minivin Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 As some may have read elsewhere, got a few plans coming together to replace my LT77 conversion in my Series with an R380 conversion, all seems to be along the lines of the previous conversion I have done. What I was wondering, is the gearchange "long stick" alloy extension the same length as a Defender LT77 item, or is it a different length? Just thinking at this moment if I will need to modify my transmission tunnel again...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minivin Posted February 11, 2007 Author Share Posted February 11, 2007 As in this item Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 R380 part is very similar, if not the same. reckon it must be the same lentgh as the gear levers are in the same place as my old LT77. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minivin Posted February 11, 2007 Author Share Posted February 11, 2007 thanks, nice to get the easy parts out the way, now onto the complex bit of making the conversion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 the turret part is common to LT77 & R380 frc7155, the long lower section has a different part number LT77 ftc503 & R380 ftc3916, lower lever part is frc8724 for R380 & LT77 hth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minivin Posted February 12, 2007 Author Share Posted February 12, 2007 the turret part is common to LT77 & R380 frc7155, the long lower section has a different part number LT77 ftc503 & R380 ftc3916, lower lever part is frc8724 for R380 & LT77hth excellent, cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Reckon the casting is the same thing but perhaps machined ever so slightly differently, my R380 one looks identical save for the reverse switch (not there) and perhaps a couple of other things too trivial to notice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROGUE TROOPER Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Will the convertion kit still fit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minivin Posted February 12, 2007 Author Share Posted February 12, 2007 Reckon the casting is the same thing but perhaps machined ever so slightly differently, my R380 one looks identical save for the reverse switch (not there) and perhaps a couple of other things too trivial to notice. yeah, did have me wondering whether the part number changed due to the reverse switch moving from the gear change linkage housing, to being on the side of the alloy extension case. Think I need to find a cheap bust R380 to play with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minivin Posted February 12, 2007 Author Share Posted February 12, 2007 Will the convertion kit still fit? looks like it, can't see the LT230 mountings having changed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonk Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 AFAIK the input gear from a lt77 is slightly shorter than one used on the back of a R380, i'm sure someone will confirm or not soon. whether this will effect how your conversion fits i wouldn't know. which mainshaft are you planning to use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minivin Posted February 12, 2007 Author Share Posted February 12, 2007 yeah, gonna have to manufacture a new gear carrier assembly looking at the mainshaft at present, and the pictures I can find of 4wd mainshafts, from what I can tell they all use a 10 spline shaft will have to have a think on how I can do a cross drilled gear or maybe commision a whole gear to be manufactured through a friend, who gets them made for a motorcycle electric starter conversion he makes parts for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minivin Posted February 18, 2007 Author Share Posted February 18, 2007 Thanks to Diesel Jim for pointing this out, ECR over in America have done an R380/Series Conversion kit http://www.eastcoastrover.com/5speed.html Oh, and guess what, Ashcrofts have re-introduced theirs http://www.ashcrofttransmissions.co.uk/part_66.html I have been looking at the gear ratios of the Sherpa LT77 and the LDV400 R380 I have and they have the following ratios for peoples interest 1st 3.985347985 2nd 2.518518519 3rd 1.507389163 4th 1 5th 0.831402831 Reverse 3.816326531 which from what I can tell from the Excel gear ratio calculator I have hear, 1st and 2nd are lower than a comparable defender, as well as reverse, so crawl speed is improved. now I should actually get on with doing this conversion I suppose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jericho Posted February 18, 2007 Share Posted February 18, 2007 Not wanting to state the obvious,but all r380s have a longer input shaft than a defender lt77,except the rare retro-fit r380,made specifically to replace a defender lt77. I'm sure you know this,but some forumeers may not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minivin Posted February 18, 2007 Author Share Posted February 18, 2007 yep, I know and has been mentioned on here a few times, bell housing FTC 4018 is used to mount it to the 200TDi, and earlier 2.5 Diesels, and also the Series engines and series V8 conversion plates but you also need a stubby input shaft to go with the bell housing, will be phoning Ashcrofts tomorrow for part number and prices Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonk Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 so will that bellhousing fit the lt77? and is it shorter than the defender lt77 bellhousing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minivin Posted February 19, 2007 Author Share Posted February 19, 2007 yes and yes I believe, I have the R380 manual at home, so will try and post a copy of the clutch release mechanism tonight as it's different to the LT77 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minivin Posted February 19, 2007 Author Share Posted February 19, 2007 Darn, Ashcrofts don't do the bell housing or the input pinion, but supposedly the gearbox configuration is known as a 50J....... may have to pop into my local LR dealership and trawl their parts catalogues Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashtrans Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 Darn, Ashcrofts don't do the bell housing or the input pinion, but supposedly the gearbox configuration is known as a 50J....... may have to pop into my local LR dealership and trawl their parts catalogues parts required to convert a suffix J R 380 to the 50A spec are : FTC 4018 1 Bellhousing, FTC 4616 1 M12 x 40 CSK bolt FTC 5372 1 nose cone FTC 5056 1 pinion if you have a type 53 or 56A you will also need to change the lay shaft and 1st gear, the main problem is the bellhousing, usually on factory backorder, Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro_Al Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 Hmm, I recognise that hand...! Minivin - if you are popping in to find out if they can get you the parts, I'd save yourself the time. Mr Ashcroft, on a hunch, put me in touch with a place in Germany to get it in the end, and I can assure you it was stupid money... I no longer have their email or anything. Took me 2 years of searching to find one, careful cos most people don't know what it is and think it's some Wolf variation, which it isn't and that one isn't short enough. Once I had one, I looked into getting copies cast, getting the tooling from Land Rover etc etc. Cost prohibited it all in the end. Afterwards I sold that one above to a guy in Canada. Now I'm a bit more 'handy' I'd 'just' fab up a bellhousing using the engine mounting ring from the front face of whatever mounts to your engine, and the gearbox mounting plate from any bellhousing that fits the box at the other end, then I'd just whack it all on a jig and weld some bits of plate in between until it was all sealed up. It's just a two plates, each containing a ring of bolt holes, held apart by a conic section (ok, you could do it like an octagonal prism or something to make life easier). I think I have enough photos of it to see how it can be done. Trust me, it might sound like a nightmare, but it is still easier than locating that damn part. Get the input shaft first and mock it all up so you know the distance between box and engine. Make sure it's all square and start welding. I think you should have more luck finding the input shaft than the bellhousing. It always sounded easier to get hold of when I was searching. Regarding the kits - I once spoke to ACR about their R380 convfersions and they told me they just get all their bellhousings from Ashcrofts. So the LT77 kit in both places comes as no surprise. They were pretty useful with the tech, but couldn't help locating any bits (just said ask their supplier - Ashcrofts). The problem with the ones on the ECR site is that you still need the damn elusive bellhousing. Hope it helps a bit, but maybe not... Al. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minivin Posted February 19, 2007 Author Share Posted February 19, 2007 parts required to convert a suffix J R 380 to the 50A spec are :FTC 4018 1 Bellhousing, FTC 4616 1 M12 x 40 CSK bolt FTC 5372 1 nose cone FTC 5056 1 pinion if you have a type 53 or 56A you will also need to change the lay shaft and 1st gear, the main problem is the bellhousing, usually on factory backorder, Dave Thanks for that Dave, I take it the nose cone is the item that the clutch release bearing slides along? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minivin Posted February 19, 2007 Author Share Posted February 19, 2007 Cheers Al, that's a bit of a concern will have to do some serious searching before I commit any more funds me tinks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted February 20, 2007 Share Posted February 20, 2007 Sorry if this is stupid as I have just-skim read the thread - but Rob, you have a 109 so you have plenty of room to use a long bellhousing combo. The V8 bellhousing (RR/Disco) that I have on mine is ~30cm deep and the props are both a very reasonable length, even with the engine sat waaay back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minivin Posted February 20, 2007 Author Share Posted February 20, 2007 Sorry if this is stupid as I have just-skim read the thread - but Rob, you have a 109 so you have plenty of room to use a long bellhousing combo. The V8 bellhousing (RR/Disco) that I have on mine is ~30cm deep and the props are both a very reasonable length, even with the engine sat waaay back. ah now that's interesting, will have to measure a standard LT77 bellhousing with V8 adapter plate and see how they compare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROGUE TROOPER Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 It's just a two plates, each containing a ring of bolt holes, held apart by a conic section (ok, you could do it like an octagonal prism or something to make life easier). I think I have enough photos of it to see how it can be done. Can you please send me some photos as it sounds like a better option! I would like to see it fabricated rather than welded but I guess it would not take the twist motion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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