[carnuck]

I'm looking at taking a '95 Jeep Grand Cherokee 42RE (essentially a 904 with overdrive) and retrofitting the valve body to a hydraulic version from an earlier Mopar and beefing it up a bit to go into my '73 Jeep J4000 behind a 304 with Dodge NP208D (Already have the tcase)
My plan is to use this one ton for a tow rig and scrap hauller (It's done good by me for 4 years so far and it only cost me $150 to buy) I currently have a 304 with factory adapted Buick Nailhead TH400 (switchpitch) and Borg Warner Quadratrac (with part time and 17% O/D kit) with Dana 44 front and Dana 60 rear full float and 3.73 gears with 33" tires.
It's trans is getting tired and the tcase chain is skipping. If this isn't doable, I have a lockup 727 (AMC patterned) that I can use instead, but I'll sure miss the O/D and 70 mph freeway speed!
I already have most of a 904 rebuild kit (well, 999) and the 42RE trans core. I'd run an AW4 if the shift computer wasn't such a pain to hook up. (has to be useable by my wife) I'm hoping to have an M-715 frame with 12' bed to put my cab and everything else into.

[Crosley]

Is the 42RE setup for a govenor controlled shift? Are the fluid circuits & tubes there?

How many pin electrical connector is on the 42RE case?

[Chazmac]

42 RE for a 1 ton truck???
Insufficient capacity for any towing application, even if you can figure out the electronics and TV geometry.

[airworld2]

95 was all electronic no governor no easy way to convert
you'll need 92 unit and you only need to wire 4th and lock up solenoid

[carnuck]

I'm figuring on retrofitting a '92 valvebody into mine.

[airworld2]

you cant just replace the valve body from an 95 all electronic to 92 non electronic, you need more than v/b. the case is different where the case connector fits. along with od housing internal of the output shaft feed holes, not to be a a-- here but you don't enough about this transmission to swap out parts and think you can redesign how it works.if you want a 92 tranny start with a 92 alot of inside parts will fit up and down from transmission years

[carnuck]

The problem is there isn't a '92 Jeep 42RE. It came late in '93 in the Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 4.0L bell pattern. I'll take this one apart and see if there is any major differences (I have converted non-lockup trans to lockup before and know about the feed "tubes" built into the case and making sure they go where they are supposed to. Side benefit of 30 years as a mechanic)
I used to work on the 727 with underdrive (that makes them into 6 speed automatics) made for motorhomes and big trucks. I'll let you know one way or the other if it works (I had hoped someone else had done it before)

[Crosley]

what airworld is trying to tell you is you cannot fit a govenor pressure shifted valve body onto an electronic valve body case.

The govenor circuits & govenor in the OD section are not there.

Perhaps if you had both style trannys in front of you to cypher this out. Or maybe just the early OD section from a different tranny to provide guidance on changes .

As Chazmac stated the tranny is not rated for the towing weight of a 1 ton.


these guys have many decades of tranny experience speaking at this point.

[carnuck]

I don't doubt they have experience with transmissions, but I've done stuff in the past others have said was impossible (like 300 HP from an AMC 6 on propane) so I like to check things for myself. Maybe I'll find out the hard way, but as soon as I take apart the core I'll know. (Besides that, the '84 J10 truck came with a 999 lockup which is about the same strength as the 42RE)

[Crosley]

Originally Posted by carnuck

I don't doubt they have experience with transmissions, but I've done stuff in the past others have said was impossible (like 300 HP from an AMC 6 on propane) so I like to check things for myself. Maybe I'll find out the hard way, but as soon as I take apart the core I'll know. (Besides that, the '84 J10 truck came with a 999 lockup which is about the same strength as the 42RE)

good luck.....

the Aussie folks make lots of horsepower with propane with the inline 6 motors

[carnuck]

What's lots of fun is taking the Olds diesel engine and converting it back to gas, then running it on LPG. Pretty funny to see a 1 ton 4x4 do 17 seconds in the 1/4 mile!

[airworld2]

As many on the board know, I own my shop and family has another tranny shop and a hard parts business as well. cross breeding transmission's from lock up to non lock up and vise versa isn't the same as you want to do on going computer controlled to hydraulic controlled tranny. you try and anything is possible but it ain't easy.
you need all this and more od housing (rear of case) output shaft, governor
tail housing with governor support inside, case (well modified)the case is different sized where the case connector fits from a plain a 500 to a 42re case connector, valve body with correct solenoids.





been working on transmission's only since 1978, but hey what do I know

[carnuck]

Now THAT is what I'm talking about! Real life info and not just "It ain't gonna work!" but I wish it had come just a little sooner. I just came from a yard sale where I bought an '88 Dodge van for parts ($100) that has the V6 (chopped 318 I think) and a 500 trans. Oh well!
Anything I can do with an AMC 727 to put an O/D on for low $$?

[airworld2]

same trouble 518 and 46 re, amc - jeep was always first to use all computer tranny. trans adapt should have a plate to fit your motor tranny combo easier than cross breed tranny case's