PeteMck Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Hi all, I am currently planning to fit a Rover 4.6 v8 into my defender. Currently running a disco 300tdi mated to a disco r380 box and disco transfer box. My question is is this actually possible. Have come across a couple of threads suggesting that the gear ratios will be wrong. Another potential problem that was highlighted was that the engine will sit to far back however i have use the disco (long) bellhousing so think that the clearance issue wont be a problem. Any advice or help very much appreciated! Cheers Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Member Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 You need to change to a V8 gearbox. Everything is different where is mounts to the engine and converting it requires a complete stripdown of the box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Off Road Toad Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Get a Defender r380 and have the main shaft changed to the v8 one, ifor got Ashcrofts to do mine and it was about £240 ish. Get a V8 bell housing and make it all fit! I did this conversion and its really not difficult, just bolt the engine to the gearbox in vehicle and weld the new mounts where they need to be, the v8 bell housing from a manual disco is quite long so the engine will actually sit quite far forward. As for gear ratios being wrong sounds like a load of tosh to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need4speed Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Get a Defender r380 and have the main shaft changed to the v8 one..... Surely if he gets a defender R380, the mainshaft will be ok. Wouldnt he only need to swap the mainshaft if he wanted to use the disco R380??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Off Road Toad Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 The main shafts are different lengths between diesel and v8 boxes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Member Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 And they have a different pilot bearing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctorvaltar Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Regardless of trouble, the V8 will always make you smile. Might be rubbish in water and cost a fortune to run but with tubular manifolds and straight through pipes you will love it, mine sounds NASCAR like, raw and unrefined yet powerful!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Or get Ashcrofts to build you a gearbox to spec that has the right bits in the right order. Or use a V8 adapter plate. Anyway, to answer the big question, yes it's doable, it's no different than any other Rover V8-swap (they are all basically the same lump) so the basic idea has been done a thousands of times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bingy Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Regardless of trouble, the V8 will always make you smile. Might be rubbish in water and cost a fortune to run but with tubular manifolds and straight through pipes you will love it, mine sounds NASCAR like, raw and unrefined yet powerful!! Megasquirted, and then your water troubles will be solved Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty_wingnut Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 got a V8 bellhousing....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynic-al Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Yes, ms solves your water problems, however it opens up a whole different world of mental torture Mine sounds 'interesting' with its straight through exhaust. Interesting enough to make everyone look when your trying to get unstuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteMck Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 THanks for all your replys guys. Can i use a disco V8 R380 box. I dont mind about the selectors being in the "wrong" place as ive already overcome this problem with my current set-up. Just want to confirm it wont make the engine sit to far forward before i go and get on. Cheers, Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Off Road Toad Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Should be fine as the bellhousing on the R380 will be the same on the fender box as the disco box Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteMck Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 Good good, Cheers for all the help guys! Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonewest Posted September 15, 2013 Share Posted September 15, 2013 I am going to do this conversion into my 90 that is currently fitted with original 19J tdi and LT77 box . I know of two such conversions in my club (Rotorua Land Rover Enthusiast Club New Zealand) and both landies have aproached the install with different gear box ideas one uses disco Auto and the other uses the P38 gearbox with a compushift set up. Is any one here able to reccomend best way to go as both have advantages Disco being simpler and cheaper whilst P38 slightly stronger but more expensive when factoring in compushift. I have a complete P38 sitting in my garage ready for the conversion so could use its gearbox but if I were to sell the gearbox I would be able to afford a disco gearbox. I may also have access to a 4.2v8 with auto box from a Range Rover which a friend has been using for a few years so is known to be reliable so also toying with selling p38 and getting this pros/cons? Thanks G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash.Witty Posted September 15, 2013 Share Posted September 15, 2013 I converted my 300Tdi to a 4.2 rover v8 three years ago, as I was 18 I couldn't afford to rebuild the gearbox so I instead purchased a new R380 v8 bell housing roughly £100 and all the Td5 clutch release assembly as its the same as the v8 variety. I had a V8 spigot bearing bored out from 3/4" to 7/8" to suit the tdi input shaft which worked a treat If I was doing it again I would buy a gearbox rebuild kit and put a v8 input shaft in to keep things standard. I ran it for 2 1/2 years like that with no problem and for 6 months had a turbocharger on for some more muscle circa. 280Bhp I didn't drive it easy as any teen with a v8 would but I have since removed all of the v8 bits and fitted a 5.9L Cummins 6BTA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallfry Posted September 15, 2013 Share Posted September 15, 2013 Use the original gearbox mounts with a Discovery R380 or even LT77 V8 gearbox and bellhousing. This will put your engine in the SAME position as the RRC and Discovery. (Or 90/110 come to that) No clearance issues and no bulkhead cutting. All you need then are the V8 chassis mounts, which you can cut off a scrap chassis OR but new ones from Designa Chassis. Or Richards if you must, but they are twice the price...................... Weld them on your chassis (I can give you measurements and photos) as I have an old chassis here. All the rest is just standard RRC/Disco parts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonewest Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 Thanks for answers but I'm going the Auto route and have spoken to both guys in club they both used the ones out of their donor P38 one used compushift and the other cobbled something together by modifying the solenoids but he is interested in looking at Mega shift and pointing me in that direction as cheeper than compushift so any one used mega shift/compushift that can report on the pros and cons of either systems? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 but I have since removed all of the v8 bits and fitted a 5.9L Cummins 6BTA. Is your Defender purple by any chance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash.Witty Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 No thats Nick Steggels, mines a big green 110 crewcab yet to make an appearance the engines running etc just need a hydroboost unit for the brakes and a few other bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defender_300Tdi Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 No thats Nick Steggels, mines a big green 110 crewcab yet to make an appearance the engines running etc just need a hydroboost unit for the brakes and a few other bits.big cummins.jpg Any videos of this beast running??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash.Witty Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Hi, I only have a quick video of the exhaust stack after I put it all together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 Oh joy... Specs or build thread? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash.Witty Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 I will make a build thread this week, been laning in Wales all weekend and haven't had chance to get online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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