Battery polarity???

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J

JTlandyboy

Active Member
Posts
128
Location
Isle Of Harris Outer Hebrides
I have a 1974 serie 3 88 with a chassis number ending in A. According to the manual battery should be connected positive earth. However The battery is at prescent connected negative earth when I bought the land Rover. Travelled from Liverpool to the outer hebrides, everything OK. I suspect a possible engine change in this vehicle though have no record. If this were the case could that have changed the polarity to a negative earth system. Whats the best way to identify what engine is in my Land Rover please?
 
ooops ok Im well embarrased now.... thats the cylinder head number right? oooops....
Cant find any other numbers on engine? Maybe im looking in wrong place but manual says left hand side near exhaust manifold?????
 
i think chances are it's been rewired when the alternator was fitted, so it doesn't really make a difference what the engine is.

it got you from Liverpool to yours right, so it works ;)
 
Thanks Im now sure thats the case. Its bought up further mystery to me now as to which series Land Rover it is overall.....???? It has a chassis plate mounted on the bulkhead inside (which has obviously been moved and damaged which suggests its a series 3, but parts of the body, shows signs of both series 3 and 2a parts!!! Is there anywhere else the chassis number is stamped so I could conclusively prove the plate on the bulkhead is original??? Or any other signs that would suggest which vehicle I have? Im sure it has a series 3 bonnet and hinges, but series 3 windscreen hinges?? Im concerned someone fitted a bulkhead from a series 3 (as has green pain under the now blue) and didnt swop the chassis plate round????
 
Are the instruments above the gearbox tunnel or in front of the driver? Series 3 is front of driver.

It is common to have parts interchanged so you can have s3 bulkhead on an s2. The stamped chassis number will tell you but is usually very hard to find.
Easiest way to check chassis is take a front wheel and look at the brake pipe support gussets. Pop aid tire on here or find the various threads that describe it. Other easy one is if the strengthening gusset on the g/box cross member by the clutch slave has a kink or is straight. S3 is kinked.

Is it tax exempt? It is not unknown for s3 to have the chassis plate from an early s2 to get tax exemption. There are piles of threads on that!
 
Just read your first post. Forget all that crap above. What s2 parts do you think it has?

Could just be someone got a s/hand bulkhead and repainted it and moved the vin plate. There is a stamped chassis number but it's under an inch of underseal or may have been repaired away.
 
Heres couple of pictures, although probly doesnt help much? I was told the bonnet and Hinges are S2A The sills on the side at nearly 3 inches so not sure about that?? The front wings have the original bolt in them for front wing mirrors? Im affraid Im a novice so if im wrong excuse me :)

 
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