Sometimes It feels like the clutch isn't completely disengaged. I can feel some drag. And I beleive the tranny has been apart before cause their is red permatex between the mid plate and the front and rear housing. So I would imagine if it was apart it would have to be for syncro rings. I've been double clutching and I helps alittle so I'm thinking the clutch might be fried. On cold morning it shutters a good bit when pulling out. It feels extremely soft when first starting out then it begins to harden up as I drive and it begins to get hard to shift. Mainly on the downshift. They do put any silicone from the factory correct?. It really noticible hanging out the side

 

If the clutch is dragging, it should be almost impossible to shift into reverse at a stop. If it shifts into reverse easily after it's warmed up, the problem is in the transmission itself. BTW, clutch drag can also be caused by a bad pilot bearing.

What fluid are you using? If it's not the right stuff, that can make it hard to shift.

 

What trans is this anyway??

If its an AX-15 they are known to be stiff shifting till they warm up just the way the beast is and reverse has no syncro in an AX-15. My AX-15 has always been that way when cold it can be very hard to shift the first minute then its great I think it has a lubrication problem at first startup.

I wouldn't say its hard till it warms up I would say its stiff the first few shifts then the oil gets around and its great not that it needs to warm-up.

So what trans are we talking about?

 

OP says 99, so it's the ax-15. Thats what the rebuild videos were for that I posted as well.

 

Well that may be what's going on the AX-15 is almost always stiff the first few shifts I have learned to just start the engine start out and just shift through the gears a few times till things loosen up as I say its like it needs to get the oil pumped up of splashed around a little before it starts shifting good.

When cold in the winter it can get real stiff and take longer to loosen up sometimes shifting into 2nd can be very hard to do the first few times.

Reverse has been a pain in the @ss on this truck for me sometimes it just will not want to go into reverse because the AX-15 has no reverse syncro.

If I remember on Jeep forums they recommend just using 10w-30 engine oil during winter check out all the Jeep forums regarding the AX-15 as the Jeep used that trans for many years and Jeepers know all about that trans.

http://www.wranglerforum.com/f282/ax...id-156196.html

http://forums.4wdmechanix.com/topic/...sion-gear-oil/

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f9/ax...fluid-1104895/

http://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/ax-1...t-fluid-11354/

 

Found one more good one

http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums...id-AX-15-Story

 

Did I miss which engine the OP has? Was there a V-8 option in 1999? If there was, I think it would come with an NV3500.

 

three dot nine

 

I beleive it's the ax 15. And yea I can never get my truck in reverse. It grinds just trying to get it in reverse. There is 200k miles on the truck. . But it seems like sometimes I can only get it half way into 1st and 2nd gear. You can feel 2 distinct slot . If I let the clutch out when it's halfway in . It will grind and not move.. sometimes the truck shifts like butter and others you gotta have help to shift. The truck has alway been extremely smooth shifting. But in the last 2 months it's went downhill fast. Would my clutch pedal having different pressures at different times do anything? My clutch acts different almost every day. Sometimes better sometimes worse

 

Well then that sounds more like clutch or clutch hydraulics problems.


But it could still be the transmission


You should only shift into reverse at a stand still or it will grind I need to let out the clutch just a little to get reverse to slid in or let the truck roll a little so the gears line up.


Remember the AX-15 gets stiffer to shift as the weather gets colder.