Series 3 engine converstion, LT77 box...

At some stage I'm thinking of sticking a rover v8 in my series 3, don't want a stage 1 v8 since, well I cant be arsed to go into it but still, and thinking about it, the series 3 box won't really be strong enough if I give it some, especially offroad, so how hard is it to get the LT77 box into a series 3?
I've been told that it's rather difficult since **** all on the LT77 matches up with anything series. Any thoughts or advice on this chaps?

Is this anything to do with our discussion on MSN lastnight?...

Not too much no , just thinking of various ways of doing it, might just use a 2a box and get used to double clutching.

I've been running a V8 thru a standard series box on road, off road and in bluddy deep water without problems.

I think too much fuss is made of all this. If you've got a highly tuned V8 & you're burning off Corsas from the lights, then yeah, it isn't going to last too long. But you int......................er, I do that on occasions, just cuz it's a larf, but not often.

If your Series box is a good 'un (mine's a 'gold seal' factory re-con) you shouldn't have any problems whatever you ask of it. & if you do bust it, git another. They're fairly cheap & if you've gone with the standard box you haven't loads of other mods to take into consideration when fitting the replacement.

Yeah, that's basically my other idea grippa, keep it series since you can get conversion kits that give you all the parts to stick a v8 in a series, forget what company, but just google it anyway. I'm thinking getting a late Rangey "Classic", the EFI one and taking it's engine and diffs (maybe the seats too). Oh yes, and probably a striaght through exhaust with a very anaemic silencer.

Someone fancy giving me an old rangey?

jmattley said:

Yeah, that's basically my other idea grippa, keep it series since you can get conversion kits that give you all the parts to stick a v8 in a series, forget what company, but just google it anyway. I'm thinking getting a late Rangey "Classic", the EFI one and taking it's engine and diffs (maybe the seats too). Oh yes, and probably a striaght through exhaust with a very anaemic silencer.

Someone fancy giving me an old rangey?

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Then your probably forgetting the cost of the insurance on a modified vehicle with a 3500cc engine.. Then you'd have to upgrade your front brakes to MOD 109 11inch standard. And you would hammer it anyway..

S2 Box would be best like I said last night. But if you could have the facilities and time I'd fit an LT77 as it has a 5th gear.

Might aswell use a Duel carbs and not a EFI, EFI = More work.. and more to go wrong?

Wun't rule out a 3.5 wiv carbs. It's jest so bluddy simple to set up. Adding leccy ignition helps to avoid problems thru' water.

Yeah, the diffs are worth having. I've an overdrive as well & it will sit at 70 @ a shade over 2000rpm! I rarely have to rev above about 3500rpm to do anything with it.

If I wuz going to stick any other box in mine with the V8 & go thru all the ag' of the mods involved it'd be an autobox.

matt-unsworth said:

Then your probably forgetting the cost of the insurance on a modified vehicle with a 3500cc engine.. Then you'd have to upgrade your front brakes to MOD 109 11inch standard. And you would hammer it anyway..

S2 Box would be best like I said last night. But if you could have the facilities and time I'd fit an LT77 as it has a 5th gear.

Might aswell use a Duel carbs and not a EFI, EFI = More work.. and more to go wrong?

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Insurance int much more than it was for me old 2.25 doosul III.

I have got 11" drums on the frunt, but well serviced & set up drums are a lot better than most people think. Look after them & they'll look after you.

Main advantage with an EFi is the gains you'll get if you convert to LPG. The gains will be a lot lower thru' carbs.

**** it, I'm biased. Me V8 III goes thru' fekin anything a Deepender can, stops when I ask it to, is a piece of **** to fix, costs me bugger all (er, 'cept in fuel!) & I fekin love it!

If I utterly trashed this motor I'd probably build pretty much exactly the same thing to replace it.

Suppose it all comes down to the simple fact what do you want it for?.

Offroad?.. Then I'd fit a S2 box, You'd rarely need to go fast And would just potter around So a S2 Box is fine, Then again a 2,25p would work just as well.

Road?.. Then fit a LT77 For optimum performance and MPG

Trialling?.. ZF Auto so you need not worry about gears whilst making "rooster tails" in the mud

Although a 200TDI In a series with RRC Diff's, O'D, S2 Box will cruise at 70 easily, Get there in no time and will top out at 80MPH!. and 70mph at 30mpg. For everyday use the 200TDI Would be a better upgrade really?.

For smoking chavs off the line, ZF Auto box or LT77 With RRC diffs.. But I'd then look at transplanting RRC-Disco axles too for the disk brake feature..

Yeah, I'd be tempted by a 2a box, but I'd have to see, like grippa said, I actually wouldnt TRY to kill it, but if I do, boxes aint too dear, my brakes which have a servo do stop oneself quite nicely, but 109 11" drums would probably go on.
And to be honest, the main use of it would be mostly on road with a bit of green laning.

jmattley said:

And to be honest, the main use of it would be mostly on road with a bit of green laning.

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why the feck do you want a V8 then ?

Sean said:

why the feck do you want a V8 then ?

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Yeah, best gerrin a 200TDI or stick wit the 2.25 and leave it as it is..

A Lad I knew has a 3.5 carburetted 88 s3 with LT77 and used it for road only and laning every month or so.. He would get through £100 of petrol easily whilst laning and he is a sensible driver. And would lane for a few hours.. You'd soon get tired.

He is in his late 30s and on good money and its his only car and he struggled to pay for petrol. imagine a 19- 20 something lad with insurance too?.

Your better leaving yours 2.25 petrol or a 200tdi to be honest, You could buy another, v8 it and offroad it?. that way you dont need to tax or insure it and can rag the fook outa it all you want

Yeah, fair point, just have to see what happens really when I actually get round to doing it in a couple of years or so.

keep it as orginal as possible, fit some 7.50s and an OD if you can afford it and it'll be worth much more when you come to sell it over a bodged about V8 thing - unless you have an oil well in yer garden

dispite the above advice i am about to start fitting a 3.9 Efi into my series whilst retaining all of the orginal running gear

matt-unsworth said:

A Lad I knew has a 3.5 carburetted 88 s3 with LT77 and used it for road only and laning every month or so.. He would get through £100 of petrol easily whilst laning and he is a sensible driver. And would lane for a few hours..

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Wha? Do me a lemon! I've driven fron Hants to Kent, done a days laning, driven back & not spent that!

Sean said:

keep it as orginal as possible, fit some 7.50s and an OD if you can afford it and it'll be worth much more when you come to sell it over a bodged about V8 thing - unless you have an oil well in yer garden

dispite the above advice i am about to start fitting a 3.9 Efi into my series whilst retaining all of the orginal running gear

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Haha, hypocrite, if you actually think about it, the V8 idea sounds daft and expensive on fuel etc, but if you think about it in a different way, men like V8s and Landrovers, so they seem like they should go together and besides, wheh I do eventually do it hopefully, it won't be daily drive requiring a small Arab state to maintain its fuel consumption.

Also, what kind of MPG do you get in yours grippa?

jmattley said:

Haha, hypocrite, if you actually think about it, the V8 idea sounds daft and expensive on fuel etc, but if you think about it in a different way, men like V8s and Landrovers, so they seem like they should go together and besides, wheh I do eventually do it hopefully, it won't be daily drive requiring a small Arab state to maintain its fuel consumption.

Also, what kind of MPG do you get in yours grippa?

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Twenny on a long run & abart 14 around town............& you know wot, I dun't give a flying fark. I love the way it sounds, I love the way it pulls, I love working on it cuz it's a piece of **** & now it's not my everyday transport the MPG doesn't bother me at all. I was doing 5/600 miles a week in it for a while & that did hurt!

You fit whatever injun you want for whatever spurious reason you want. It's a Land Rover FFS, make it the LR you want.

Yeah, won't be a daily drive so it'll good . Might aswell pick your brains a bit about it. Whats the engine out of and how did you make it fit in the engine bay? Any chopping of the bulkhead etc? Might as well ask someone who's in the know!

I din't do the conversion! The motor came with it. That said I've spent enough time under, on & almost in it to have a fair idea of what's gone on. There's quite a few online guides to the conversion & there's a few different kits available, the conversion ring, injun mounts etc. It's not too big a job.

Mine's an '88 RR injun in a '80 Series III. You do have to cut some of the bulkhead away, but not that much. From in the cab it dun't look any different. You need to run a remote oil filter, the RR one is too low & vulnerable. The eggzorst int too diffilcult. V8 fannymoulds & downpipes to the x-over into one, bit of flexi pipe to mate with the Series rear end (bigger bore custom stainless job is on me shopping list ).

Leccy fan allows you to keep the Series breakfast in the PROPER place (no turning it into a 'Pretender'. )

Big advantage is V8 motor's are ten a penny & they've often had an easy life. TDi's int that cheap & have often been worked hard. Running it thru the Series box means no buggering about with short or long props & like you said you can pikey the diffs out of the donor vehicle.

Ah right, that's essentially what I had in mind, my series 3s an 88" '82 and like youve got, thinking of using a post '86 rangey with EFI, get a conversion kit, remote filter, and a custom exhaust jobby. So give it 2 years ish and it'll be in haha! Just need a workshop and some pennies now.