How to Install an AX15 Manual Transmission 

I almost edited that out, but then realized that would be crazy. We have to share all the victories.

Thank you for keeping it in, that level of transparency is always appreciated. We also get to see how even you guys struggle and we could here in your sigh and your voice after it clunked into position the excitement of your victory after 3-4 days of fighting it. It's amazing how often that one little bump on something you didn't intend makes the stars align it seems and everything just falls into place. Good work and I hope to see some good come from the test with the motor oil instead of gear oil. Definitely let us know what the gear noise difference is from fresh to worn in fluid, compared with the gear oil start to worn in.

I just did this tonight and it worked. Took forever though. Had to turn the shaft a couple degrees at a time pushing the trans in place little by little going back and forth between the two. Took me quite a few hours as well.

nice!

I'm have the same problem, 1981 j10 it will not go the last 1/4 inch to seat, but I'm also mounting the transmission to the bell housing, and not transmission and bell housing to block. I had to separate the transmission and transfer case also, to heavy for me to do anything with it. I have no Jack. Man handling it and it's a bitch!!!

One older man wrote a professional comment here and explains motor oil is a no no because of the properties, designed for a different enviorment than a transmission. Use a good quality non GL gear oil.

UlrichTheDwarf I feel you man

Same lol 89 yj. In the process of putting a 97 tj ax15 behind my 90 2.5l

I'm doing it in a barn but throwing an old comfort or sleeping bag to lay on helps a lot. I agree with one poster investing in a transmission jack is wise and makes it much easier to install the tranny. With tax I blew $190 for one at harbor freight but still saved $800 over what a shop charges.

I just took an ax15 out of my parts jeep in the mud and rain at my grandpas farm😂 i feel ya

Mark Parris yes, I m talking about the ax-15

Brian Dady I had the same issue haha, felt like an eternity

Exact idea I had I’ve been struggling for days probably put 12 hrs now tryn get it in definitely tryn that tomorrow

That sounds like there's a story there.

No, that will make it much worse. You'll be sliding the throwout bearing forward which is the wrong direction. I'd suspect it would be impossible to install with the clutch pressed. What I should have done was have the transmission in gear so I could rotate the shaft to help things line up as someone pointed out in the comments here.

This is the original transmission. One of the biggest tricks for a swap is getting the bell housing to mount to the engine and the TC to mount to the tranny. Different types have different bolt patterns.

Man you're crazy I laughed way more than I should have lol. Thanks

Michael BleepinJeep I want this tranny. But it's going into an 85 cj7 with an AMC 360.

What ever the Manuf recommends .

Like Michael pointed out, DO NOT use GL-5 which is what the Manufacturer recommends in some of the manuals. It is not good for the brass synchros. Years ago, my gear shop pointed this out and gave me exactly the same advice that Michael did. Use either 75W-90 Gear Oil or 5W-30 Motor Oil

I have a thread going on Cherokee Forum about fluid options. Original was 75w80 GL3 (maybe 75w90). GL5 gear oils will eat the synchros as stated. Redline MT-90 is the established "best fluid" right now, BUT I did a lot of research and ended up using 5w40 Rotella T6 because it was far cheaper which means I can change it every 15k miles. The viscosity of 75w90 is very similar to 10w40 motor oil. I think the original service interval is 30k miles for a fluid change in the AX-15. Rotella T6 is working great right now, no excessive wear or anything. Also, not sure if you changed the clutch fluid but it just uses DOT3 brake fluid (when I did my clutch, I drained as much fluid as I could and replaced it, since brake fluid is hydroscopic and will corrode after a long time (My jeep is 20 years old and I wanted fresh fluid in there).

My ax15 in my 97 tj just started making a gear whining noise a couple weeks ago. I changed out the fluid with some Lucas 75w-90 and it fixed the noise problem immediately. i had gone to the store originally looking for redline MT90 but couldn't find any. No complaints about the 75w-90 so far

The AX15 is 5 speed.

Ok

That makes one of us.

Thanks for the comment, Steve. Having done it both ways, I actually find it much easier to pull the transfer case and transmission as a single unit. To each their own I suppose. The Jeep Factory Service Manual for the 1997 TJ recommends petroleum jelly for several tasks. 35 to be precise.

Yes, you showed us just how easy it was to get that transmission and mated transfer case seated in this video! LOL Four hours? I have too done the same over a dozen times in many a Jeep, and taking the 80 LB weight off the back of the transmission, makes it much easier to maneuver and line up to the throw out bearing and splines properly. And well if you want to, you use a lubricant like Vaseline that was never intended to stand up to heat, as it has no actual rating for it at all.. And like I stated above is a dino oil based lubricant that eats rubber very quickly, that's all you. I guess some of us think it's far more important to "follow the manual" when it comes to things like using the actual specified GEAR OIL in a gearbox, and not when it comes to Vaseline! that makes no actual sense as I pointed out. Instead of spreading some really bad advice to use engine oil, that was more then likely put out by someone that was to damn lazy to to get his butt into his truck and go down and buy the appropriate lubricate for an expensive transmission. The cost is just about the same for a quality gear oil that is made for pressure of a gear box, vs. a quality motor oil that is made specifically for shear.. They have entirely different additive in them to keep the differant metals alive in your transmission, as can easily be proven by the fact they smell completely different from one another. So why would you even take the chance, if it saves you exactly nothing? I happen to be about four times your age, with just a little mechanical experience over the decades under my belt, and have also learned from my own mistakes , as well as listening to others that were kind enough to turn me on to their mistakes.. I have learned some hard ones over the years. I guess you too will eventually do the same! It's just a darn shame you won't take advice, even when someone takes the time to explain to you why not to use a given product on your vehicle though.. I guess you are right about one thing, to each their own!

Steve Yulenburg I'm not sure which is more impressive The fact that you're in your 80s and still wrenching on jeeps or the fact that you know how to use the comments section. Honestly if I were your age I'd probably go find better things to do with my time than correct the actions of people you don't even know on the Internet.

I guess I saw Micheal here younger due to his demeanor and rookie mechanical mistakes made in this video, that could in fact cost someone a $1K+ transmission if following his needless oil choice out of convenience alone. I know we have all differant learning curves, but one should not post bs information on a Channel like Matt's, that I have never seen anything besides this done half-assed on a vehicle. By the way, if you're lucky to reach 55 yo, you too will find kids look younger and younger each year to you also. But if you aren't even willing to listen to constructive criticism, by someone who has been doing it for decades longer. you have a hard road ahead. And that would make you the loser here, because you're not even willing to listen. And no matter my age, who the hell gives you the right to try and tell me not to comment here? When the poster himself asked for comments? That would make your maturity and comprehension skill level that is greatly suffering even worse, because did you not hear him say to comment? Also I have been a contributing subscriber here first through PayPal, and now through Patreon under a differant account to Matt's channel for literally years now. How much exactly have you kicked down to him to try and dictate what your fellow Jeepers can and can't say here ffs? By the way Carl, the fact you made a comment here trying to insinuate I know nothing about this Channel, and also without a single word contradicting a word or claim I made above just shows everyone here who you are.

Michael BleepinJeep the reason for not putting Vaseline on rubber car parts is the same reason you don't use Vaseline as a lubricant with a condom. don't get you Jeep pregnant because the condom ripped, us a water or silicone based lubricant.

So what do you use now?

Michael BleepinJeep just left the redline in it

I felt it squish under my back. It was gooey, and cost me $8.

Callen Grissom what will you replace it with, when you replace that trans? I have a yj 2.5 with an Ax5 that needs a trans rebuild or replace, I don’t see the point of a rebuild if it’s going to go out again sooner than later, I was thinking about an NV 4500 because I’d like to upgrade motor eventually. Is that overkill or should I just buy a rebuilt Ax5 and worry about new trans when I swap motor in the furure