Series 3 Rebuild Series 3 Suffix B gearbox as Suffix D

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Kiwi Landie

Kiwi Landie

Active Member
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I have a very tired Series 3 Suffix B gearbox. I sourced it out of a paddock, emptied the water out, cleaned it up and rebuilt it, it works after a fashion, but it really needs a good going over and a lot of new parts.

Can anyone tell me, if I am replacing basically all of the innards, can I rebuild it as a Suffix D?

Or are the cases fundamentally different?

If anyone has done this, a bit of advice would be very helpful. I've found bits and pieces on the web which allude to this being possible, but no definitive statement.

Cheers
Andrew
 
Think so, the suffix A had a different reverse gear, and you've to change all gears to match, if you can get them.

Get the parts manual out and start writing down the parts you need.
 
Wildefalcon said:
Think so, the suffix A had a different reverse gear, and you've to change all gears to match, if you can get them.

Get the parts manual out and start writing down the parts you need.
Click to expand...
I rebuilt mine to suffix D when I did mine, you will probably find most of the parts that need to be replaced to update the box are probably worn already. There are only a couple of parts that you cannot buy genuine.
You may be able to glean some of the parts needed and errors that can be made doing this very thing from here https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/series-3-109-six-pot-rebuild-thread.367834/page-10
 
Last edited:
Thanks guys. I see from having a brief look on the web that specific Suffix D parts do appear to be in better supply than some of the Suffix B stuff, so it strikes me as the logical way to go, as I'll be doing the lot.
 
The main difference I recon is with the reverse idler and it's shaft, roller bearing not bush. Reversing a series with a bush idler a long way can result in the bush seizing on the shaft! Ask me how I know this.
 
Many of the actual gears are different as well as other internal parts, however if you are doing the lot it makes sense to update.
 
Yep - I'm scouting around trying to find people who have them in stock. The units from TAS in Italy do look to be nicely machined parts, for sure.

Thanks for your help on this.
 
OK - Got the parts rolling in now. The Italian TAS stuff definitely has an air of quality about it, so that's encouraging.

One question - In the parts manual, the reverse selector shaft changes from PN 576729 to PN FRC2053 at September 1979. My suffix D rebuild will be (effectively) 1981 onwards (i.e. after this change point). Does anyone know the actual difference between a 576729 and a FRC2053? I haven't ordered this part and as it is about 150 quid I am reluctant to do so if it is not vital. What did you do Biker B - or did you already have this in your original box?

Cheers
 
Kiwi Landie said:
OK - Got the parts rolling in now. The Italian TAS stuff definitely has an air of quality about it, so that's encouraging.

One question - In the parts manual, the reverse selector shaft changes from PN 576729 to PN FRC2053 at September 1979. My suffix D rebuild will be (effectively) 1981 onwards (i.e. after this change point). Does anyone know the actual difference between a 576729 and a FRC2053? I haven't ordered this part and as it is about 150 quid I am reluctant to do so if it is not vital. What did you do Biker B - or did you already have this in your original box?

Cheers
Click to expand...
I bought my parts all genuine apart from a couple of the italian parts that seemed to made of unobtanium.
I think the reverse shaft came from Malta, there is a place that sells all sort of odd genuine parts that a few bits came from, however they seem to come and go so its just your luck.
I did take about 3-4 month months just tracking all the bits down. Blanchards supplied the majority of them but there were a few outliers.
 
Guess I'll be ordering the reverse selector shaft then!!

I've ordered from about six different suppliers, including the Italians. Blanchard is not on that list but will be after today, as I see that they have genuine selector shafts actually in stock. I found a lot of outfits advertising that they have this and that but when you actually phone and ask, it turns out that they haven't. I'll post a complete list for the benefit of others once everything has arrived and I've successfully assembled it all.

Thanks for that.
 
If Blanchards have a genuine reverse selector then you can bet I bought it from them, they are my go to for bits and I only look at other suppliers if they don't have the parts I am looking for. I did buy one or two bits for the project from Malta but maybe this was not one of them :p
 
BikerB said:
If Blanchards have a genuine reverse selector then you can bet I bought it from them, they are my go to for bits and I only look at other suppliers if they don't have the parts I am looking for. I did buy one or two bits for the project from Malta but maybe this was not one of them :p
Click to expand...
OK - I have all the parts and have now rebuilt the box.

The difference between the older reverse selector shaft and the new one (PN 576729 to PN FRC2053) is the way the little flappy paddle that makes reverse more 'springy' than the other gears, attaches.

On the older one, the securing bolts are arranged one above the other, and the holes in the selector shaft that take them open out into the channel that the end of the gearlever slides in. On the later selector, the holes are offset sideways and the selector shaft has been make quite a bit stronger, with thicker walls around the sliding channel.

Problem is, I didn't realise this until I had the box back together, and the little flappy thing with the springs is slightly different on the new model..... A new one is available from the usual suppliers, but it is 65 quid plus probably about the same again in postage to New Zealand so I figured I'll modify mine.
 
Here you go. I managed to weld up the flappy hinge thing so there was enough meat to drill two new mounting holes next to each other, rather than top and bottom, like the original. I welded the original mounting holes closed. Bit of black zinc paint and she's a good 'un.

Have now got to get the gearbox back in the car.....
IMG_1326.jpg
 
Does not look right to me, sitting at an angle to hinge point and the flap its self is sitting too flat and will make engagement difficult. It should sit up at about 25 degrees.
 
It seems to work OK (on the bench!) - the angle of the flap can be adjusted with the little set screw that bears on the top of the selector, but as it is, it does stop the lever heading into the reverse gate until there is a definite extra push applied. Then the flap pops up just as it should. I think the photo angle doesn't help.

With the box out, I've also taken the opportunity to change the rear crank oil seal. Is there any wisdom on what I should be using on the big O ring inside the clutch housing? I've just put a bit of silicon grease on it to slide it home, but I'm thinking maybe something with a bit more guts to it might be worthwhile while I still have access.

Cheers
 
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