need to use the 91 gauge cluster.

 

Your rear driveshaft will be about an inch too long going from an AX-15 to an AW-4. Front shaft out of the donor will work fine.

 

Feel free to ship me your AX-15 when you're done. PM me if you want my address :thumbsup: :D

 

I was planning on using the AW4, yes...it was supposedly rebuilt at the same time as the engine and my AX-15 has seen better days.

 

So I will need to swap the front DS too, huh? I think my buddy was going to reuse since it's an upgraded extended custom shaft on the XJ (for the 4.5" Lift it has on it). Does that mean I need to take the rear DS to a DS Shop and have them cut it down or would it be possible to find a rear DS from another MJ with AW4 (long shot maybe?).

[Geonovast]

Well, if he's got an extended shaft from the lift, then it probably wouldn't work for you anyway.

 

You current front shaft may bolt on, but I get the feeling that articulating the suspension just from DDing may snap the slip joint. The AW-4 is about an inch longer than the AX-15.

 

It's always possible to find a rear shaft from an MJ that would fit... but probably easier to get yours cut.

[SuperWade2]

Well, if he's got an extended shaft from the lift, then it probably wouldn't work for you anyway.

 

You current front shaft may bolt on, but I get the feeling that articulating the suspension just from DDing may snap the slip joint. The AW-4 is about an inch longer than the AX-15.

 

It's always possible to find a rear shaft from an MJ that would fit... but probably easier to get yours cut.

 

Thanks Correy... I can keep my eye out for some MJ Auto DS's between now and then... I have a feeling this will be a pretty drawn out process anyhow :cheers:

[Geonovast]

I know someone that needs an AX-15 crossmember... :idea:

[SuperWade2]

I know someone that needs an AX-15 crossmember... :idea:

 

Does that mean I also need to find a MJ AW4 Crossmember?

[Geonovast]

Aren't you getting this entire XJ? The AW-4 crossmember on it is what you need. Also, the AW-4 shares a crossmember with every other XJ/MJ trans other than the AX-15.

[SuperWade2]

Aren't you getting this entire XJ? The AW-4 crossmember on it is what you need. Also, the AW-4 shares a crossmember with every other XJ/MJ trans other than the AX-15.

 

The XJ has a RE Long Arm with a custom crossmemeber/belly pan thing... I'm not using or getting any of that.

[Geonovast]

Gotcha, well, like, I said, any factory XJ/MJ crossmember that's not for an AX-15 will work for you. AX-15 is the only oddball.

[SuperWade2]

Gotcha, well, like, I said, any factory XJ/MJ crossmember that's not for an AX-15 will work for you. AX-15 is the only oddball.

 

I figured I'd need a couple Pik-n-pull runs to get a few things for the swap anyhow...Probably not a hard find with as many XJ's as they have...might also be able to take the one off the XJ of my buddys XJ when he installs this one. I'm pretty sure it's not an AX15 on his.

[SuperWade2]

So the HO/AW4 are getting yanked next week while it's at a shop where my friend is having them swap the lift/tcase/axles, etc.

 

I'll likely just go pick up the motor/tranny in the back of my MJ until I can figure out how where I'm going to do the swap. I think I'm in over my head by just a tad and starting to worry a bit.

 

I plan on going tomorrow AM and starting to prep for the removal of the replacement HO. Figured I would yank the front clip, radiator and fenders and start unbolting wiring stuff from the inner wells and firewall, and just laying everything up top. Figured I would take my camera and take a buttload of "before" pics so I hopefully will be able to figure out where stuff is going to get hooked back up when I put everything back in my MJ.

 

I know the Auto Shifter handle was pretty munched inside and will need replaced, can I just unbolt the shifter assembly from the tunnel, how do you disconnect from the tranny under the body?

 

Having never removed a motor before any help or tips would be greatly appreciated

[SuperWade2]

What will I need from under the dash from the donor, everything? I know I need to cluster, should I yank the dash out and just get all of the wiring?

[Geonovast]

Yes, you'll need all the wiring.

[SuperWade2]

Yes, you'll need all the wiring.

 

Will I be cutting wiring harness and/or pulling the fuse box as well?

[SuperWade2]

One semi-unrleased swap related question... how are my 4.10 gears going to feel with an AW4 vs. my AX15 with my 31's... I know on TJ's, Manuals need about one step lower than Autos on most tire size/gear ratio scales I've seen to keep the same RPM's.

[mjeff87]

. I think I'm in over my head by just a tad and starting to worry a bit.

 

this feeling is easily overcome by copious amounts of beer, while staring intently at the work at hand. Don't worry, it'll come to you.....

 

:cheers:

 

(the fuse panel is hard wired to the interior harness, you'll hafta pull the whole sheebang)

 

Jeff

[Geonovast]

I wouldn't worry about the gearing, your AW-4 will do fine with 4.10 and 31s.

 

AW-4s and AX-15s have either identically geared or extremely close geared overdrives(depends on the year of AW-4), so your cruising RPMs shouldn't change. Around town should be about the same too, if you spent most of your time in 4th. AX-15's 4th is 1:1, as is the AW-4's 3rd.

[SuperWade2]

. I think I'm in over my head by just a tad and starting to worry a bit.

 

this feeling is easily overcome by copious amounts of beer, while staring intently at the work at hand. Don't worry, it'll come to you.....

 

:cheers:

 

(the fuse panel is hard wired to the interior harness, you'll hafta pull the whole sheebang)

 

Jeff

 

I'm somewhat in a time crunch too... I only have a couple hours tomorrow and that's about it to start unhooking stuff (not actually pull motor) before it's getting taken to a shop later next week (and it's supposed to rain hard.) So I'm a little concerned from a time standpoint too.

 

The alternative i have is to figure out how to get a stock arms and axles under a basically gutted XJ shell sitting on a trailer (without a cherry picker or anything) so I would have a rolling chassis and have more time.

 

My friend is paying a shop to pull the Long Arm and Axles and Tcase/driveshafts, etc off the Donor and installed on his XJ... he didn't want to also pay the guy to reinstall his stock stuff on the Donor. He planned on just leaving it on the trailer and take it to the recyclers once the swap was done (and the motor/tranny was out). And he wants to get everything swapped and dialed in before a club run in a couple of weeks.

 

Sw2

[mjeff87]

if yer going to try to pull the wiring harnesses(es), you don't have to be pretty about it but you really don't want to cut anything either. A tip on the engine/under-hood harness is that it's basically two seperate main harnesses that join together via a series of connectors right around the ignition coil/relay center area. To get it all out intact, you need to seperate it @ all those connectors and then pull each half out thru the header panel area (after removing the front clip and headlight components). YOu have to pull the part from the relay center forward out thru the hole in the passenger side header panel and then back thru the hole in the driver side panel (detach the headlight subharness and remove it seperately). You'll need a 1/4" socket (or 5.5 mm) to unscrew the nut that holds the driver side-end of the harness at the bulkhead connector (on the firewall, which connects to the fuse panel inside) to seperate the engine harness from the interior harness.

 

INterior harness is a bit of a PITA because you have to pull or roll the dash forward to unhook it from all the dash components. There's a couple of small bolts (8 mm IIRC) at the front of the dash near the base of the winshield that you have to remove, plus a couple more behind the vents at either end of the dash. Pull the air deflectors out of the vents to access those bolts.

 

Have fun

 

Jeff

[SuperWade2]

if yer going to try to pull the wiring harnesses(es), you don't have to be pretty about it but you really don't want to cut anything either. A tip on the engine/under-hood harness is that it's basically two seperate main harnesses that join together via a series of connectors right around the ignition coil/relay center area. To get it all out intact, you need to seperate it @ all those connectors and then pull each half out thru the header panel area (after removing the front clip and headlight components). YOu have to pull the part from the relay center forward out thru the hole in the passenger side header panel and then back thru the hole in the driver side panel (detach the headlight subharness and remove it seperately). You'll need a 1/4" socket (or 5.5 mm) to unscrew the nut that holds the driver side-end of the harness at the bulkhead connector (on the firewall, which connects to the fuse panel inside) to seperate the engine harness from the interior harness.

 

INterior harness is a bit of a PITA because you have to pull or roll the dash forward to unhook it from all the dash components. There's a couple of small bolts (8 mm IIRC) at the front of the dash near the base of the winshield that you have to remove, plus a couple more behind the vents at either end of the dash. Pull the air deflectors out of the vents to access those bolts.

 

Have fun

 

Jeff

 

I planned on trashing the dash to get it off if it was easier...it's going to the trash when we are done... big crow bar and Saw-z-all if i need too...

[SuperWade2]

Well, didn't get very far today... It was POURING rain...the XJ is sitting on a flatbed trailer, with just a tarp over the rig and a beach umbrella over the engine bay and tools and everything getting soaked.

 

Before we did anything, we dropped a battery in and fired up the engine for the first time. Checked that it had oil and it fired right up and sounded pretty good for a motor that hadn't run in 18-24months.

 

I pulled the front clip and radiator / tranny cooler thing and started unbolting the electrical stuff from the driver fender well. I couldn't figure out how to unclip the main wire harnesses from the firewall on the driver side next to the brake stuff. Inside, I pulled the gauge cluster out (clips were busted up so will need to replace anyhow), but couldn't even begin to figure out how to get the dash off... with a tarp covering all of the busted windows, it was dark inside so after some choice swear works and smacking the dash with my crowbar in disgust, I gave up for the day.

 

I packed up my soaked self, my filthy tools and went home. I guess I'll figure everything out later.

[SuperWade2]

What's the trick to disconnect the wiring harness where meets the fuse block inside the cab?

[Automan2164]

There's a small (7mmish) bolt in the middle that you unbolt from the engine bay.

 

 

Rob L.

[SuperWade2]

There's a small (7mmish) bolt in the middle that you unbolt from the engine bay.

 

 

Rob L.

 

Thanks Rob... I had a friend helping my try to pull the wires while I was out of town last week. The Engine and tranny were removed, but the wiring was still there...I'm hoping to go over on Tuesday and see if we can't pull the rest of it.