Installing a Jeep AX15 5 Speed into '65 C10, with pics!

[chevy_mike]

After a bunch of research, I decided I was going to swap in a Jeep AX15 5 speed trans into my '65 and document the install. Based on info I have read, this is a stronger trans than a T5 and the shifter location should work on most any truck without having to swap rear cases like a Camaro T5 or use the weaker S10 T5. A variant of this trans was used in the Toyota Supra Turbo. Aisin-Warner makes these and you can still buy them new for about $1500. I picked up mine used from a guy who had a 2WD Cherokee and was converting it to 4WD.

Novak Adapters makes the adapter plate that will adapt the AX15 to a standard GM bell housing. Here's the link to the adapter, AX15 to GM adapter . Here is some info about the AX15, AX15 Info . Looking at this info, you'll find the gear ratios very well suited for a truck. I think this will work out very well for my application. Well, onto the pics.

Removed the old trans, clutch and flywheel. Old trans was a SM420 4 speed, which is a heavy trans with a granny first.







AX15 with the Jeep bell housing removed. BTW, you can get either a mechanical or electrical speedo drive. Mine had a electic one and I swapped it for a mechanical one.



Novak Adapter. Nice piece! Made in the USA!



Front cover that has to be modified



Quick trip thru the band saw



Reattached



Adapter plate installed with new throw out bearing adapter in place. This allows a standard GM throw out bearing. Also uses a standard GM 10 spline, 1 1/8" clutch. That's the nice thing about this, it uses the complete standard GM clutch assembly and bell housing, so nothing has to be changed with linkages and such.



Well, that's it for now. I will be working on this for the next couple weeks so I will update as I make progress.

Hope this will show another option for a 5 speed, that can be done fairly cheap, easily and hopefully stronger than a T5.

[Clyde65]

Mike, tell us about that trans, what kind of power can it handle? also more pics!

[knuckledragger]

I have put a couple of ax15s behind 318 and 360 mopars.They don't last long.I have had both types of transmissions apart and much prefer the wct5.If you are running a small six or a stock v8,it will probably last a good while with conservative driving.In the jeeps they mostly destroy sincros.Good thread for an alternative swap.

[Surfdaddy]

I remember those from my Jeep days. They worked ok if you were light footed, street driving. I think they mostly put those behind the 2.8 V6's and the Iron Duke 2.5 four's and maybe the 258's in the CJ's earlier than 95. They had problems once the put them behind the 4.0 liter 6. Could be good for our trucks just cruzing.

[chevy_mike]

Actually the AX5 was the earlier ones that blew up easily. The AX15 is similar in look but much stronger. The '92-'99 models are the best and came behind 4.0L 6's. Being in the Cherokee world for the last 5+ years, the AX15 has proven very stout assuming you don't abuse it (i.e power shifting, downshift at high RPM's, etc.). T5's can work well but GM never put one behind a 350 because it wouldn't handle the torque per Tremec specs. Never could figure out why Ford spec'ed their T5's different and would hold up to way more power than any GM T5.

As it is, I am not an abuser of transmissions, so I think with my driving style, this should work well. At this point, only time will tell.

In case you missed the link regarding AX15 info, here it is again, http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/ax15.htm

[Surfdaddy]

Sorry, your right. It's been since 2002 since I've had the pleasure of being a Jeep owner and got the models mixed up. Though my buddy wanted to drag me back into it with a 88 Grand Wangoneer that had been sitting for 7 years in a horse stable. I had a 95 Cherokee for 7 years and put over 180k miles on it. I kept a log of how many miles I had in 4 wheel drive and stopped after 10k since things still worked like new. One of the best cars I ever had.

[chevy_mike]

Well, things over the last few weeks haven't gone as smoothly as I hoped. When I bought the trans from a guy swapping his Cherokee over to 4WD, I didn't get the driveshaft from it. Not getting the original slip yoke proved to be a little time consuming to get the right one. Driveshaft shop couldn't find the right listing for a 2WD one. The Jeep recycle place had what was "supposed" to be the right one but when I got it home, it wasn't. I ened up taking the whole trans with me and found the 2WD one is unique from the 4WD versions. Finally got that and dropped the driveshaft off to be modified.

While that has happening, I finished up the new cross member. Got the driveshaft back after a few days and slipped it in. Cool, almost done... so I thought. Went to put the exhaust back on and found it didn't clear the trans mount I built. The drivers and passenger side exhaust routing was different enough that it didn't clear on the drivers side. Well, just to see if everything worked, I too a drive around the block with open headers.

I get home and parked it on it's own wheels since the conversion. Well crap! I built the cross member too low. It hung lower than the exhaust and I already rub it every once in a while. Combine that with the exhaust hitting, I need to redo this and rethink the e-brake system as there is no way it would clear the crossover pipe on the exhaust. Took me a little bit to figure out a good plan. Decided I would put the e-brake back onto the factory cross member, to the rear of the crossover pipe. Now I only need to figure out the trans mount and not need to plan to hang the e-brake system off it. I think I got this one right.

I also added a new Ram clutch/pressure plate and had the flywheel resurfaced. It uses GM spec parts so no need to have to figure out some Jeep/GM conversion.

Still don't have everything done and got sick so it's going to be a couple days before I finish things up. Here are the pics at this point.

Factory GM cast iron bellhousing mounted to the adapter


Getting ready to test fit


Someone before me had put a removable hump in but had a ragged cutout on the floor. I trimmed up things and made it much nicer


New Ram 11" clutch setup


New throwout bearing and factory arm


Cross member version 1, with e-brake system mounted




Cross member version 2, without e-brake system. Much cleaner and how I originally wanted to do it. Yes I bent the tubing with my tubing bender.




Well, just need to refit the exhaust and refill the trans with new fluid. Getting close.

[blackedoutharley]

Very interesting idea and I bet that plug on the right side would control back up lights too.

In the 3rd picture down it looks like you were running a starter that bolts to the block rather than the bell housing (as original)... if so what application did you use?

I am wanting to add a gear reduction starter to my truck but am concerned about the clearance or fitment with the stock bell housing for the SM420.

Thanks.

[sduckworth13]

Mike, I am interested in this exact swap. Did you ever get the transmission installed?

Thanks,
Scott

[chevy_mike]

Originally Posted by sduckworth13

Mike, I am interested in this exact swap. Did you ever get the transmission installed?

Thanks,
Scott

Oh yeah I did. Ran it for a couple years until I sold the truck and the new owner is still driving it. I loved that setup. Not sure on long term durability with high horsepower but I chirped the tires a number of times when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear.

I am looking for another AX15 as I would like to do this same swap in my 65 panel.

[hotrod66]

What did you do for the pilot bushing? I thought about chucking it up in a drill press and making a gm one fit.

[chevy_mike]

Novak makes the correct pilot bushing. There are two different inner size, depending on what year the trans is out of. You'll want to know what the size is, if you are to order one from Novak.

[hotrod66]

Okay thanks bud

[brokenspoke]

I'm a little confused to why you added a transmission cross member ?

[hotrod66]

Originally Posted by brokenspoke

I'm a little confused to why you added a transmission cross member ?

my thoughts are that nothing ever broke that was built to strong.

[chevy_mike]

A previous owner at some point cut out the bell housing mounts and had put in a trans with a rear mount and hacked up a way to us the e-brake crossmember. I was going to try to use that but I was running into clearance issues with the e-brake brackets/linkage so I just moved that one back and built a new one for the trans.

[hotrod66]

Okay I have a trans with the speedometer cable attachment. what did you do for calibrating the speedometer and what cable did you use?

[chevy_mike]

I was able to use the stock cable and a GPS to figure out how far off I was. Then I found a chart online that showed what gear was needed. Ordered it and swapped it in (really easy to do). Bam! Done.