Shifter on 4 speed needs work/replaced?

[bluesman423]

I have just purchased a 81 CJ7 with a GM 151 4 cylinder and what I believe is a SR4 4 speed Transmission .

It is extremely hard to locate 1st and 2nd gear, especially when stopped. The shifter is very loose and there is no "feel" for the gears.

I understand this is a weak Transmission but this Jeep will not see serious trail duty, I have a CJ5 for that. I purchased this CJ7 mainly to drive on the street.

Here is the million dollar question ................ is the shifter rebuildable? Am I better off to swap the Transmission ? Which one?

Thanks if you can help.

 

[Hedgehog]

I'm sorry and I guess it is somewhat like beating a dead horse, but I do carry on sometimes, if the gears are turning with the engine running it is to much for the SR4 Transmission . With that being said, if the Transmission isn't popping out of gear, usually in a no load situation, there is still some life left in it. It seems like there should be some used top ends or gear shifter assemblies laying around some where. I almost bet someone here on this forum has one. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but you need to that Transmission and get another one.

Direct drop ins would be the T-4 or the T-5 . These are 4 and 5 speed Jeep Transmissions that are only slightly better than the SR4 . A big improvement would be a 176, I have no experience in that swap, but I bet someone else here does. Hit the advance adaptors and the NOVAK web pages. They have been in he business of adapting engines into Jeeps for about as long as the name Jeep has existed.

 

[bluesman423]

I have no problem with this Transmission being and I am only willing to put very few dollars into it.

From what I have read the front end is a direct swap for several GM transmissions but it's going from the Transmission to Dana 300 that worries me. Adapters = big dollars to me. Plus thenI am not sure about the driveshaft lengths.

It might be less expensive to find a AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l / T-176 combo used ...........

 

[Hedgehog]

You are right, adaptors are expensive and can be more that you'd expect. Years ago I put a Ford T-18 in a '80 CJ5 . It all started out as a way to get rid of the SR4 that had wasted a lot of money trying to rebuild. In the end the Jeep got a fairly fresh Dauntless Buick 225 V6 231 and the Ford T-18 . I wish I had that Jeep today, she went away when our first child came along. The sacrifices we must make.... The project required a hole to be welded shut and a new one drilled and tapped in the bell housing, the pilot bushing shaft to be turned down, another clutch linkage, an adaptor for the Dana 300 AND a new main shaft for the T-18 . The whole thing was expensive, but I will love the memory of that Jeep until the day I die.

If it were me I'd be looking for a decent 176 and bell housing ....naturally a clutch and all the goodies too. If you have a driveshaft place in town they can shorten and lengthen your shafts for less money that buying new ones of the same quality. Remember, front drive shafts are known to be trashed out long before the rear ones. It seems that not turning means not moving the grease in your shafts and since the front shaft is moving with the front suspension they grind themselves to death. I.E. the reason to run in 4WD at least a little every month. Doing so lengthens the life of your 4WD system in general.

 

[caveman]

I believe most of the bad rap that the SR4 , T-4 and T-5 get are from people that beat the hell out of there rigs. I have wheeled for years with people with all of those transmissions and have never had a problem with them. YES, They are weaker than many others, But will last a long time as long as you don't abuse them.
Keep looking around and asking people that have anything to do with old jeeps or even look for junk yard that have old jeeps. Once in a while something will come up on craigslist or ebay.

 

[Hedgehog]

Sorry but I disagree. When I got my CJ5 with the SR4 it hadn't been beaten, but would jump out of 2nd gear when not under load. I had it rebuilt 3 times and it was worse, none of the rebuilds lasted more than a couple days before second gear went out again. The shop finally looked up the Transmission in their trouble shooting rebuild book and it said "Do Not Accept a Rebuild Job on an SR4 Transmission ". With that I can not support any SR4 Transmission work.

With that being said, Caveman is correct. Craigs list is the place to go for this sort of thing. Also, if the Transmission . stays in gear a fresher shifting mechanism might be the way to go.