Changing my 84 CJ to an automatic

im buying a 1984 cj7 and i need to change it to an automatic transmission it has a 6 cyl right now what would be the best approach

 

Welcome to the site. Hopefully someone will pipe in with an answer in the near future.

 

First, adapters for T-case to tranny are costly, while tranny to motor adapters are more reasonable. Another issue to consider is how much longer is it going to make your drive train and how much lift do you have or plan to go. The shortest tranny/tcase combo out there that I recently ran across is the TH350/NP205 out of late 60s to early 70s chevy trucks and blazers. They are the only ones I've seen without adapters saving you precious inches in your drivetrain. The NP205 (gear driven) is very similar to the Dana300 in design and strong like the 300. The TH350 is tried and true. The only adapter you will need is an inexpensive bell housing adapter kit (Novak adapters) and a Floor style cable shifter. You'll have to customize your mounting to the belly pan. You can also find a Jeep 999 out of a CJ7 and it should bolt right in, but they are significantly longer than the th350. Also a TF727 (Very strong) out of a Wagoner or J10/J20 pickup will bolt right up to the motor(also much longer) And you may need an adapter for the Tcase to bolt up, but you need at least 4in lift and shave the corner of the pan of the 727 in order for it to clear the front drive shaft (same issues if you try to squeeze in a 700r4). Right now I am rebuilding a TH350 and a NP208 (chain driven and predecessor to the NP231 and NP241)with a custom SYE from Tom Woods Drive shafts that I will install into a '79 CJ-7. I'll let you know of any issues. I tried to get the NP205 from the guy I bought the tranny from, but they are highly coveted and he was keeping it for his next build, so I found the NP208. I will tell you that I have spent $1500 in adapters, shifters, shift kits, tranny cooler, etc. to make this work, and I still have to have my drive shafts made $200+/- each at Tom Woods. For any auto swap you get you will need a floor style cable shifter, or find a steering column out of a CJ with an automatic.

If you haven't bought it yet, and you really want an automatic, you might consider passing on it and keep looking till you find one that already as an automatic in it, unless you are looking for a project.

 

I was hoping you would dive in on this one.

 

If I had only known what I was getting myself into when I bought this Jeep almost 3 years ago. . . I would do it all over again; just with a shorter learning curve.

 

My CJ5 came with a Mopar 360 and a TF727. It hangs down very low because the builder did a custom mount. Never thought of shaving the corner of the trans pan. This may be a way to get some of my ground clearance back. Thanks for the idea. Love the internet.