Source for 200tdi

[bfrieck]

Thank you Yorker, your advice is sound and valuable. I've been exploring this on other forums and I have to say that this one is the most civil and at least the second best source of information if not the first. I really appreciate your patience (and that of everyone else that has contributed to the thread so far) in indulging the questions of this newbie. I'm not trying to stop the thread as there may well be others out there with valuable advice. I just wanted to pause to say how much I appreciate everyone's help.

I found a source, maybe it was Advanced Adapters, the sells an adapter that makes the world think the back of the 4bd1t and variants is a Chevy small block which is pretty handy since there are probably more adapters to hook trannies to that engine than any other. Which brings me to one more question:

If I run across (or decide to go with) an automatic transmission what are the attributes of a good candidate (length, obviously) and what model trannies would be good. That begs the question: what about the auto tranny that could easily come with the 4bd1t motor as most of the NPR/Chevy/GMC trucks were autos?

And one more: What is the rpm sweet spot for the 4bd1t? I'd like to get as close to that as possible at about 70-75 mph highway cruising speed.

[yorker]

I don't think you'll find an automatic transmission short enough. With an 88 you really do not have much room to play with. If you use a NP435 4 speed and an adapter like the one Ike Goss of Pangolin 4x4 sells your drivetrain will be almost as short as the stock Land Rover drivetrain. If you do go with an older US truck 4 speed they are very strong but often have a wide ratio- the first gear is ~6:1 and that makes it less useful. Look for a close ratio NP435- then you can use all the gears.

You might be able to use the Isuzu 5 speed too- but I don't know anything about them.

One way or the other this will be a lengthy and expensive project. When you are done you'd have a setup second to none, bullet proof, easy to service, good mpg etc. If you are planning to rebuild your Land Rover from the ground up on a new galvanized chassis anyway then it makes sense to do IMHO. Also if you want to make a coil sprung series truck don't forget that Designa Chassis in the UK makes a chassis that lets you do that.

[bfrieck]

Indeed I am planning to build my Series IIA from the ground up. In fact, it's already completely apart so I'm most of the way there lol! I looked at the Designa Series 88 coiler chassis but it appears that I would have the problem of having to use Disco or RR running gear - not a huge deal but does pose the problem of a slightly overwide track which has to be disquised with flares, offset wheels, etc. - that may be the way to go if it turns out that the Series axle and diffy's are not up to the task. Would save a lot of work to make that decision now, obviously. Coil springs are attractive because of the improved ride, but I've heard that proper tweaking of the leaf springs, including the installation of parabolics, is an underrated way to improve the ride considerably. I'd welcome comments on that.

Because of the cost (with added shipping) of the Designa coiler 88 chassis vs the abundance and very cheap if not almost free availability of Disco I chassis/running gear which can be shortened to accommodate the 88 body, I'm not sure it wouldn't be better (for me) to shorten and otherwise adapt a Disco chassis as a means of obtaining coils. FWIW, I have experience with hot dipping and a plant nearby so I could shorten and otherwise weld up a good Disco chassis (rust free ones are abundant here in Texas) and then hot dip it.

There is at least one documented build of a four link coil over suspension on a Series which would allow for the use of the stock Series diffy/axle housings, hubs, etc. - I'm pretty confident of my fab skills but that's so daunting as to be somewhere I'd probably not want to go.

Comments?

[yorker]

Coiler axles are easy to find, cheap, and have the advantage of disc brakes and coil springs. Other than that they aren't any stringer really. There are pics on East Coast Rover's site that show them vs standard series axles under series trucks, I don't think you'd need fender flares really. IMHO fender flares look terrible on a series truck- they ruin the classic smoothsided looks.

You could build a 100" using a Disco or RRC chassis and Series parts. That would give you some more drivetrain length to play with and you might be able to use an automatic transmission with that 100" wheelbase length. I'd suggest you watch "A 4X4 is Born" on youtube though to see what is involved first.
http://www.a-4x4-is-born.com/
that is just 1 part, the rest are on youtube.


FWIW Strictly speaking from a strength standpoint there is no point in keeping any Rover axles.

[bfrieck]

I've watched that video; it's entertaining and informative if a bit tedious with all the short segments and the lead in to each one. The 100" truck is thought by many to be best length. Unfortunately, I have an 88 and it's a lot harder to stretch an 88 than it is to shorten a 109. Given a choice, I would prefer a manual tranny - I was thinking I could live with an auto if it was substantially easier to do - particularly if the Isuzu auto was usable as so many more of the NPR trucks came with autos and I could get a motor/trans from the same donor.

All that said, I have a question about the weak axle situation. When one refers to axles, does that mean the actual axle shafts or does it mean the entire wheel-to-wheel set up including differential, axles, etc.? If it means only the actual axles, what about them is at fault? Are they metallurgically weak, not fat enough, not enough splines, or what? If it means the entire wheel to wheel unit, what breaks first? Does the differential fail or does something else go?

It'll probably annoy some folks, but I absolutely agree that wheel flares or, for that matter, tires that stick out beyond the body, take much away from the overall look of the Series. I feel somewhat that way about lifts as well - hell, with 16" wheels and stock springs the floorboard of my Series III ex MoD 109 FFR is already nearly 2' off the ground!

[yorker]

It isn't any harder to lengthen an 88- all you need to do is find a 110 or 109 3 door's bed- There have been a few for sale recently and they usually go cheap because (it seems) 90% of people with 3 doors would prefer a 5 door so they convert.I can't count how many 3door s I've seen converted to 5s over the years. I can only think of one guy who went the other way.

[yorker]

All that said, I have a question about the weak axle situation. When one refers to axles, does that mean the actual axle shafts or does it mean the entire wheel-to-wheel set up including differential, axles, etc.? If it means only the actual axles, what about them is at fault? Are they metallurgically weak, not fat enough, not enough splines, or what? If it means the entire wheel to wheel unit, what breaks first? Does the differential fail or does something else go?!

The differentials are weak, only 2 pin and they flex then the ring gear strips teeth etc. The axle shafts are tiny. In diameter they are somewhere between Suzuki Samurai and Dana 30 in size. The cases themselves are ok but by the time you correct the other issues you'll have a LOT of $ in axles that still have an inferiority complex.

[Edit] Salisbury axles are decent but still have small shafts.

[bfrieck]

Swapping my 88 bed for a longer one is a good idea. I hadn't thought of that. I'll have to figure out how to come up with a longer hardtop but maybe a longer bed will come with one? When you say a "110 or 109 3 door's bed" I assume you mean a Series 109 - but what is a 110 - would that be Defender or was there a 110 Series? If you're talking about a Defender, I guess I never realized the beds were the same.

As for the Series axles, sounds like I'm back to the Disco/RRC chassis with Series body - I know where I can get a 1995 Disco rolling chassis for free - scrapped for a bad engine, not a wreck - now I'm back to shortening the Disco chassis to make a 100" hybrid (or maybe shorter - whatever it takes to make the prop shaft long enough once I know how much room the new motor/tranny leaves me).

I've done some more research and I'd like your opinion on the zf 5 speed or 6 speed - seems they were put in many different vehicles and are presumably plentiful (read, cheap). Problem is that there are a lot of variations, e.g., with 4wd, w/o 4wd, for Ford trucks, for BMW's, for Jaguars, etc., etc., so I'll have to figure out which will match up to the Series transfer case (or should I use the Disco transfer case? - the downside with the Disco is full-time 4wd, if that's a downside).

Keep the answers and comments coming, yorker; if your patience holds out, you'll eventually figure this out for me.

[bfrieck]

This afternoon I took a look at the '95 Disco at the salvage yard - looks like everything is there - V8 motor's bad, body is straight and both will be retained by the yard, I'll get everything else including chassis, all suspension components, transmission, transfer case, power steering pump and box, entire brake system, all of both axles complete from the tire/wheel on one side to the tire/wheel on the other side, etc. The yard "mechanics" will remove the body with me in attendance. I can think of at least the following questions:

Do I want the entire steering system from steering wheel and column down?

Do I want the emergency brake system?

What should I watch out for/prevent during the body removal process?

Is the firewall/bulkhead separately attached to the chassis or is it part of the body?

All advice is solicited and will be greatly appreciated.

[yorker]

Are they going to charge you a lot more for the transfer case and hand brake assembly? I think I'd get the t case too if I could, it offers you more options down the road or you could always sell it off if you don't need it.

Full time 4wd isn't a problem for you if you are using coiler axles. Indeed it is an advantage IMHO as it spreads the stresses out more evenly between the two axles, it is probably why Land Rover got away with mediocre axle for so long.

If you are building a 100" hybrid you don't need to shorten the chassis, you probably knew that but misspoke.

ZF5 or 6 speed? I'm not sure which ones you are talking about. The ones in Ford trucks were ok but I've never heard of anyone using them for a swap. It wouldn't be my first choice- it would kind of be like selecting the Mazda M5OD used in Ford Trucks, it was ok, and common but no one uses them for swaps either.