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V8, R380 and LT230 in a Series


minivin

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I don't get on any of the forums that often these days, think the last time I was on here was a few weeks ago, anyhoo the 109 is nearing completion (again) after a long slog to get it back together

For those that have forgot, V8+LT77+Series Transfer Case conversion+rolling burnout past a Nissan Warrior (bet he's never seen a Series III go that fast past him before)=blown up LT77 <doh>

So out came the box and an agonising choice to fit an R380.

Initially Aschrofts were brought onto the matter and they supplied a reconditioned box (late piccie as the bell housing is already made)

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Me and a few others couldn't track down a stubby bell housing, so through my efforts, Rogue Troopers and a mate of his, we cut-and-shut a LT77 bell housing for the job

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Previously the LT77 extension housing was cut about a bit to clear the gearbox mount off of the Series TC, this time I decided to change it and have it come direct off the R380 ala Defender et cetera. So a Series mount was chopped and used as a jig since I knew how far the LT77 and adapter plate moved the mounting hole:

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Job done:

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And swiftly fitted:

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Next came fitting the R380 as an initial point so I had a datum to work with with the rest of the system:

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A tab was welded onto the bell housing ala Series for the hi/lo lever

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The Series TC conversion was dumped at this point and a 1.003 LT230R was acquired off of a friend cheap as I had sold him a 1.222 cheap for his D90

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Bearings, seals and gaskets from Ashcrofts, it was reconditioned:

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It was then offered up to act as the jigging point for the other gearbox mount, a bit of material was removed off the bottom of the diff housing, but it cleared quite nicely

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The offside mount was then made out of an old Series mount being chopped, a rectangular plate on the LT230R diff housing, and some lengths of 1/4x1" strip cut and profiled to shape to triangulate it as the two plates were at different levers.

With this bracket done, the lot was then fitted:

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Via a pair of rose joints and some stainless steel rod, the hi/lo lever was linked:

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and a bell crank assembly has been made for the diff lock (as the LT230R has been converted to 2WD with selectable 4WD) which I will finish and fit this weekend. This will be mounted upside down under the floor panel:

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Original floor panel refitted and the hi/lo back in it's right place, now just to fit the Rover 800 disc brake calliper for the hand brake (ala Tonk) that I have retained off the old Series TC after making a new mounting bracket, diff lock, and I think that's it :)

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That reminds me, I really must finish my transmission tunnel <_< can't you bodge something on your 109 to make me feel better? :ph34r:

I wish he would!

Yes he/we did make a jig.

We measured how much was to be cut out, then scribed it using a hight guage, then we crudly cut it out using a grinder. My mate then bolted it to his mill and made it flat. Bolted to the jig and welded up......easy!!

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I wish he would!

Yes he/we did make a jig.

We measured how much was to be cut out, then scribed it using a hight guage, then we crudly cut it out using a grinder. My mate then bolted it to his mill and made it flat. Bolted to the jig and welded up......easy!!

Hmm.......

You want to make another one?

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I wish he would!

Yes he/we did make a jig.

We measured how much was to be cut out, then scribed it using a hight guage, then we crudly cut it out using a grinder. My mate then bolted it to his mill and made it flat. Bolted to the jig and welded up......easy!!

Nice looking fabrication work.Whilst you may have made the front and rear faces of the bellhousing parrallel, with cut and shut bellhousings you should really cut the front off an old gearbox, bolt that to the bellhousing and in turn bolt the bellhousing to the engine. Then check concentricity with a magnetic base dial indicator on the flywheel and the plunger of the dial gauge in the bearing bore of the gearbox front. Anymore than a .004'' total gauge reading, top to bottom, side to side will lead to a short life for the front bearing and possible popping out of 4th gear, particularly on reco short shaft boxes with snug preloads.

Bill

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Although I personally think that FridgeFreezer's 109 is the most badass, coolest series LWB ever made; I applaud your engineering and fabrication skills. If I wasn't marrying into the Great Basin family; I would be shipping all of my Rovers back to their homeland, to come play with you guys. Everything I have been trying to do to my IIa 88", all these redneck americans, tell me it's not worth doing. But you guys over the pond have done half of them already. All heil the house of flying spanners. LOL. I am now reinvigorated to keep building my 4.0 DII V8, with series III gearbox and t-case. Thank you for that.

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Minivin,

looks very tidy. Must have taken a few hours. Interested in your short bellhousing - did you make up a jig so that the G/box input shaft was still central in the flywheel?

Adrian

Yep, Rogue did that for me the star that he is :D

Wow. You make me want to reactivate "past 88-SIII-times" ;)

The rear left mount, i.e the one for the gearbox looks like it is too much in "shear load" ??

Yep, it was like that due to the LT230 not being fitted and it's respective mount. The LT230 was "jacked" during the jigging of the second mount so the loading on that rubber has been relieved :)

That reminds me, I really must finish my transmission tunnel <_< can't you bodge something on your 109 to make me feel better? :ph34r:

<cough> you don't think I'd show the bits I bodged :ph34r:

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Hmm.......

You want to make another one?

Better ask Rogue :D

Nice looking fabrication work.Whilst you may have made the front and rear faces of the bellhousing parrallel, with cut and shut bellhousings you should really cut the front off an old gearbox, bolt that to the bellhousing and in turn bolt the bellhousing to the engine. Then check concentricity with a magnetic base dial indicator on the flywheel and the plunger of the dial gauge in the bearing bore of the gearbox front. Anymore than a .004'' total gauge reading, top to bottom, side to side will lead to a short life for the front bearing and possible popping out of 4th gear, particularly on reco short shaft boxes with snug preloads.

Bill

Yep, totally agree!, unfortunately I didn't want to go disturbing the engine and removing it, so I was very particular about measuring and jigging the two parts together before welding and got a friend to weld it who, well, spent the day on works pay welding it up for me ;) After that I measured a slight difference on gearbox mounting face on the surface plate, so got it skimmed to bring it true.

nice work rob, why didn't you just use the hi/low/difflock lever from a defender though? :unsure:

unfortunately if I had of gone down that route it would have come up through the seatbox and would have meant some serious chopping of the seatbox, and as well I like the Series controls, it baffles the hell out of when they quickly look in and see what looks to be a standard vehicle, with a five speed cluster shown on the gear knob ;)

Good work!

My V8 on Series gearbox needed the bulkhead modifying but your conversion looks much neater ;)

very neat work - nice one guys :)
Although I personally think that FridgeFreezer's 109 is the most badass, coolest series LWB ever made; I applaud your engineering and fabrication skills. If I wasn't marrying into the Great Basin family; I would be shipping all of my Rovers back to their homeland, to come play with you guys. Everything I have been trying to do to my IIa 88", all these redneck americans, tell me it's not worth doing. But you guys over the pond have done half of them already. All heil the house of flying spanners. LOL. I am now reinvigorated to keep building my 4.0 DII V8, with series III gearbox and t-case. Thank you for that.

Cheers guys, much appreciated ;)

And it's even had it';s first outing

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Same again tomorrow :D

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Very neat job, a great upgrade for any seris, What input shaft did you use on the R380?

I used the standard R380 input shaft for mating to a 200TDi, but lathed the nose down so that it would mate to the V8 without having to have a spigot adapter (3/4" instead of 7/8" diameter

Great work, minivin!

Cheers Sascha

Cheers ;) I see another 109!

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  • 4 weeks later...
Very nice work!! Wish I had the skills and facilities to do things like that.

Would make retirement a lot more interesting.

a lot of it is knowing who can do some of the jobs for you, and having a decent selection of tools ;) I work out of a 6' x 6' shed with a pillar drill, bench grinder, a L shaped bench bolted solidly to the walls and a selection of taps, dies, et cetera. Luckily I can get access to mills and lathes which is an added bonus, but I must get my lathe together that's in the motorcycle shed :unsure:

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Guest diesel_jim
a lot of it is knowing who can do some of the jobs for you, and having a decent selection of tools ;) I work out of a 6' x 6' shed with a pillar drill, bench grinder, a L shaped bench bolted solidly to the walls and a selection of taps, dies, et cetera. Luckily I can get access to mills and lathes which is an added bonus, but I must get my lathe together that's in the motorcycle shed :unsure:

And your kitchen worktop when parents are away!! :ph34r::ph34r:

(i remember your transfer box in a million bits all over it! :lol: )

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  • 11 months later...

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