has anybody ever put the engine gearbox and transfer box from a diahatsu into a IIa LWB?
ive got a landy that needs a new engine and am unsure what to do.
i havent done any measuring yet so not sure if it will fit at all, buit thought i would see if anyone has done it or seen it done.
i also have the option of a 2.3 or 2.8 cologne (petrol v6) as i have the conversion kit and one of each engine sittng in the yard. but i fancied a 5 speed series........
what do people think?
Know of a number of Dihatsu powered Series, and one with full Dihatsu transmission....
How difficult it is I guess is down to how difficult you want to make it and how well you want to do it, shouldn't take a rocket scientist to tell you ripping out the 'guts' of the car and replacing them with the guts of another aint exactly a job on the same scale as changing the spark plugs!
As for the idea... I'd not do it. dihatsu motors are notoriouse for being protected like a niponese state secret as far as technical info, there are NO workshop manuals, for them, Haynes or otherwise, and getting parts for them once out of donor is a right pain in the backside as dealers will only sell you parts if you provide registration number or chassis number of Dihatsu donor.
The Diesil lumps are also notoriousely low reving, and wont make a series any faster on series gearing, at least. 2.5D is incredibly, less powerful than LR2.5D, so it seems an awful lot of effort and expense to do a conversion to get an engine as thirsty and gutless as one you could pick up for next to nix and drops straight in.
2.8D, is a torque monster. sub terranian rev cieling, but enough grunt to chug up the North face of the eiger. They kill Series transmissions like big Perkies do, and dont make the things any faster. And not a lot more ecconomical.
So, really, I'd leave the Dihatsu motor and transmission in the Dihatsu, and fix/drive that for the work involved.
Ford V's. forget the 2.3, they were gutless & Thirsty in the Granada, so even more so in a Landy.
2.8's a tough old mill, and plenty have been shoved into Series with good effect. Conversions not as popular as it used to be these days with more V8's being available from broken disco's & Rangies, and fewer and fewer Grandads left lying about.
Goes in easier than a V8 as bulkhead doesn't need modding and clears axle better; but motor doesn't like running at extreme inclinations for very long, and I think it sits a bit nose high, which exacerbates it.
Trailers using them I think have done some silly things by way of baffling the sump and modding the rocker covers to stop them nipping when abused at angles; other wise I'd say its the better choice.
