simonpelly Posted February 20, 2021 Share Posted February 20, 2021 Hi Folks, Currently in the process of removing the engine out of our 300Tdi 1997 Defender 110 with R380 gearbox. I've got access to an engine hoist which should hopefully help. However, trying to figure out the best plan of attack. My main concern once the gearbox has been lowered is being able to get it underneath the chassis rails and completely out. Thinking that from bottom of gearbox to top of transfer gear box lever is around 19" - That's a best guess measurement. Anybody have a more accurate measure? Have raised the Landy up on a set of 4 axle stands. Still think that with the gearbox on a trolley jack it will still not fit until the chassis rails. As such, wondering if lowering the gearbox with the engine hoist might be a better option onto some sort of really low profile trolley. And while getting the gearbox out, will have to support the engine from somewhere around the sump. Will also need to make sure with Landy being raised quite high that can still get hoist high enough the lower the engine. Anyway, enough rambling. Would be interested how others have approached this. Thanks in advance, Simon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Litch Posted February 20, 2021 Share Posted February 20, 2021 Lifted my 300TDi, gear & transfer boxes out as one lump last year. Used a load-leveler at the front and a nylon strap at the rear. Worked a treat, unit was lifted, swung around to the new chassis and in position inside of 30-mins (mind you, having no body fitted did help a little bit!). If your body is in situ then your best bet is to remove the rad & front panel and pull it out forwards, to do that you will have to support the back of the gearbox to keep it level (a trolley jack is the obvious tool to use there). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellaghost Posted February 21, 2021 Share Posted February 21, 2021 Having removed gearstick / top housing I've found thats it's relatively straight forward to drag the box out just by skidding it across the ground and then once out put it on a trolley of sorts. Support the engine with a bottle jack with wooden pad to spread the load on the sump or alternatively pack under the sump with whatever you have available regards Stephen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will@LRW Posted February 21, 2021 Share Posted February 21, 2021 I had to jack the vehicle up to get the boxes under the chassis rails, when only resting on cardboard. This is on a flat, solid driveway. I lowered using a strap on an engine crane through the door. I don't think using a trolley jack to lower in a driveway scenario is particularly useful. In one of the photos here you'll see how far I had to raise it up: https://www.landroverexpedition.com/technical/replacing-the-gearbox-clutch-and-transfer-box/ Another option might be taking off the lower link to axle and shock absorber and that'll give some more clearance as the chassis leg rises Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted February 21, 2021 Share Posted February 21, 2021 In the past I’ve dropped them onto a piece of ply with some rope attached and then just slid the unit out from underneath. I don’t remember needing to lift the car to do so but I might have had it on ramps/stands already. If you’ve got an engine crane just loop a stop round the front of the chassis and lift the whole car up if need be to get the box(es) out. The engine needs supporting somehow if removing the gearbox, though a 300 may tip different to a 200 (which tips back) owing to the different mount positions on the block. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonpelly Posted February 21, 2021 Author Share Posted February 21, 2021 Hi Folks, Thanks everyone for all the replies. Think we've got a plan coming together. BTW - Will@LRW - Came across you posting when Googling around. Some really good helpful content. We've removed the gearbox selectors which should give us a couple more inches of play. Plan is: Prop up gear box. Hoist the engine out through the front. Move hoist in through passenger front door. Strap up gearbox and transfer box. We've already removed the tunnel. Some folk suggest removing a floor too. Is that necessary? Remove the gearbox cross member. Lower to either feet of the hoist or onto a piece of plywood as suggested above with rope loops to drag out. Lower away. Jack up Landy as necessary to get clearance under the chassis rails. Some pictures of where we are at. It's been great spending time with my 13 year old lad in the garage. He's been really helpful at passing me tools, organising the endless spanners/sockets as well as labelling up all the parts removed into zip lock bags/boxes. Probably will have to be end of next week before get any more play time. Thanks again for help so far. Simon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneandtwo Posted February 21, 2021 Share Posted February 21, 2021 Don’t do it how I used to! I sent this 1996 90 to scrap the day after I took this photo after robbing it of its engine and box... how times change! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonpelly Posted February 22, 2021 Author Share Posted February 22, 2021 Eek! And you're still alive 🙂 Simon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EeEk Posted February 22, 2021 Share Posted February 22, 2021 Id take it all out complete from the front. Have done it with 300tdis and v8s on defender and RRC. Front antiroll bar needs unbolted if you have one, v8 exhaust front pipes need to come off to pass the engine mountings Disco ones out the front if its scrap....cut the landing panel off. Ive taken gear boxes out when the engines has been staying in....none have slid out under the chassis. Needed to raise the chassis a good few inches to get them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonpelly Posted February 25, 2021 Author Share Posted February 25, 2021 Hi Folks, Thanks for all the hints, tips and suggestions. Have now successfully removed the engine and gearbox/transfer box out from our Defender. Approach taken was to lift engine through the front. Supported gearbox with a trolley jack when pulling the engine out. Then used the hoist through the passenger door to strap up the gearbox/transfer box. Only needed to remove the tunnel and the plate below the centre seat. Had an adjustable ratchet strap to secure the transfer box turned out to be a genius idea if I might take the liberty to say so myself 🙂 Once weight was taken by the hoist, used the trolley jack to lift the transfer box and get a good balance by shortening the ratchet strap length. Then lowered the gearbox/transfer box on to an improvised cradle that spanned and sat on the legs of the hoist. Tomorrow (it's been a long day) just need to jack up the chassis and then slide out. With the gear stick levers removed, this should not to much of a problem. Thanks again for all the help. No doubt there will be a bundle of more questions as I do working on the engine. Simon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troll Hunter Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 A good job well done, but I can't understand why you didn't take the engine, gearbox and t-box out all in one through the front, as EeEk suggested. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 That is a lot more hassle, to take them out in one - too many things to snag on and too much weight to be easy. Given that it’s worth replacing or at least checking the clutch components and spigot bush any time they come out, and how little effort is involved in splitting them, I can’t see why anyone would ever want the struggle of removing them together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troll Hunter Posted February 26, 2021 Share Posted February 26, 2021 Fair comment. It's just that I took mine out all in one and found it fairly easy. I didn't separate them because I had no intention of doing so, having fitted a new clutch etc six months previously. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonpelly Posted February 26, 2021 Author Share Posted February 26, 2021 9 hours ago, Troll Hunter said: A good job well done, but I can't understand why you didn't take the engine, gearbox and t-box out all in one through the front, as EeEk suggested. Mike Thanks. Did them separately as wanted to inspect and maybe change the clutch. Certainly the master cylinder will be coming out as well as the housing. Also, kind of nervous having all of the iron work to handle at once. Spent a couple of hours today stripping out various bits. Planning on doing a clean up of the engine bay too. Now wondering about whether it's worth sound deadening before putting the engine back and perhaps a waxoyl of the bulkhead? Simon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troll Hunter Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 Beware of Project creep! If you get sucked in you'll never get it back on the road and your wallet will be screaming! Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonpelly Posted February 27, 2021 Author Share Posted February 27, 2021 1 hour ago, Troll Hunter said: Beware of Project creep! If you get sucked in you'll never get it back on the road and your wallet will be screaming! Mike Know what you mean. Every time I take something off I think of something else that *needs* to be done. Find myself looking for stuff in the attic to sell on fleabay to fund my new "habit". Simon... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 I managed to avoid project creep while doing my chassis change & engine rebuild. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 14 hours ago, western said: I managed to avoid project creep while doing my chassis change & engine rebuild. Only because it can't really creep much more than that Ralph 🤣 Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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