Engine Swap, but what?

Hello, I have a 76 SIII 109 with factory 2.25 Petrol. Slow, noisey and uneconimical.... I have 2 choices a LR SIII Diesel and keep the original Gear Box (Which is half the problem), or a Mitsubishi 4dr5 with 5 speed box that was in a SIII LR.


Id like to keep it original but it's just not going to cut the mustard on the road...

Does anyone know how to improve the LR diesel and Gear Box for better road use or is the mitsi alright???

SIII Diesel, even slower, even noisier, not quite so uneconomical, but no one could call it economical.

ive got V8 and lpg kit for sale.thats cheap and is currently on a 4 speed manwell

Beast o Bodmin said:

ive got V8 and lpg kit for sale.thats cheap and is currently on a 4 speed manwell

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psssst .......... he's in new zealand

Yes if I was in the U.K I'd go for your V8 LPG in a flash, or if someone invents teleportation!!!
So it looks like the Mitsi engine is the way to go....

Lester, where abouts in NZ are you?, if yer in the north island i reccomend Landy heaven, in Napier, i go there for all my bits for series, ect...give him a call 0274 499 487 or (06) 845 2658, ask for alistair, mabey back from the v8s in Hamilton!

Hey, foundout that the Mitsi dosent come with a gearbox but have in the mean time found a very local Nissan ED33 complete with box in a '83 110. Looks all in order.
What do you guys think? should go straight into my 76 109 without having to chop anything?

I'll give that firm a call cheers.

i know that nissans LD28 fits right onto the series gearbox with no mods, smokey, noisy and bastids to start,mine used to have one but it popped a valve, probably from the high revs!. ive seen a couple of holden adapter plates on trade me, think its for the 602 engines?

a quick squizz on trade me turned this up;
Land Rover Series IIA 1972 for sale - TradeMe.co.nz - New Zealand

Beast o Bodmin said:

ive got V8 and lpg kit for sale.thats cheap and is currently on a 4 speed manwell

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hey bob can u pm some more details

Yeah Ive thought about the LD28 option but as you also mentioned they can be real mongrels... If I can find out a few more details about this Nissan ED33 them Im probably going for it. Although Im going to be transplanting the heart of my Landy I'm not too keen to change the look of it by pushing out the front grille. Ive seen a S III on youtube that had a ED33 in it and it didnt require and body mods that I could see.

Okay I have decided that rather than mess around with my original Landy and mess up a classic!! I have bought a Series III V8 with the Nissan 3.3 in it...
Thing is like a steam train on steroids, just has on funny little thing and that it will only receive drive with the diff lock in... hmmmm?

Assuming you've got Defender boxes in there (hence the Difflock), it sounds like you've got a broken halfshaft or knackered diff.

Should be RR 4 speed, but the same applies

Yeah its a RR 4 Speed, I have a spare Series III 109 but I guess none of those parts are going to be interchangeable?

Have you gone out and got your self an ex nz army landy?, sounds like someone has pulled out the front half shafts to reduce fuel consumption - when it was a v8?

Used to be a V8 up until 1997, I havent had time to get underneath to have a look. It wont drive any of the wheels rear or front until the Diff Lock it engaged.
I have the history of the vehicle and it's never been owned by the Army.

i thought about this again, is there free-wheeling hubs fitted?, if so are the set to 4x4?