Hole in Bellhousing

[agray1976]

I am in the market for a Landrover and I looked at a Series IIA today. It fired right up after sitting for three months but wouldn't shift into gear. When the vehicle was running, the gears grinded when trying to put it in any gear. When the vehicle was off, there was no grinding at all. Once I climbed under the vehicle, I noticed a hole in the Transmission Bellhousing (in the pictures stolen from a video on YouTube). Can someone confirm that this is where the clutch slave cylinder goes with some sort of a rubber grommet? There is nothing in the hole and no parts laying underneath the Landrover so I am assuming it has fallen off and all the fluid has leaked out thus resulting in the grinding of gears. Does this make sense?

I know I need to order the Green Bible but I am trying to hold off until I actually find a vehicle to purchase. I'm trying to put this info together from what I can find on the Internet. Thanks for your input.

[lumpydog]

Hey - welcome aboard.

Yes, there should be hardware running into the bell housing hole you describe. A shaft/link from the slave cylinder to the throwout mechanism, which disengages the clutch so you can put the truck into gear.

How is the seller representing the truck? 'Undergoing restoration"? 'Fully working"? 'As is"? More details on the truck and seller would help.

Your best bet is to bring someone with you that knows these trucks. Where are you located?

[agray1976]

Thanks LumpyDog. That is helpful info. The vehicle is located in Dallas, Tx. The seller is a friend of mine. He's a great guy but I think also one of the people that loves the idea of owning a 50 year old Land Rover yet he is not very mechanically inclined. I own an old Willys myself and there is constant work and fiddling not to mention that they ride like a glorified tractor. They certainly are not for everyone.

So my next question is how hard is this to replace? I'm assuming the slave cylinder is actually there but from what I could tell there is no linkage or connector rod or anything. I am assuming parts 7-12 are missing on this diagram from a Rovers North catalog. Hopefully they are not inside the bellhousing. I'll have to go look at it again. He says that he parked it several months ago and it worked great when he parked it. This doesn't seem like something that could fall out while sitting but I trust him.

So two questions: 1. Is there a way to disassemble this to see what's going on inside without removing the bellhousing? 2. Is it possible to re-assemble everything without removing the bellhousing? Pretty sure my wife might kill me if I bring a Land Rover home on a trailer and then have to remove the transmission.

[mearstrae]

If this is your first adventure into the world of Land Rover, you'd be best advised to get the Green Bible now and look through it. This way you have some idea what you're looking at, and the common terms used with these vehicles.

'99 Disco II
'95 R.R.C. Lwb (Gone...)
'76 Series III Hybrid 109
'70 Rover 3500S

[lumpydog]

So two questions: 1. Is there a way to disassemble this to see what's going on inside without removing the bellhousing? 2. Is it possible to re-assemble everything without removing the bellhousing? Pretty sure my wife might kill me if I bring a Land Rover home on a trailer and then have to remove the transmission.

The answer to both questions is "yes".

The most important question are - where are the missing parts? You can source those parts - some may take a little searching in the right places. Also, why was it taken apart? There may be an underlying issue. You found the diagram for the parts. There is also a bracket that mounts the slave and linkage to the bell housing. The throw out mechanism barely extends out of the bell housing and is connected to the slave linkage via a tube/clevis pin. Easy to connect without cracking open the bellhousing.

This stuff does not just fall off though and I doubt it fell off. You can get at it from under the truck but most will pull the floorboards and tunnel cover to access it more easily.

You have a Willys? Then you know what you're getting into. Buy this Rover and rescue it. They're great trucks and parts are readily available if you know where to look.

[agray1976]

I agree that it's unlikely it just fell of. At the same time he's a friend and trustworthy. Thanks for your help. Will be ordering the green bible and a parts book. I hear they are invaluable. Any other suggestions?

And yes I own a 1963 Willys CJ3b. It's a ton of fun to play with and drive.

[lumpydog]

It's possible that your friend drove the truck without the parts and didn't know it. Just ground the gears. I rode with one guy who could shift based on RPM..

These trucks have usually seen many hands at this point. You will learn to curse the PO (prior owner) work/hacks.

Sent you a PM with a few more suggestions