Ashcroft 5 speed conversion

texpis · May 7, 2015

Well I bit the bullet and ordered a Ashcroft plate that connects a LT77 to a series transfer box all looks quality stuff.I found a lt77 gearbox with good output splines and allegedly all gears good. If anyone is interested I'll put pics up as I go.

trax · May 7, 2015

sounds good, go for it

Castor · May 7, 2015

texpis said:
Well I bit the bullet and ordered a Ashcroft plate that connects a LT77 to a series transfer box all looks quality stuff.I found a lt77 gearbox with good output splines and allegedly all gears good. If anyone is interested I'll put pics up as I go.

Indeedy - genuinely interested. Please - pics aplenty!
Are you planning to move the engine forward?

honolulujoe · May 7, 2015

I would definitely be interested, have been thinking about getting one of their high ratio transfer kits but this sounds like a better idea

5 speed and full synchro in the s1

texpis · May 7, 2015

Hi I am moving the engine forward, I bought the car with a 2.8 v6 and was quite impressed with how it drives but it was a bit smokey. So I have bought a 2.9 fuel injected V6 the beauty of this engine is there is plenty of room to move it forward. I've always been a petrol head so diesel was out for me. Pic of trial fitting the transfer box

texpis · May 7, 2015

iPhone will only let me post one pic at a time

mistericeman · May 7, 2015

I much prefer the full fat lt77/series combo....
Full time 4x4 makes it very sure footed in the slippy.

texpis · May 7, 2015

Ha yes each to there own I quite like the rear wheel drive and the red and yellow levers.

Mick

Murtle · May 8, 2015

I'm also interested in this having recently bought a recon R380 with the same idea in mind. Plenty of pics please

dominicbeesley · May 8, 2015

What engines were/are they? I'm a petrol fan too - I was considering trying to squeeze my MX-6's v6 in somehow but I ran out of room and time and had to scrap it...

texpis · May 8, 2015

My engine is the cologne from a Granada Scorpio 150 hp and hopefully decent fuel consumption well at least 20. I never managed to get much above 12 with any of the rover V8. Don't get me wrong I do like the V8 and have a few but for this project it would be too long. I wanted to keep the series looking like a series inside and out as long as you don't lift the bonnet.

ronsealdeath · May 10, 2015

texpis said:
My engine is the cologne from a Granada Scorpio 150 hp and hopefully decent fuel consumption well at least 20. I never managed to get much above 12 with any of the rover V8. Don't get me wrong I do like the V8 and have a few but for this project it would be too long. I wanted to keep the series looking like a series inside and out as long as you don't lift the bonnet.

My old man had a 2.9 scorpio, sounded good with air filter off when you booted it! Reliable too. I agree, a series t.box is nicer than an lt230 in a series. But why use an lt77 and not an r380? Much better box and you could habr got a stubby fender obe and crammed an rv8 in

Murtle · May 11, 2015

ronsealdeath said:
My old man had a 2.9 scorpio, sounded good with air filter off when you booted it! Reliable too. I agree, a series t.box is nicer than an lt230 in a series. But why use an lt77 and not an r380? Much better box and you could habr got a stubby fender obe and crammed an rv8 in

I looked into this, and even have the R380 gearbox sat on my garage floor next to a series box, the trouble is the complete thing is still ~100mm longer than a series box. By complete thing I refer to the following in that order:

Adaptor Plate
R380 stubby bell housing
R380
Ashcrofts adaptor plate
Series Transfer box

Remember there never was an R380 stubby bell housing for the V8 only the diesel so you still need the Philips Milner or similar adaptor plate, and a NA 2.5 Diesel clutch.

In effect the R380 (and LT77 for that matter) is like a series box with the overdrive, however on an R380 the overdrive is positioned between the gerbox and the transfer box, not after the transfer box as per the series set-up. This is where the troublesome 100mm comes from.

So you either have to move the engine forwards 100mm or cut 100mm out of the rear prop and add that 100mm to the front. On an 88" Landy, cutting 100mm out of the rear prop is not a great plan when you start looking at yoke angles. Moving a 4 cylinder or V8 (similar length) forward 100mm crashes with the radiator and no amount of moving things around clears this and the bonnet latch position.

There is a half way compromise that looks like it could work but it's a right ball ache. This is to cut 50mm out or the rear prop, add that to the front and move the engine forward 50mm. This set-up according to my tape measure looks like it could work, bit its dam tight and lots of work.

For me for the moment, the R380 can sit on my garage floor until I can think of a better way to get this set-up to work.

honolulujoe · May 11, 2015

could you move the front panel and rad forward then fit a fender bonnet?

Murtle · May 12, 2015

I'm busy converting mine from having a Defender front back to looking like a propper series 3.

honolulujoe · May 12, 2015

yes it would look less like a series, I just wondered if it was an option or just a silly idea

texpis · May 12, 2015

You would have to move the front crossmember as well because the bottom pulls would hit it.

honolulujoe · May 12, 2015

ah, probably not worth it then

Murtle · May 12, 2015

texpis said:
You would have to move the front crossmember as well because the bottom pulls would hit it.

I forgot to add that to my list, I don't think it would actually touch but it's too close for comfort.

texpis · May 12, 2015

Right a bit of an update

The kit goes together quite well the instructions aren't brilliant but useable. first is setting up the preload, for this the plate is mounted on the on the transfer box and the cross-drilled output gear is fitted. to adjust the preload the bearing out you have just installed needs to be removed to fit shims not an easy task without damage, luckily mine seems okay without shims.
Then its just a case of fixing the plate to the gearbox and resembling the transfer box.
The transfer mounting brackets, the right hand side needs a piece of angle welded to it for the transfer-box gear lever, there is a drawing for this. The left hand side nothing is mentioned in the instructions but it doesn't fit. I needs a fair chunk chopped off.
I have trial fitted the gearbox with the transfer box in its original position everything looks good the pic shows the gearbox in first gear the juries out on whether the original tunnel can be used.
Ronsealdeath The only reason I used a LT77 is I found a good defender one at the right price I believe defender R380 are hard to come by and I still dont think a V8 will fit.

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