Discussion of built driveline

[captspillane]

The NV3550 transmission does fit. I just bumped Tougeagles old project thread "1300 dollar fixer upper" again with pictures of an AX15 installed into an Eagle station wagon as well as pictures of the mounts he made. The NV3550 is directly interchangeable with an AX15. The clutch slave cylinder arrangement is slightly different depending on the year but that difference is minor. It has a very similar or identical transmission mount as a T5 or SR4 but it sits further back along the transmission. You will need to build an extension to the crossmember about three inches long to support the rearmost mount bolts.

My CJ8 Scrambler has an NV3550 behind a 258 with the original factory mechanical clutch and T5 bellhousing. It has an extension plate added with a plate of metal to cover the area below the mount bolts for a regular transmission mount. If you read all of Tougeagle's thread he actually had severe vibrations with his mount bolts until he made a change and eliminated metal to metal contact. I won't make custom mounts out of poly bushings like he did because a transmission mount is much better than those and just as easy to adapt.

In my 401 SX4 the NV3550 will be bolted to the Eagle crossmember and then the whole crossmember will be moved three to four inches back then bolted to the subframe with through bolts below the rug. The old crossmember bolts are toast on that car so I'll put the new ones where I want them to stay. I will line up the V8 mounts using the SR4 in factory position then line up the NV3550 off the position of the V8.

[captspillane]

The first link is the slave cylinder adaptor kit I purchased. It comes with a brand new slave and stainless steel flex line that is compatible with your Eagle Master cylinder. The same slave cylinder can be used with the NSG370 6 Speed but a plastic spacer at the bottom is different.

The second link is the kit I'm using for my V8 engines and my CJ8 mechanical clutch. It retains the thicker old style of flywheel and the T5 bellhousing. It's more of a big deal for V8s because of the external balancing. In your case you are better off keeping the NV3550 bellhousing and using a 4.0 flywheel for your future fuel injection plans.

The third link is the bracket I'm using for my NV3550 Eagle. It's meant to put the transfer case shifter in the exact spot it would be located in a stock Jeep YJ. I think it will bring the low range lever right up about four inches to the left of the transmission shift lever, which will work nicely. I haven't installed it yet to confirm. I like the idea of having a shifter with direct linkage instead of cable linkage, but realistically cable linkage is easier to adjust it's location and it wouldn't vibrate or need as much of a boot. I plan on trying the Novak cable linkage in a different Eagle.

http://www.advanceadapters.com/products/jeep-slave-cylinder-kit-for-nv3550/

http://www.advanceadapters.com/products/jeep-wrangler-nv3550-5-speed-transmission-to-jeep-258--v8-adapter-plate-kit/

http://www.advanceadapters.com/products/nv3550-shifter-bracket-for-jeep-np231-transfer-cases/

[The Dark Side of Will]

Interesting... Thanks for the info!

I'll have to read up on it later, though.

$1300 fixer-upper for reference: http://forums.amceaglenest.com/index.php?topic=21335.0

Trans mount crossmember & 4.0 header exhaust: http://forums.amceaglenest.com/index.php?topic=21335.msg216720#msg216720

[The Dark Side of Will]

I have a NV3550. I've been busy with another project and haven't been putting much time into the Eagle.

Next big step is to weld the Eagle shock brackets to the Dana 44 axle... However, my dad's truck is currently being painted, so it will be a few weeks until it's available to carry the axle up to the shop.

[idahoeagle]

Avoid the thought process of dual shocks. There is zero benefit to it in an Eagle. All it would do is make for a very stiff ride in the rear...

[The Dark Side of Will]

There are air bag shocks available for Eagles. Because of the small diameter, they don't provide much extra support, but 4 of them would obviously provide twice as much. The addition of air bags could allow an Eagle to run soft springs and low ride height on the road, then pump up to increase the ride height off road.

Not that I'm going to do that... it's just a potential benefit of quad shocks.

The target body actually just received new aftermarket rear springs that make it ride like a truck anyway.

[carnuck]

I have the factory air ride in the back of mine. I have to fill them to match my front springs I put in. I'll be glad when I can swap the rear axle and add my add a leaves from another pack.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I'm an engine, flywheel and clutch away from being able to bolt the drivetrain together.

Are there any dimensional differences between the 4.2 and 4.0 flywheels? Is the only difference the crank trigger wheel on the 4.0 flywheel?

IE, these two products:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/zzz-50-1002/overview/make/jeep
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/zzz-50-1001/overview/make/jeep

What I intend to do is run the 4.0 with a carb (*NOT* the factory 258 carb) initially, then later convert to GM fuel injection using a hybrid/frankenstein distributor for pickup coil/triggering. This means that I *shouldn't* need the trigger wheel on the flywheel.
However, having the trigger wheel gives me flexibility for changing plans.

Any recommendations for a particular clutch? If not, I'm just going to see what CarQuest has.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Both an AX15 and the NV3550 can be mounted behind a T5 bellhousing utilizing 258 shift hardware and the thicker 258 flywheel. To do this you need the Advanced Adaptors kit. It's listed for the NV3550 but it actually works for the AX15 with a very minor modification.

If you want to use the thinner 4.0 flywheel and bellhousing, which is a great idea if you want to fuel inject, then you'll need an advanced adaptors kit to convert your NV3550 slave to metal flare line. Alternatively an early AX15 has in internal slave that is already 3/16" flare line compatible with your Eagle clutch master cylinder.

I just went back and reviewed the thread. Thanks for the info... Just verifying that I must use the 4.0 flywheel with the NV 3550. What are the thicknesses of the two flywheels?

What years AX-15 have the slave with the flare fitting?

[carnuck]

The starter is the biggest difference between the 4.2L and 4.0L flywheels. The tooth offset is different so they don't interchange. I would shoot for an external slave bell AX-15 myself.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I have the NV3550, so that's the direction I'm going. I just wanted to understand the flywheel and clutch slave situation.

[carnuck]

Ah! I thought you were using the AX15 bell

[The Dark Side of Will]

I have the NV3550 from bellhousing to T-case adapter.

[The Dark Side of Will]

So here's what I need to do:

Replace input and output shaft seals in NP229
Reassemble NP229
Assemble NP229 and NV3550
Obtain 4.0, flywheel and clutch
Install flywheel and clutch
Assemble 4.0 to NV3550+NP229
Blast/paint 3.54 front diff.
Clean/paint extra front diff mount brackets
Assemble front diff to remainder of powertrain
Modify 4.0 exhaust manifold or build downpipe to clear Eagle front diff

Install new shock brackets to 3.54 D44
Blast/Paint D44
Assemble disk brakes to D44

I helped my dad pull the engine from an Eagle recently. Based on how difficult it was to pull *just* the engine, I'm  @$$uming the most straightforward way is to R&R the Eagle powertrain is to disassemble the front suspension + steering linkage, then drop the entire powertrain with the transmission and front suspension crossmembers out the bottom of the car.

Has anyone tried this before?

[captspillane]

The 4.0 flywheel is a quarter inch thinner than the 258 flywheel.

The early AX15 didn't actually have a slave cylinder, technically it had a hydraulic throwout bearing that acted like a slave cylinder. It forms a donut around the input shaft and has 3/16" flare lines going to a flare union outside of the bellhousing. Around 1994 they switched to an external slave cylinder visually identical to the NV3550 version. The entire setup is different and not compatible, mostly because the NV3550 has a thicker bearing retainer and stronger input shaft than the AX15 so that the hydraulic slave won't fit on the NV3550.

Advanced Adaptors has the kit you need. It is a new NV3550 slave cylinder with flare fittings already added and a very nice stainless steel flex hose included. You still must use the original AMC Eagle Clutch Master Cylinder. Make sure you make your own remote resevoir if your car originally had the white tube style resevoir. Those crack and leave your car stranded unable to shift if you keep them.

Yes, it has been done. I just pulled the crossmember with the engine and trans as one unit a month ago with my newest SX4. It's only worthwhile if you plan on replacing all your front steering components at the same time. It adds a great deal of time to the drivetrain swap if you decide to pull the crossmember. I never pull the engine by itself, I always pop the transmission off the back first and then pull it out.