Transmission and Transfer case removal

[jharrison13]

I was doing some searching on the internet and forums and have yet to find a step by step on how to drop the tranny and transfer case the right way, and the easiest. if anyone has a step by step please post it.
pics are also nice. i am getting ready to do it, but i figured i would check to see how to do it before i try it. if there isnt any i will just wing it like i usually do. lol

[default83]

taking it apart is fairly straight foward.

the hardest part i had was stabbing it. after it was in bolting it back up was fairly simple too.

i left the transfer case on the tranny when i took it out, which looking back probaly wasnt the easiest way to do it, but it saved alot of time.

as long as you have a good tranny jack and a lot of jack stands, it should be easy. start with the driveshaft, linkage, mounts, and then tranny bolts.

pull the tranny straight back and then down. the shifter is kind of a PITA not really to get out but to get back in, just due to the fact that you have to reach over the tranny to get to it, then again i never tried to take the console apart, that might be the easier way to go.

all together it took me about 6-8 hours to take out replace clutch and put back in. that includes beer breaks and finding tools i threw across the shop because of frustration:smiley-laughing021:

good luck!

[4.3LXJ]

The first thing to know is whether you have an auto or standard tranny?

[jharrison13]

auto tranny and 231 transfer

[bigjim350]

A Chilton on Haynes repair manual are really handy to have around for jobs like that. They usually give detailed step by step instructions.

[easttxhunter]

A Chilton on Haynes repair manual are really handy to have around for jobs like that. They usually give detailed step by step instructions.

Yep. I just bought a chilton $27 at o riely's

[XJ Rat]

Double check to make sure you got all the bolts out BEFORE you try and separate. Trust me, it is a whole lot easier with all the bolts out. I left the transfer case on. It was easier...at least to me. I used two floor jacks, one at the front and one at the back. When you separate the tranny from the engine, the closer your jacks are to the correct height, the easier it will go when pulling apart. Putting together, I got it perfect the first time (that rarely happens for me). Went back together like buttered grease.

It is not that involved. Just a bunch of bolts. Break the job up, look at one section at a time. It can easily overwhelm you if you look at the whole task at once.

I did it by myself in the garage (OK, my son-in-law helped when I separated the tranny from the engine. The rest I did solo.). Separated and did what I needed on Saturday. Buttoned it up on Sunday. Drove the Jeep to work on Monday. Had only a Haynes manual and the internet.

Glenn

[jharrison13]

the good thing with me is that the tranny and transfer case i am taking out is not going in anything yet they are in my donor jeep/ parts jeep, the tranny has only 100 miles on it when the enging cracked so i am just using it for parts now i am just getting the main parts out and putting them in attic except tranny it wil sit in the corner for now hopefully i wont need it but you never know. it is a 1996 cherokee 2dr if you need parts tell me what you need. or if you live close to southern illinois i will give you the remaining jeep if you want to help take my stuff off of it.

[LizardRunner]

here's a step by step I stole from jeff on NAXJA

1. Disco battery and pull fuel pump relay (I'm a safety nut, BTW). Place trans in N, and remove the shifter (from inside of vehicle) from top of trans.
2. If you don't have a hoist, jack up vehicle and support at least the front end as high as safely possible. Block rear wheels
3. Disco driveshaft(s), and remove the starter if you have a 4.0L. If you have a 2.5, you can leave the starter intact.
4. Disco speedo cable, any electrical connectors, vent tubes, CPS, etc., from trans/TC. Disco TC linkage. Support the TC and remove the mounting bolts from the trans. Carefully lower the TC out and put it out of tripping range.
5. Disco hydraulic line from clutch MC from external slave, or if internal, from the S shaped piece of metal line right before it enters the bellhousing. Tie the line up to something or else you'll end up wearing brake fluid as it drips out.
6. Remove the trans mount bots (4) that hold the mount to the crossmember. BLOCK UP THE CROSSMEMBER WITH SOMETHING TO PREVENT IT FROM FALLING AFTER NEXT STEP.
7. Support the tranny and remove the crossmember bots/nuts. A little pre-treatment with some PB Blaster is a good idea because of the condition that your fasteners will be in. I ended up snapping off one of the crossmember to "frame" bolts, but the rest came out o.k. Lower the crossmember out of the way.
8. Good idea to index mark the crossmember for ease of re-installation. Trust me, even though it looks like a perfectly symmetrical piece of metal, IT IS NOT. It needs to go back in in the same orientation that it came out. It took me about an hour of trying to make all the bolt holes line up unsuccessfully before I figured this out.
9. (This is where the "block it up as high as safely possible" comes in). Carefully lower the engine/tranny as low as it will hang. Using a boatload of socket extensions, remove the two top bellhousing bolts from the engine. You may need a special female torx socket (size ??? someone can help w/ this?) for them if 4.0. My 2.5 had regular bolt head bolts, so it was easier.
10. Continue removing bellhousing bolts, and enjoy the wonderful concoction of various fasteners that were used for this purpose. I laid each bolt/nut/whatever out in the same pattern as the location on the bellhousing I removed them from so I wouldn't be so confused when I put it all back together. Leave at least one fastener snug until you are prepared to actually pull the tranny out.
11. When ready with trans jack or helping hand(s) in place, remove last bolt and gently seperate trans from engine. You may have to "wiggle" it a little, but once you feel it start to give, keep it steady, and gently pull it straight back until the input shaft clears the clutch housing. Lower it down and pull it out from under the vehicle.

It may be worth labeling the various lines/connectors so you don't get confused when you re-install. Also, you don't have to seperate the TC from the trans to do this, but it's lighter and easier to handle when you unbolt the trans and go to pull it. Some pictures are always very helpful also. I'm pretty sure I've missed something, but someone else will surely add to this post. Good luck!
HTH,
Jeff

[jharrison13]

thanks ,that helps alot, just one more question when you going to come to illinois and help me?:D
but seriously if anyone needs parts for a 1996 2dr cherokee or a good body come and help

[LizardRunner]

I would if I could. I have a 95 and some of those parts would be handy. I'm needing a brake master cylinder and booster next.

[jharrison13]

i havent popped the hood on this jeep in about 7 months but if you need some parts shoot me a pm we can work something out for whatever you need.

[dagr8tim]

Not to drag up an old topic, but I'm trying to pull the 231 out of my parts XJ. Currently it has been cut in half and most of the floor/trans tunnel is gone up to the ridge where the front seat bolts fo for the front seats.

I've got the 2 top bolts out and the middle passenger one. Any tricks to getting the others?

Also, is the crossmember bolted to the tc or the trans? I'm trying to figure out if it needs to come out. Does the trans need supported or are there other mounts to support it!

[4.3LXJ]

One good trick, support the tranny and remove the cross member and let it down and you will be able to access all six of the bolts

[dagr8tim]

That was fast, thanks for the info.

Being as I'm in ohio, I suspect an angle grinder will be the fastest way to drop the crossmember.

[4.3LXJ]

Can't unbolt it?

[dagr8tim]

Can't unbolt it?

Maybe, but this s my parts jeep and I already hacked up the crossmember a little to get the tc skid plate off. Seems quicker just to cut it.

I'm also in ohio, the bolt heads could be a lump of shapeless metal.