What transmission should I go with if I upgrade?

[machinereplica]

I have a T-5 in my 82 CJ7 and it constantly has problems no matter how many times I rebuild it. What would be a good Transmission to upgrade too? Thanks for your input.

 

[ThisGuyUKnow]

If you want a five speed then the ax15, nv3550, and certain nsg370's fit an AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l . These are all known to be stronger than the T-5 . To do these you will need the tranny, the 4.0 flywheel, 4.0 starter, dustcover, and ( I can only speak forthe ax15) the adapter/clocking ring from advance adapter.

I just finished a ax15 swap for my busted T-5 . I still haven't road tested it because I haven't had the new drive shafts cut. The only issue I have with it is it looks like I am not goin to have alot clearence between the bellhousing and the froNt driveshaft.

If you want to go with a threespeed or four speed there are a bunch of choices. Pretty much any tranny that ever lived behind AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l ,AMC 304 ,360,or 401 will have the same bolt pattern. If I am not mistaken. There are alot of strong trannies compatible, I am sure someone knowledgable in them might chime in.

 

[BajaEdition]

Ax15 is a stronger tranny than the nv3550 and readily available. Plus you can upgrade the drive train to a np231 and wrangler axles

 

[machinereplica]

Thanks guys. I'm on a bit of a budget but I can save up some mony if this is really gonna be worth it. I want to upgrade to Dana 44s anyway. I'd like to keep my Transfer Case if I can

 

[coldwater]

Try looking into a T-176

 

[ThisGuyUKnow]

Like I said I haven't road tested the ax15 but on paper it is worth it in that it is without question a stonger trAnny. If your primary goal is some hardcore offroading thenyou may not want to swap in a five speed. I will link the thread I have been working on for the ax15 retrofit so you can look at it. Money wise it will ad up I am close to 900 bucks into the project once you consider hiddn costs like new drive shafts and stuff. If you are rebuilding your T-5 as much as you say then sounds like the expense would be paid off pretty quickly.

And baja, where did you find out the nv3550 is weakerthan the ax 15, personal experience? I have been operating under the assumption tha it was equal in strength to he ax15, this is from web research and also novak-adapt's webpage. I have one sitting in my garage that I was going to put in my Grand Wagoneer. Maybe I made the wrong choice?

The reason I wouldn't suggest the nv3550 in a cj is because the ax15 barely clears the front drive shaft as it is and since the nv3550 is shorter this problem would be alot worse. If you run a spring lift or are willing to buy the offset motor mounts from AA then drive shaft clearence shouldn't't be an issue.

http://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/f2/doing-ax15-swap-4415/

 

[BajaEdition]

I have had 2 jeep mechanics tell me to get AX15 over the NV3550 when I started sourcing parts for the TJ6. I trust both of them. How much stronger I cannot say. As far as mounts for the engine, Fabbing up a set of offset mounts is a common thing you just have to do when doing drivetrain mods, It never occurs to me that you may have to not do it. Most motors are mounted offset anyway in a 4x4 for clearance issues and moving it an inch this way or that is not a hard project if you own a welder.

 

[machinereplica]

So the AX15 will be pretty sturdy then? I was thinking a stout 4spd might be better but then again, I am 18 and know nothing about this. I'm noticing that the T-5 is just a POS. If I do swap I might as well go with a twin stick. My parents can't figure out why I want to swap trannies after I spend 5k on mine. Thank god I don't need a new Transfer Case since I love the Dana 300 and I spend 1000 dollars to get it rebuilt in December. Thank God I'm in the army and have a REALLY steady income to feed my jeep obsession. On a lighter note I just installed a ram air intake with bigger MAF housing for my MS3 and it is fantastic.

 

[BrockGrimes]

If you have a Dana 300 hook it up with a T-18 .

 

[machinereplica]

I found a Borg-Warner article at novak-adept.com and I'm pretty impressed with it. It looks to be quite sturdy and I'm very impressed with the gearing on it. The only worries I have with it are how well it will fit in my CJ and how much modification must be done for it to mate up properly. I have ZERO experience in this field. Pretty much the most mechanically intense thing I have ever done is change the head gasket on a 01 Integra GSR. I might just spend the extra money and find a good 4x4 shop nearby and have them do all the work since I have no idea what I'm doing and I don't exactly have the time or space available for such a swap. At this point all I want is a durable tranny that I won't have to worry about. I'm willing to pay a premium for this security.

 

[BrockGrimes]

The T-18 is pretty much bullet proof, and the T-18 /Dana 300 is a very popular combination among jeepers.

 

[IOPort51]

which Borg Warner are you so impressed with?

I found a Borg-Warner article at novak-adept.com and I'm pretty impressed with it. It looks to be quite sturdy and I'm very impressed with the gearing on it. The only worries I have with it are how well it will fit in my CJ and how much modification must be done for it to mate up properly. I have ZERO experience in this field. Pretty much the most mechanically intense thing I have ever done is change the head gasket on a 01 Integra GSR. I might just spend the extra money and find a good 4x4 shop nearby and have them do all the work since I have no idea what I'm doing and I don't exactly have the time or space available for such a swap. At this point all I want is a durable tranny that I won't have to worry about. I'm willing to pay a premium for this security.

 

[machinereplica]

The T-18 has my attention at the moment. It seems to have all the qualities I'm looking for, indestructible. I'm just worried that it won't mate up well. The novak-adept article says it can be a pain in the <-BAD WORD-> trying to find the right input shaft and bearing retainers. Since I won't be able to do this myself I just hope I can order all the right parts and the tranny shop can take care of it. I really want my jeep to be able to make 3 hour road trips to VA beach, Wilmington, and any offroad parks that are within a weekends driving distance. All I have known with this T-5 is pain. I hate it. Just yesterday it started grinding when downshifting to 3rd at anything over 2200 rpms. I thought all of the gears were supposed to be synchronous except 1st and reverse? I think I'm going to blow up the T-5 when I get a new tranny.

 

[ThisGuyUKnow]

So the AX15 will be pretty sturdy then? I was thinking a stout 4spd might be better but then again, I am 18 and know nothing about this. I'm noticing that the t5 is just a POS. If I do swap I might as well go with a twin stick. My parents can't figure out why I want to swap trannies after I spend 5k on mine. Thank god I don't need a new T-case since I love the D300 and I spend 1000 dollars to get it rebuilt in December. Thank God I'm in the army and have a REALLY steady income to feed my jeep obsession. On a lighter note I just installed a ram air intake with bigger MAF housing for my MS3 and it is fantastic.

yes the AX15 is stronger than a T-5 . Is it stronger than some of the 3 or 4 speed options suggested? probably not. It depends what your build plans are. A five speed would not be Ideal if you only offroad your jeep and the only time it see's pavement is when you drive between mud holes. If you DD your rig then a 5 speed may be the way to go. If you like to crawl rock faces you might want to get a three speed with a nice low granny first gear.

 

[machinereplica]

I think I'm going with the T-18 , I can get a ready built one from novak-adapt.com for less than 1500 and then I'll have to save up for labor. It just sounds like the strongest one that I'll need with the best gearing. After that I'll upgrade my axles and get some bigger rubber, or maybe the other way around. I just need it to be stronger and more dependable at the moment.

 

[ThisGuyUKnow]

Go for it! But I'm am scared to know what that would cost to have a shop do properly. YOu may want to look for some threads were someone did the same swap. Changing a tranny out isnt too hard and I am sure the modifications required to get it to mount to the chasis aren't too difficult for someone with average skills.

 

[machinereplica]

Well, I just don't have the space required to change it myself unless I rent a bay at the autoskills center, its a place where you can pay like 8 bucks an hour with a bay with a lift, use all the tools you need with no extra fee, and trained professionals will be there to assist you. I should be able to get my friend to let me use his truck to get the tranny there or have it shipped there. I might be able to do it myself over labor day weekend or something. I'll look into doing it myself but I don't know if I have the time.

 

[ThisGuyUKnow]

to use the auto shop you have to sit through a safety course. It would be a good idea just to go ahead and knock that course out anyhow as that place is pretty much the best military jeeper source. I have seen people do ground up restorations there.

 

[BajaEdition]

good choice on trannies
an killer about doing it yourself. I think pride in ownership a lot is dependent on who works on it. You see guys who ave worked on their rigs for years, and they love them like children, guy who pay for the work never have the same attachment. There is a few items you need to be aware of if the trannies are of different length and be ready to deal with, but this will be a good project for someone learning to work on their jeep.

 

[machinereplica]

Try looking into a T176

to use the auto shop you have to sit through a safety course. It would be a good idea just to go ahead and knock that course out anyhow as that place is pretty much the best military jeeper source. I have seen people do ground up restorations there.

actually I have already taken said saftey course back at fort Campbell when I had 6 pos cars since I was 16, then I bought my jeep and my car. I am all too familiar with auto skills