1988 XJ possible purchase

skyhighZJ

skyhighZJ

Gov retirement < needs to live
Joined
May 31, 2012
Location
Aberdeen, NC.
So I'm down here in La. and I sold my other XJ and have been itching to get another. This will be simpler for now with stock axles and some 31's just to trail ride with/ keep miles off my diesel until I get back to NC and closer to retirement then it will probably start getting bigger. It is a 1988 beer can xj. All manual everything to include the trans which is where the question comes into play. I have never owned one this old and as I understand it is either has a BA10 or an AX5? I know the puke goat is crap and from what I've read the AX5 isn't much better. What is it like to find and swap in a ax15 or if anything, what else would be my manual trans options that would be basically a bolt in swap? The kicker for this is the dood wants $500 to get it out of his yard. Clear title and it runs really well. Reason he is selling is it needs a clutch and T.O. bearing and he doesn't have the money. What say you NC4x4? @NickMaul @ghost @Jody Treadway @Blaze
 
Last edited:
If the mileage isn't too high shoot for it. As far as I am aware if the only hiccup you might find swapping in a ax15 or nv3550 is having the correct pilot bearing/bushing in your flywheel to match the input shaft of the new trans. And I read in a few instances that they had to trim like a 1/4" off of the input shaft but it didn't effect spline engagement (I can't remember the exact scenario).

Besides that I'd expect to pay around $500-$700 for complete swap trans/tcase with driveshafts(may or may not be the same size) and crossmember. Until you come across all of your swap parts just drive like a grandma :D
 
Dude never got back to me with the info I requested. It's about a 3 hr. drive so before I walked into a total shit show I asked for more pictures. Even sent him a pic of five hundos cash to "motivate" him and he flaked so I'll bide my time till something else comes along.
 
The ax-5 is 2.5L specific. The 88 if a 4.0L and manual will be a BA-10 junk. I have talked to some that have not had much issue with them. I'd buy it for $500 if it was a runner and driver in a heartbeat. If you get it find someone with transmission and swap it in.
 
Back
Top