Hey all, I know, I am new and may not know all the ins and outs of everything here, but i was reading on here about swapping out the 42RE (in a ZJ) for the AW4. Can this really be done? I have a 95 ZJ that needs a new tran and i have a 95 AW4. Will this be a direct "plug & play"? I also am currently driving a '89 MJ that I just bought 4 days ago.

Hey all, I know, I am new and may not know all the ins and outs of everything here, but i was reading on here about swapping out the 42RE (in a ZJ) for the AW4. Can this really be done? I have a 95 ZJ that needs a new tran and i have a 95 AW4. Will this be a direct "plug & play"? I also am currently driving a '89 MJ that I just bought 4 days ago.

The AW-4 is far from a bolt in. You need to add the wiring and controller for the AW-4. You will also need to remove wiring from the 42RE. You may also need a different engine controller. You'll have to do reseach in the wiring diagrams to find out what wiring will all need to be changed to make the swap work.

you will need to splice into the engine management computer and you will need to swap out the TCU for the AW4 and the wiring harness.

the AW4 is electronically controlled, so without the proper tcu or shift box (AWShifting.com) it will not work.

pm JeepJukka he did it a while back, not sure if he gets on here much anymore...

get your hands on some wireing diagrams, and heres some reading matterial too...

next time search...
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=437801
http://bullsoffroad.forumup.com/post-647-bullsoffroad.html

Thanks, not really what i wanted to hear, but honest. Now back to finding a functioning 42RE

The 42RE is a worthless tranmission. It's not even a good paper weight.

Check out www.mallcrawlin.com, a few guys over there have swapped the AW4 into there rigs and posted some info about it.

Thanks, not really what i wanted to hear, but honest. Now back to finding a functioning 42RE

I don't think there ever was a properly functioning 42RE.:shaking:

Keep reseaching it, the AW-4 is worth swapping in. :smokin:

Actually a salvage yard a while back told me the AW4 came in the ZJ on selected models in 93 or so. I looked into doing the swap but it was going to be expensive as hell trying to find everything that worked.

The AW-4 is far from a bolt in. You need to add the wiring and controller for the AW-4. You will also need to remove wiring from the 42RE. You may also need a different engine controller. You'll have to do reseach in the wiring diagrams to find out what wiring will all need to be changed to make the swap work.

I thought you weren't allowed to post OEM tech in this forum.

:flipoff2:

Actually a salvage yard a while back told me the AW4 came in the ZJ on selected models in 93 or so. I looked into doing the swap but it was going to be expensive as hell trying to find everything that worked.

Very earlier 93 models with the I6 had the AW4.
My friend has one.

you will need to splice into the engine management computer and you will need to swap out the TCU for the AW4 and the wiring harness.

the AW4 is electronically controlled, so without the proper tcu or shift box (AWShifting.com) it will not work.

pm JeepJukka he did it a while back, not sure if he gets on here much anymore...

get your hands on some wireing diagrams, and heres some reading matterial too...

next time search...
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=437801
http://bullsoffroad.forumup.com/post-647-bullsoffroad.html

Im still here:D

just couple days ago i pm:d wiring instructions to one board member

heres the same wiring wrote-up:

left is Xj tcm harness wires, right Zj tcm harness wires (under dashboard)

yel ----- lt blu/red
red ----- red/wht
blk/tan ----- blk
blk/lt blu ----- blk/lt blu
org/dk blu ---- org/dk blu

tan ----- to +12v (transmission power mode)
yel/blk ------ trans diagnostic (you dont need this)
wht/pnk ----- brake sens (to brake switch)

Black plug (xj tranny harness)

dk blu/wht ---- lt blu/red (to zj tcm harness)
brn/yel ----- neutral safety (to zj tranny harness)
blk/tan ----blk (to zj tcm harness)
brn/lt grn ---- brn/ lt grn (back-up lights, to zj tranny harness)

grey plug (xj tranny harness)

blk/yel ----- "telltale" i didn´t connect it
blk/red ------ same as above
blk/tan ------blk (zj tranny harness, i connected it to same blk what is in "black plug".

Im still here:D

just couple days ago i pm:d wiring instructions to one board member

heres the same wiring wrote-up:

left is Xj tcm harness wires, right Zj tcm harness wires (under dashboard)

yel ----- lt blu/red
red ----- red/wht
blk/tan ----- blk
blk/lt blu ----- blk/lt blu
org/dk blu ---- org/dk blu

tan ----- to +12v (transmission power mode)
yel/blk ------ trans diagnostic (you dont need this)
wht/pnk ----- brake sens (to brake switch)

Black plug (xj tranny harness)

dk blu/wht ---- lt blu/red (to zj tcm harness)
brn/yel ----- neutral safety (to zj tranny harness)
blk/tan ----blk (to zj tcm harness)
brn/lt grn ---- brn/ lt grn (back-up lights, to zj tranny harness)

grey plug (xj tranny harness)

blk/yel ----- "telltale" i didn´t connect it
blk/red ------ same as above
blk/tan ------blk (zj tranny harness, i connected it to same blk what is in "black plug".

now this will only work if both vehicles are obdII correct?

now this will only work if both vehicles are obdII correct?

for OBD1
i used -93 Xj tranny and swapped it to -94 Zj

I thought you weren't allowed to post OEM tech in this forum.

:flipoff2:

I figured it is a driveline swap using a transmission that wasn't available in a ZJ from the OEM that year. It also improves the strength and durability compared to the OEM unit. The installation requires advanced wiring skills to properly do the job.

All connections should be soldered then have heat shrink(with the glue in it) used to make waterproof connections and splices. Any place a connecter is needed it should be done with a weatherpack connector.

This swap involves knowing how to properly read wiring diagrams. Learning how the sensors, solenoids and switches on the transmission work is also a big help if you don't know and understand them already.

There are a few other mods that can be done while doing the swap.

You can wire in a switch to manually control the first or second gear operation. Wiring in another switch to control the torque converter lock-up is simple also.

Or you could make a bypass box so you can manually control all of the shifting or switch it back to let the computer control control the shifting as when needed.

This is the perfect time to wire in those options.

I concider this as being posted in the correct forum for these reasons.


:flipoff2::flipoff2::flipoff2:

Thanks for the help. I am pretty sure i can wire that with no problem. Hell, i may just donate the aw4 out of the MJ i just bought friday but not sure if 89 is far back for this swap.

Thanks for the help. I am pretty sure i can wire that with no problem. Hell, i may just donate the aw4 out of the MJ i just bought friday but not sure if 89 is far back for this swap.

you will need an obdI computer and trans. keep in mind that you will have to either keep the t case that comes on the trans or swap them out with the zj one. and if you swap them out you will also have to swap the input shaft on the t case.

I figured it is a driveline swap using a transmission that wasn't available in a ZJ from the OEM that year. It also improves the strength and durability compared to the OEM unit. The installation requires advanced wiring skills to properly do the job.

I concider this as being posted in the correct forum for these reasons.


:flipoff2::flipoff2::flipoff2:


Yep, thats what I thought.

A friend of mine has an AW4 in his 98 ZJ. He posts over at Mallcrawling and uses that stick shifter from AWShifting I think.

Make sure you don't go too far back with the TCU - an 89 won't work. The Renix TCU uses an inverted TPS signal that came from the 2 output TPS used on Renix with auto jeeps. You will want the wiring harness and TCU from a 91 and UP MJ/XJ.

I've swapped AW4's into my kids 90 4.0L MJ and my 94 YJ 2.5L. Good transmission and with the addition of the AWShifting controller that is in my YJ - an automatic tranny with full manual control.