Aw4 transmission

Swaping 258 to 4.0, 4.0 parts to 258 etc!
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Buckenstien
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Joined: October 26th, 2017, 10:21 pm
Stroker Displacement: 4.4
Vehicle Year: 1990
Vehicle Make: jeep
Vehicle Model: cherokee

Aw4 transmission

Post by Buckenstien »

I have a 90 jeep I built a 4.6 stroker for. It's got 5k miles on it and it ate or is starting to eat the friction plates in my transmission. Can I solve this issue by putting in a lower mileage tranny. Mine has almost 400k miles and I think I can get one that only has 130k.
lazyxj
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Stroker Displacement: 4.6
Vehicle Year: 2001
Vehicle Make: Jeep
Vehicle Model: XJ

Re: Aw4 transmission

Post by lazyxj »

If the newer transmissions is truly in better shape, yes it will help.
It's tough to know the condition of a transmission without a teardown.
The condition of the oil and amount of stuff in the pan may provide an indication but, without knowing how long ago the pan was off and cleaned, it's still a guess.
That said, the AW4 is one of the most durable transmissions around.
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DaemonForce
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Re: Aw4 transmission

Post by DaemonForce »

It's a possibility but I'll lean towards no. If your frictions are getting toasted it's because of a lack of lubricant, the addition of a foreign body in the line pressure system or both, eventually creating other problems. Get a donor transmission, tear it apart and do the overhaul yourself so that you have something to swap in for the day you pull the transmission from your Jeep. The AW4 is an over-engineered unit and while there's a whole forum of people that whine about durability issues, I just don't see it. I can see quality issues with the OEM frictions themselves and it would be worth investing in a Raybestos Stage-1™ Kit (RCPS-45) to eliminate bad friction behavior and eventual future-proofing. I'm planning on using the 2WD variation of this transmission behind an antique AMC destroker that dwarfs the overall power and torque of a Jeep stroker in many ways, so this is basically insurance. Good luck.
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