Buy the first one you find and do it!!!!! Well maybe shop around a bit but go for it. I have seen the conversion done by Robert and if my motor goes south I will be doing the same thing.
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Buy the first one you find and do it!!!!! Well maybe shop around a bit but go for it. I have seen the conversion done by Robert and if my motor goes south I will be doing the same thing.
I am the wrong person to suggest that I buy the first one and do it - that's what I've done in the past to my chagrin. I'm too optimistic for that. Anyway, I like the OM617 and Robert Davis' kit (and Robert himself) get universally good reviews so that's reassuring if the kit is maybe a bit pricey. The beauty of RD's kit is that it fits in the Series engine bay (a Series III radiator is required but that's all, I believe). Also, the OM617's are simple - no electronics - and reported to be quite long-lived if maintained. I haven't heard anything about how hard/expensive they are to rebuild so that's a possible problem. The OM606's which came later are 6 cylinders and therefore too long. I'm intrigued by the 5 cylinder that comes in a Sprinter and whether it might be a fit - assuming it will fit I'm not sure why it would be better except it's newer - however, it may be computer controlled which, IMHO, is not necessarily an advantage.
Isuzu 4bd1t with a dodge NV4500 5-speed behind it, and advanced adapters plate to mate to the original LR transfer case. This is what I am doing in my '73 109 5-door, along with Disco axles. She will be up at the British Invasion in VT next weekend.
Dave
Definitely go with with the om617. You will see when searching for one that many have well over 300k without a rebuild. They are as bulletproof as they come.
When it comes to rebuilding your donor, mainly you just need to address all of the accessories that run off the surpentine belt (bearings will wear out over time), the injection pump and anything rubber. I wouldn't worry about the internals unless something is majorly wrong.
I am going a similair route. I have a good chassis but bad body rover 88. I have a collected the necessary body panels to put together a 130 cab. I am still trying to decide on the chassis. I would love to talk to some one who has successfully used a RRC or Disco chassis. I am trying to avoid any body lift to make this work.
for the engine i have a VW ALH at home and would love to use that with a Toy tranny