Series 2a gearbox options

[Phil Hancock]

The last one i had break was definitely a fatigue crack like you say. Would the Thames box be the 4spd that was fitted in the A series Ford trucks with the 6 pot Yorkie.

[Josh NZ]

It was a 4 speed full synchro unit if I remember the Internet article. It needed an adapter plate for the the series t/case but don't quote me on that!

[bill van snorkle]

The Ford Thames gearbox is really just an aluminium cased version of the iron Warner T98 4spd truck gearbox used employed on various Ford F250/350, International and Jeep trucks over many years.Synchro on upper 3 gears.Many versions have the same mainshaft spline configuration as series boxes just slightly larger in diameter that is easily made to fit the Landrover t/case input gear.With the series bellhousing fitted and the primary shaft shortened the complete assembly including t/case is only 36mm longer than the series transmission. Although I use it behind a tired 2 1/4 petrol engine they are really only suitable for repowered Series LandRovers due to the wide ratio spread.With 4.7:1 diffs and suffix B 2.88:1 t/case gears the overall ratio in low 1st is around 87:1.

[Josh NZ]

Hmm that sounds like a nice piece of kit, I saw an article in the depths of a google search about Borg-Warner units being fitted to series landys..

Might have Teri-Ann's site.

Bill, in regards to getting my hands on a suffix D unit from an s3, you say they were fitted on ex-mil series 3 wagons. I'm not sure if Our wee army ever used series 3s apart from stage 1s and skippy 2a models, so I may have to get lucky and find a civvy unit with one.

My landys gearbox is coming out soon anyway for a clutch change and any other bits that may need looking at, so If its going to cost me too much to rebuild the box I may find a series 3 unit and fit the necessary bits needed for a swap over.

If this comes to fruition I will keep a diary and do a write up too

[Phil Hancock]

The x-mod trucks would have whatever the suffix was when they were being built and when getting replacement boxes in service it would be whatever was available.

[Snagger]

As Phil says, the MoD used the contemporary boxes. The only differences were the top filler plug in lie of the breather plate.

[bill van snorkle]

The x-mod trucks would have whatever the suffix was when they were being built and when getting replacement boxes in service it would be whatever was available.

The Australian military are a little different. We had 6 cyl series 3 LWB's, and quite a few earlier vehicles were fitted with suffix D boxes when the original units required overhaul. Some were also retrofitted with Stage One wheel hubs and modified stub axles, presumably because they experienced a few stub failures with the earlier types.

[Josh NZ]

As are the nz army, but in a far smaller capacity.

[bill van snorkle]

As are the nz army, but in a far smaller capacity.

Don't know if freight costs from OZ to NZ would be prohibitive.If not,you could try an enquiry through the AULRO forums.

[Snagger]

The Australian military are a little different. We had 6 cyl series 3 LWB's, and quite a few earlier vehicles were fitted with suffix D boxes when the original units required overhaul. Some were also retrofitted with Stage One wheel hubs and modified stub axles, presumably because they experienced a few stub failures with the earlier types.

In other words, when the gear boxes needed overhaul, they were replaced with the then contemporary new units, and the axles were given the post 1980 rationalisation retrospectively, like I had don on my 109 axles. Still nothing unusual about either.

[bill van snorkle]

In other words, when the gear boxes needed overhaul, they were replaced with the then contemporary new units, and the axles were given the post 1980 rationalisation retrospectively, like I had don on my 109 axles. Still nothing unusual about either.

Maybe nothing particularly unusual for the UK, but personal experience indicates that Australian assembled Series LandRovers were built using left over obsolete carp from the UK until such time as it was all used up. Rover didn't waste anything back in those times.

My employer during that period was a dealer in ex military LandRovers and occasionally documentation that came with the vehicles made mention of modifications such as the fitting of suffix D transmissions and/or stage one hubs, usually described as ''modified with later bigger bearing hubs'', which isn't exactly accurate as the inner bearings are actually smaller on the later hubs.

[Josh NZ]

The NZ army actually bought most of our series 2a skippys off australia if i remember right, so kinda recycled everything. There are only 4 lightweight s3 models registered in NZ but lots of stage 1's as they were primary vehicles along with the unimogs.

I cant wait to have a look at some transmissions!! I want my landy back on the road

[Snagger]

Maybe nothing particularly unusual for the UK, but personal experience indicates that Australian assembled Series LandRovers were built using left over obsolete carp from the UK until such time as it was all used up. Rover didn't waste anything back in those times.

My employer during that period was a dealer in ex military LandRovers and occasionally documentation that came with the vehicles made mention of modifications such as the fitting of suffix D transmissions and/or stage one hubs, usually described as ''modified with later bigger bearing hubs'', which isn't exactly accurate as the inner bearings are actually smaller on the later hubs.

That was very much the LR way at the time. Look at the late SIIAs and early SIIIs and you'll see technically incorrect door hinges, lighting, speedos, switch gear and so on. They would only switch over to the new parts once the old stock was depleted, and that was for all markets. The factory recon transmission I bought around 1996/7 has a Suffix A casing and thus reverse idler shaft and gear, even though the rest of the innards were Suffix D. They have always just used whatever was left over, not specifically palming them off on the old colonies.

As for the wheel bearings, the idea was to rationalise the three different bearings in use - identical inner and outer bearings on the RR but two different sizes on the Land Rover, to one common spec across all vehicles for the obvious logistical and financial benefits. That RR spec bearing went onto the 1980 and later Land rovers, including the Stage I V8, and the Discovery nearly a decade later, and is still used on current Defenders. It was a factory stream lining exercise rather than a technical benefit.

[bill van snorkle]

As for the wheel bearings, the idea was to rationalise the three different bearings in use - identical inner and outer bearings on the RR but two different sizes on the Land Rover, to one common spec across all vehicles for the obvious logistical and financial benefits. That RR spec bearing went onto the 1980 and later Land rovers, including the Stage I V8, and the Discovery nearly a decade later, and is still used on current Defenders. It was a factory stream lining exercise rather than a technical benefit.

Although the later inner wheel bearing was of a smaller ID and OD,and the cross sectional area of the stub axle (spindle) was slightly less than for earlier series, the integrated hub seal ring actually made the stub axle stronger.Have seen quite a few earlier stub axles broken during my career,the relatively long distances of heavily corrugated outback roads likely the contributing factor.

[Snagger]

Makes sense, or they'd probably have used the old system for the RR too.

[bill van snorkle]

Makes sense, or they'd probably have used the old system for the RR too.

Possibly. I recall reading a RangeRover workshop manual where it was suggested to split the old oil seal ring on the stub axle with a chisel to remove it !! I have never seen such a stub axle on a RangeRover and wonder how many were ruined by following those incorrect instructions. New replacement cost of a stub back then was AUS $500 each! ouch!