Help me with AX5 clutch woes

[87Warrior]

I tried to finish up installing my transmission and clutch into my 86 2.5l, AX5, 207 today and was unsuccessful.

 

A brief back story about the truck. I purchased it with the transmission and t-case in the bed. Knowing it was an 86, I knew it should have had the external slave set up. But after inspecting the bell housing, I determined it had been swapped to an internal set up sometime since there were no provisions for a clutch fork in the bell housing, or mounting available for an external slave.

 

Ordered a Luk clutch kit for an internal slave AX5 (87 MJ). The clutch disk and pressure plate went on no problem. Then I went to mount the slave and ran into three problems:

1. Slave will not slide back to the transmission. It is stopped because the transmission input shaft is to large past the splines.

2. The bell housing has one opening for the hydraulic lines on the driver side. There is absolutely no way to manipulate the slave hydraulic lines to line up with the opening. One line wants to be on the driver side and the other wants to be on the passenger side.

3. There is no provision on the front of the transmission for the slave retainer clip.

 

My speculation is I have the stock external slave AX5 and stock NP207 mated to a late model internal slave AX5 bell housing. I do not know how to verify or deny this .

 

What can I do to get this truck on the road utilizing most of the parts I currently possess?

:hmm:

[Geonovast]

Piiiiiiiiiics.

 

 

Even if you have an internal slave bell, you pretty obviously still have the external slave bearing retainer, which would explain your slave issues.

 

If you can get some pics of what you've got, I'll be able to tell you for sure.

[87Warrior]

Pics for the masses:

[Geonovast]

Yup, as I thought, external slave bearing retainer with an internal slave bellhousing. You're going to have to change one of them. :wrench:

[87Warrior]

Thanks Correy. I decided to take the hit to the budget and go external. Ordered the bell and shift fork on flebay.

 

There isn't anything easy.

[Geonovast]

Thanks Correy. I decided to take the hit to the budget and go external. Ordered the bell and shift fork on flebay.

 

There isn't anything easy.

 

Good choice.

[carnuck]

Just an FYI, but I converted the internal slave bell to external by getting the proper arm and throwout bearing and where the pivot ball normally sits on the external slave bell there is a hole pre-made. I went to the parts store and got the universal pivot ball from the "Help!" rack, reamed the hole in the bell bigger and JB Welded the ball in the hole. That's how I put an HO bell in my '84 XJ 2 dr with a '94 YJ motor and EFI system.

[87Warrior]

I had wondered about converting the bell. The shape was right, but I didn't want to fuss with it.

 

I did get everything working. I bought the bell and fork from a 95 XJ, new slave/master/plastic hydraulic line from NAPA, and a new throwout (release) bearing from the dealer. The clutch has a great feel to it, just like my TJ. :thumbsup: