To V8 convert, or not?????

ronsealdeath said:

Dr. are you linking your r380 to a series transfer case? I have read the trans box on a series can take loads of abuse and US folks mate small block chevy motors to it.
My footwells need repair so i was going to cut and replace at same time. It does mean altering the bulkhead permanently though which means no going back !

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If you decide to do it my advice would be keep the series gearbox and transfer box,put some 3.54 diffs in it and have some spare halfshafts for when they snap.
I've put stronger axles on mine and all that happens now is the gearbox breaks instead of the half shafts,i fitted a s3 box which is stronger than the 2a one and now its destroyed the transfer box! Still loving the V8 though and wouldn't ever consider changing it

I've driven a 109 v8 and absolutely loved it it just seemed right
But yeah series components arnt designed for that much power my mates 200 Tgi keeps breaking gearboxes. Clutches and all sorts

I just got fed up of changing halfshafts,it got so bad i carried spare ones with me and changed them at the side of the road with the aid of a special tool i made to get the broken bit out of the diff. Should have left it like that cos the shafts are a lot easier to swap than a gearbox!

Just joining in and I'm sure there is a good reason but why can't you upgrade the tf diff and hald shafts from a defender/disco v8 being as the second one is cheaper to get a donor vehicle. I must be missing something but what?

because they'd still be 10 spline and if you upgraded to 24 spline then it'd be the same and still tougher than the gearbox so same problem

Dr_evil said:

because they'd still be 10 spline and if you upgraded to 24 spline then it'd be the same and still tougher than the gearbox so same problem

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Use the disco box

then you end up with the same problems I had……..it becomes a labouring task rather than a nice project

SnowmanV8 said:

Use the disco box

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have you seen the length of a disco box compared to the Series box, in an 88" i reckon you could almost trim the propshaft down to the two flanges :rofl:

folks do use the LT77 and transfer from an old 90/110 due to the shorter bellhousing but that will still shorten the rear prop'

Ashcrofts have information on thier site regarding the use of an LT77 and Series transfer box behind the 200tdi but then they also suggest moving the engine about 4" forwards to accomodate the extra length of the LT77, i think they also talk about using the 90/110 transfer box

been a while since i looked

i think Dr Evil is possibly fitting a disco box in his Series but the last time i looked at that thread it seems to have stalled and rambled on full of rubbish that (to me) kills the interest in attempting to follow it any further (it was looking interesting prior to the rubbish)

NiteMare said:

have you seen the length of a disco box compared to the Series box, in an 88" i reckon you could almost trim the propshaft down to the two flanges :rofl:

folks do use the LT77 and transfer from an old 90/110 due to the shorter bellhousing but that will still shorten the rear prop'

Ashcrofts have information on thier site regarding the use of an LT77 and Series transfer box behind the 200tdi but then they also suggest moving the engine about 4" forwards to accomodate the extra length of the LT77, i think they also talk about using the 90/110 transfer box

been a while since i looked

i think Dr Evil is possibly fitting a disco box in his Series but the last time i looked at that thread it seems to have stalled and rambled on full of rubbish that (to me) kills the interest in attempting to follow it any further (it was looking interesting prior to the rubbish)

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Don't worry, that threads due a clean up from ratty when I get round to posting an update

I get him to remove all the fcukwit americans comments and anything related to them when I put an update on

NiteMare said:

have you seen the length of a disco box compared to the Series box, in an 88" i reckon you could almost trim the propshaft down to the two flanges :rofl:

folks do use the LT77 and transfer from an old 90/110 due to the shorter bellhousing but that will still shorten the rear prop'

Ashcrofts have information on thier site regarding the use of an LT77 and Series transfer box behind the 200tdi but then they also suggest moving the engine about 4" forwards to accomodate the extra length of the LT77, i think they also talk about using the 90/110 transfer box

been a while since i looked

i think Dr Evil is possibly fitting a disco box in his Series but the last time i looked at that thread it seems to have stalled and rambled on full of rubbish that (to me) kills the interest in attempting to follow it any further (it was looking interesting prior to the rubbish)

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Thats what I'm missing!

Have the best of both worlds and buy a Stage 1 V8 109 . The V8 in a 88 is a very specialised vehicle , built one 30years ago . on a new self galved chassis with suitable braking system and o/d hyd pto etc etc . It was not a done on cheap vehicle, and i had a fair bit of spare time to put it all together . They are not a good ride esp at speed , and are very twitchy , also you need asbestos feet on the passenger side particularly , nice in the winter tho . A RRC would be a more civilised way of getting a nice V8 classic JMHO

My avatar shows the fitting of a V8 to my old 109.

It is very satisfying once its done and working. My 109 had the advantage of being originally a 6cyl so the engine was further back in the chassis, the disadvantage was more bulkhead needed removing.

I would recommend that you stay with a Series box, preferably a S11 as they have a stronger layshaft.

One thing to NOT forget about is your brakes. I would suggest putting LWB axles on for the 11" brakes, if you find a 6 cyl donor, even better as you get the 3" wide front brakes, the same as the Stage 1 V8.

More importantly try and get a Salisbury rear axle from a lwb as I never had any problems with halfshafts on the rear (The fronts were twisted by two splines by the preceding Perkins Diesel!).

The downside of the Salisbury is the diff nose is longer so you will need a shortened rear propshaft, and due to the nature of the axle the diffs are basically impossible to remove so you will be stuck with 4.77 diffs.

With an overdrive though you can easilly see 90mph.

The main vulnerability of a V8 is its oil filter on the front of the engine, I strongley recommend that you get a remote oil filter that simply mounts on the inner wing.

Cooling fan, especially in a 2.25 engine bay, if you are to keep the radiator in the original position then you will have to remove the thermostatic cooling fan and chop the spidle off the waterpump pully and fit an electric fan in front of the radiator.

Again in the 2.25 less off the footwells need chopping out, you will probably get away with having to remove a small amount of the passenger footwell to get the manifold in.

Manifolds, You should source at least the n/s manifold from a classic Range Rover as this cranks the downpipebetween the block and the n/s chassis rail. Getting the twin pipes round the cross member will be a pig, mine had the o/s downpipe running down, then round the front of the sump to meet in a V with the n/s down pipe. then under the chassis round the cross member to a Volvo 740 rear back box and out of a 2.5" pipe. Lovely burbble.

Not sure abbout the engine mounts, I think there are adaptors for the 4cyl conversion that allow you to use the standard chassis points, I had to cut the bespoke ones out of the donor motor (I got a stuffed V8 but all the conversion bits from a previously converted 109)

Take the opportunity to change your gearbox mounts when you pull the engine out too.

Hope this helps, it was 18 years ago that I did it.

Does your speedo go up to 90mph? certainly in the S11s the 4cyl speedo went to 70 and the 6cyl 90.

serie 2 hasnt got a stronger layshaft series 3 is far stronger

Sorry James, wrong, the S11 is stronger.

The nose of the shaft that goes into the bellhosing bearing is of a smaller diameter in the S111 than on the S11, bearings larger / internal shaft smaller.

Every time I swapped gearboxes in the 109 I had to replace the bellhousing with the 6cyl housing.

This meant for S111 boxes, changing the bearing over from the donor 4cyl bell housing.

The layshaft on the 3's has always been more prone to shearing there than on the s2 boxes.

Certainly it has been for the last 40 years

Not that I personally have had one fail there, despite putting first a Perkins 4203 then SD1 V8 through them.

With the Perkins on the first box I changed I had the bearing cage that supports the main shaft in the input shaft disintegrate and the front nut in the input had come undone by 1/4 inch resulting on 2mm of teeth in the gear inside having been worn away.

It only failed 2 days after I slick 50'd the box then it jammed in 3rd gear on the way to work.

That was enough along with O/D to let me drive home 15 miles from Deswurby to Leeds.

However anecdotal evidence from fellow triallers and other club members over the last 20 years has confirmed that the S2 was stronger than the 3.

im not wrong at all ,bearing is smaller on 2s changing to the larger bearing that series 3s used with 2as, shafts did often shear with small bearing on 2s but 2as still has a weaker shaft than series 3 cluster and is more prone to shear ,series 3 cluster isnt prone to shear, teeth may wear bearings fail ,.it is an old wives tale

Well thats the dog walked, and time for recollections coming back gradually through the mists of time.

If I recall correctly the Series 2a was secured in the bearing by a washer, castellated nut and split pin, the S3 was drilled down the axis if the shaft and secured with a washer and set screw.

Certainly the set screw was prone to shearing and allowing the shaft to drift.

Certainly back in the old days when it was mainly leafers trialling the S3 box twas shunned.

Maybe you chaps had different boxes in the south, compared to us in Yorkshire

Did you go to the Lincs Nationals in '95 at Metheringham? That was a good un.

I had a s3 box in my 2a for donkeys years,then when i rebuilt the landy someone said the 2a box was stronger so i fitted one,2 weeks later this happened.....





so the old s3 box went back in and has been fine ever since

the 2a box was always reckoned to be stronger than the three, not least due to extra synchros . Long time since I had to think about it , I used 2a box behind V8 and 4/98 leyland 3.8 Diesel JMHO

it was reckoned but wasnt ,anyone whose built many of both would see

jamesmartin said:

it was reckoned but wasnt ,anyone whose built many of both would see

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not something i have to worry about , with lt85