best place to buy rebuilds?

[adkrover]

Now that I have decided to install a rebuilt transmission with standard ratio transfer case, where is the best place to get them? Anyone have especially good luck (or bad) with a particular retailer? I am of course considering RN but there are a lot of others out there.

[Les Parker]

Are you looking at Series IIa or Series III? Be carefull , should you source elsewhere, that the transmission is complete with tranfer box, I know some folks sell them seperatly.

[greenmeanie]

My vote is for rebuild the one you've got. It's not particularly difficult if you've got any wrenching skills and it helps down the line to know exactly what is going on in there when you get 'that funny noise'.

If you are careful with your sourcing of bearings, seals and gears it can be a lot cheaper than buying a rebuilt box. The big thing is to determine which suffix of box/transfer box you have. This is one of those occasions that our host's knowledge and customer service really pay off.

Cheers
Gregor

[TeriAnn]

My vote is for rebuild the one you've got. It's not particularly difficult if you've got any wrenching skills and it helps down the line to know exactly what is going on in there when you get 'that funny noise'.

If you have the skills, you may end up with a better end product than most off the shelf rebuilds by rebuilding it yourself. It appears that a number of shops, including the factory, reuses some parts that show a fair amount of wear. :sly:

For example, British Pacific buys Land Rover factory rebuilt gearboxes from the UK, ships them over and opens them up for inspection before offering them for sale. I'm told that they almost always find something in the factory rebuild that is not up to BP's standards, that gets replaced before the box is offered for sale.

It all depends on your skills and ability to determine levels of wear.

[Les Parker]

Landrover still rebuild Series gearboxes, news to us !!

[adkrover]

TeriAnn. Do you think a gear box from BP is a good box after they've gone over it? I do have considerable wrenching skills but would need an instruction book to know the order and specs. Any good recommendations?

[TeriAnn]

Landrover still rebuild Series gearboxes, news to us !!

It looks like the factory has indeed stopped, but BP has had access to stock piles of genuine LR remanufactured Series gearboxes all along.

It appears though that the stock is now running low, but SIII genuine factory remanufatured boxes are still available.

BP has genuine remanufactured SIII gearboxes on sale in their deal of the day page

http://www.landroverparts.us/LandRoverSpecial.html

They really do exist.

[KSMTAW]

I had my late IIA gearbox rebuilt by John and Pete of huntington Mobile just outside of Pasadena, CA. They rebuilit it about 12 years ago. I remebr them ordering layshafts and other gears. When the stuff came in they would also inspect them. They would find some of the brand new shafts and gears with some surface pitting. Probably as a result of the casting or forging process. They had to send back and order several parts until they got new pieces that looked good. My gearbox has run perfect ever since.

They also rebuilt my engine. Also top notch quality work. I now live in maine, But if I needed anything rebuilt on a series truck, I would contact them and consider shipping it to them. The cost of shipping for me may be too much, but I would look into it.

My point is, these guys don't rebuild 20 or 30 boxes a year. when they do one, they do it right.

The guys at British Pacific would gladly give you John and Pete's number.

But, I bet there are shops like this in alot of states. Where are you located?


Let us know what you decide to do and how it works out.

Todd

[Terrys]

Landrover still rebuild Series gearboxes, news to us !!

You need Dr. Who's Phone box to go that far back. In fact, I don't recall the factory ever rebuilding gearboxes.

[adkrover]

OK all. I decided to order one of the rebuilt transmissions by Rover from British Pacific. I will let you know how it turns out when it arrives. I will also try to post a pic if I find any labeling or info to support the origin of the rebuild. Hopefully, if it is old stock, it hasn't suffered from any dried out seals or condensation problems. I am still looking for a decision on my overdrive. I have what sounds like a very well worn Fairey overdrive or possibly it's the output shaft (that meshes with the overdrive) that is causing all the noise. My first pick was to get a Roverdrive but production of those is at a standstill and their return to the market place sounds a little iffy. So, do I wait and see what happens with the Roverdrives or rebuild my Fairey??????????? This is an Adirondack Mountain truck and I do mostly off road and back road driving so the high ratio gearbox is not for me. I just need that extra gear on the top end to get me to the gas station and hardware store once a week.

Thanks

[yorker]

Send the Fairey to RDS and have it rebuilt.

[S11A]

George at Rovers Down South has the rights and tooling from Fairey, and should be able to supply any parts needed for you to rebuild the OD. (Also sells complete Fairey ODs.)

I have purchased several items from him, and been very happy with them.

[Jim-ME]

That's not good news about the Roverdrive as I feel it is a better unit than the Fairey. With that being said you can safely do business with RDS as George is good people and a great source of Fairey ODs and parts.
Jim

[yorker]

Does anyone still have any NOS series Trannys? Kevin NY bought one from RDS or TNTLR I think but I don't see them listed anymore? These were purportedly the stronger Santana ones IIRC... Maybe they are all sold out everywhere now?

[greenmeanie]

My first pick was to get a Roverdrive but production of those is at a standstill and their return to the market place sounds a little iffy.
Thanks

What's the story here? Is it a supplier issue or the cost of materials going up etc?

Last time I spoke to Ray he seemed to be full of ideas for new parts for Series trucks, notably the all aluminium doors, so I didn't get the idea that his business was in trouble.

I suppose I could just phone the man up but I hate to do things like that if it ends up pushing the wrong buttons.

Cheers
Gregor

[adkrover]

I think the business is fine. Just a long term lag in production on the Roverdrive only. I did a lot of looking around and everyone I spoke to had several on backorder with no expected delivery date. I think they will be back eventually but I'm not sure I want to wait unless it is worth the wait. Does anyone know a Roverdrive first hand and is it better than a Fairey? I'd be happy with either as long as it holds up, isn't overly noisy and can have parts availabilty over the long run.

[greenmeanie]

I've got one and like it. About the only two things that have been an issue were the original design of the linkage allows it to rattle. A few washers or some bellevilles takes care of that for a couple of dollars. The other thing is the sealing washers for the mounting bolts occasionally leak. You can get replacements for these fairly cheaply from McMaster Carr.

It's been a great unit and I have some huge mileage on mine because I was commuting 1000 miles a week in it for a couple of years. It still rolls along just fine. Note that they do not appear used because those thats haves em loves em.

As to your choice. Go fairey for a cbouple of years until the Roverdrive becomes available. If you like the Fairey keep it.

Cheers
Gregor

[pvkd]

Firstly in checking around I find that Fairy Overdrives are noise even when new. Geroge at Rovers Down South will rebuild yours or sell you a new one (~$1400).

[adkrover]

Ok folks. So the rebuilt tranny came in from BP and it does look very nice. It doesn't however have any Land rover tags on it. In fact, the tag says "Allmakes 4x4". I called BP and they said it is a genuine Rover rebuild that was overstock from a military order. The dealer they get them from puts their own tags on them so that is the story behind the "Allmakes" tag. Attached are some photos.

[Bertha]

You need Dr. Who's Phone box to go that far back. In fact, I don't recall the factory ever rebuilding gearboxes.
They have in the past I have one in my truck from a while back!

[Bertha]

Ok folks. So the rebuilt tranny came in from BP and it does look very nice. It doesn't however have any Land rover tags on it. In fact, the tag says "Allmakes 4x4". I called BP and they said it is a genuine Rover rebuild that was overstock from a military order. The dealer they get them from puts their own tags on them so that is the story behind the "Allmakes" tag. Attached are some photos.
Allmakes is an aftermarket supplier in England that sells a wide range of parts from junk to OEM. Being an English company, it is always a toss up what you end up with. They have no affiliation with Rover and dont sell anything that is genuine Land Rover. They source most of ther parts from the original suppliers that Rover used. The line of crap that you got from BP is exactly why I wouldn't buy so much as a pencil from them. Good luck with that box, I hope you get a few years out of it.

[adkrover]

Bertha, this is my first dealings with BP but in their defense, they did say it was OLD stock that had been uncovered in a warehouse somewhere. So maybe it is a genuine Rover rebuild. So you don't like BP I take it??? Anyone else want to support that opinion? Thanks

[Momo]

Originally posted by Bertha

The line of crap that you got from BP is exactly why I wouldn't buy so much as a pencil from them.

Wrong. BP is partnered with Allmakes. It doesn't mean that Allmakes rebuilt the gearbox, it just means they were the end supplier in concert with BP.

[Bertha]

Wrong. BP is partnered with Allmakes. It doesn't mean that Allmakes rebuilt the gearbox, it just means they were the end supplier in concert with BP.
Reading is obviously not your strong point. I never claimed that allmakes rebuilt the transmission. Furthermore, when Rover was rebuilding tranmissions many years back, the put a plate on it, of which this BP trans obviously does not have-again to my point- not a genuine Rover rebuild.

[Momo]

Whatever, Bertha. Split hairs all you want. You are making the suggestion the box he got from BP is not what they represent. You ought to just call them and tell them they're liars. Not very classy to libel an honest business.

adkrover, you asked for opinions about BP. I can tell you that they've done very well by me over the years. I've had one part missing from one order in a multitude of orders, and one defective part (pertronix). They rectified those things immediately. Their customer service is top notch. And they are honest, despite what has been alluded to here.

[TeriAnn]

Allmakes is an aftermarket supplier in England that sells a wide range of parts from junk to OEM. Being an English company, it is always a toss up what you end up with. They have no affiliation with Rover and dont sell anything that is genuine Land Rover. They source most of ther parts from the original suppliers that Rover used. The line of crap that you got from BP is exactly why I wouldn't buy so much as a pencil from them. Good luck with that box, I hope you get a few years out of it.
You obviously have no idea what you are talking about.

Allmakes is a strategic parts distributor for the Land Rover Factory, with a favored distributor status. They have access to the entire stock of factory parts and almost all of the Genuine Land Rovers parts British Pacific offers comes to them through Allmakes and their parts relationship with the factory. BP often sells genuine parts to Southern California Land Rover dealers when they need a part to service a vehicle and they don't have the part in stock.

Allmakes also buys OEM parts from OEM suppliers. Same part, different box. OEM parts are not junk.

Allmakes tries to provide quality aftermarket parts. Most are good, some are very good and some are second rate. I have received some Allmakes parts that I think are better than genuine and a couple that I thought were bad.

I recently got some Allmakes lock tabs. Genuine factory parts are flat and if you forget to bend them a little before installing they can be a real pain to bend once installed. The Allmakes aftermarket part had better than stock plating and the tabs were prebent enough to get under to bend them into place. Much easier to install.

A few years ago I got some Allmakes suspension U bolts that stripped threads at around 40 lbs torque. I got back to BP who pulled the parts and got back to Allmakes. Allmakes changed suppliers as a result. People are trying to do the right thing and are trying to provide quality aftermarket parts. The system works if you work with the supplier.

Getting to the folks at BP. They try to provide the highest quality parts at low prices. They stock as large selection of Genuine Land Rover parts. They stock OEM parts such as Lucas, Lockheed, Mintex, Frodo and others. They Also carry ARB, Exmoore trim, Mantec, Rocky Mountain parabolic springs, IPF, Old Man Emu, Hi-Lift and other major brands.

This isn't junk. These folks are not out to peddle junk. They've been around since the early 1970's and have focused on trying to provide high quality parts and excellent service at a good price.

I can understand being unhappy if you receive a bad part. But BP bends over backwards to make things right for customers. There is no reason to slander them with untruths.

[TeriAnn]

Ok folks. So the rebuilt tranny came in from BP and it does look very nice. It doesn't however have any Land rover tags on it. In fact, the tag says "Allmakes 4x4". I called BP and they said it is a genuine Rover rebuild that was overstock from a military order. The dealer they get them from puts their own tags on them so that is the story behind the "Allmakes" tag. Attached are some photos.

BP does not have people sitting in the UK but the folks from Allmakes handle special purchase stock for BP, wearhouse special purchase stock for BP and ships special purchase stock to BP. They frequenly put tags on stuff to track the individual parts through their system and they remove retailer tags from parts purchased wholesale from a retailer.

I have discussed this shipment of genuine LR rebuild gearboxes with Steve Hedke and know where that particular shipment came from. Since BP didn't say, all I can verify is that they were purchased wholesale from a major UK retailer of EX-MoD Land Rover parts.

[Bertha]

You obviously have no idea what you are talking about.

Allmakes is a strategic parts distributor for the Land Rover Factory, with a favored distributor status. They have access to the entire stock of factory parts and almost all of the Genuine Land Rovers parts British Pacific offers comes to them through Allmakes and their parts relationship with the factory. BP often sells genuine parts to Southern California Land Rover dealers when they need a part to service a vehicle and they don't have the part in stock.

Allmakes also buys OEM parts from OEM suppliers. Same part, different box. OEM parts are not junk.

Allmakes tries to provide quality aftermarket parts. Most are good, some are very good and some are second rate. I have received some Allmakes parts that I think are better than genuine and a couple that I thought were bad.

I recently got some Allmakes lock tabs. Genuine factory parts are flat and if you forget to bend them a little before installing they can be a real pain to bend once installed. The Allmakes aftermarket part had better than stock plating and the tabs were prebent enough to get under to bend them into place. Much easier to install.

A few years ago I got some Allmakes suspension U bolts that stripped threads at around 40 lbs torque. I got back to BP who pulled the parts and got back to Allmakes. Allmakes changed suppliers as a result. People are trying to do the right thing and are trying to provide quality aftermarket parts. The system works if you work with the supplier.

Getting to the folks at BP. They try to provide the highest quality parts at low prices. They stock as large selection of Genuine Land Rover parts. They stock OEM parts such as Lucas, Lockheed, Mintex, Frodo and others. They Also carry ARB, Exmoore trim, Mantec, Rocky Mountain parabolic springs, IPF, Old Man Emu, Hi-Lift and other major brands.

This isn't junk. These folks are not out to peddle junk. They've been around since the early 1970's and have focused on trying to provide high quality parts and excellent service at a good price.

I can understand being unhappy if you receive a bad part. But BP bends over backwards to make things right for customers. There is no reason to slander them with untruths.

Teri
You have said the same thing that I just said, yet for some reason did not like the way I had stated it. Go back and reread my post. I state that Allmakes parts are from original suppliers, not purchased from Land Rover-fact.
You have supported my statements about quality- you have just admitted to receiving low quality parts from Allmakes. I have dealt with allmakes in the past with large orders. As you say a lot of there stuff is good, however some of it is questionable. So I am not sure why you think I do not know what I am talking about when you agreed with me-we have stated the same things. Furthermore the thread was about where to find a quality rebuilt transmission and if he received a "genuine" "factory" rebuilt transmission. I have already proved that to not be true. I am not sure what is so slanderous about that-its a fact factory rebuilds came with a placque screwed to the transmission stating so, this one obviously does not have it, hence not a factory rebuild and not a represented, not to mention that they stopped doing that many years ago and it is unlikely that they had a secret stash laying around for 10 plus years. I am sorry if you like BP, I personally dont. I rather over pay with our host RN, at least you know what you are getting or order in bulk from one of the UK suppliers, if I feel like rolling the dice, and want to save a few $$. So simmer down and accept the fact that other people have opinions and experiences to share as well. BTW on a side note you website is pretty cool and your adventures with your truck are quite inspiring.

[Bertha]

Whatever, Bertha. Split hairs all you want. You are making the suggestion the box he got from BP is not what they represent. You ought to just call them and tell them they're liars. Not very classy to libel an honest business.

adkrover, you asked for opinions about BP. I can tell you that they've done very well by me over the years. I've had one part missing from one order in a multitude of orders, and one defective part (pertronix). They rectified those things immediately. Their customer service is top notch. And they are honest, despite what has been alluded to here.

I just told you why-READ

[Les Parker]

Hello there,

I beleive that name calling and demeaning any supplier is not beneficial to anyone.
This conversation appears to be spiralling into nowhere.
If people continue down this path, this thread will be terminated.
The Landrover parts supply and support pie is big enough, without folks deriding any particular supplier.
RN policy is not to interfere with the BBS, though if folks persist with negative input, it leaves us little choice but to act and swiftly lock this thread.
Please get this thread back on track.

[JimCT]

I think the military gearboxes have a different throw out bearing arraingment, show me easy to tell if they are military rebuilds.

[JimCT]

Actually it might me a bearing instead of just a lip seal on tthe input shaft.

[yorker]

So is everyone out of those NOS Santana transmissions or what? Didn't Kevin NY get one for his Daihatsu swap? Rovers Down South had them a while back. I think TNTLR had them?

[adkrover]

OK, so I installed the new (rebuilt) gearbox. The clutch fork and bearing assembly went right on with no problems so it was exactly the same (ex-mod I don't know, what would it have looked like?). It is indeed a "C" suffix box. Everything matched exactly with no problems but I did decide to swap the reverse lockout assembly because the one from my existing was cleaner than the one on the rebuild. I haven't done too many miles on it since I am planning a few other jobs while I have the floor out but I did run it around a few miles through all gears and it is beautifully tight and quiet. I must say it was a bit cold driving around a New York winter with the floor boards out and despite all of the other noises coming from the open floor, none were coming from the tranny. The other wonderful part was how tight the new box is. Travel on the gear shift is half of what it used to be. It does require a bit more of a push than I would like to get it into 1st gear but all of the others are very smooth once it's rolling. Is there a detent spring I can adjust or something that can be done to make getting into 1st a bit easier??

[adkrover]

I am refitting my Series with Trakker seats but need an additional seat frame. I have a driver's side frame but can't make the Trakker work on the passenger side as i have no frame or hardware. The previous owner put in some cloth buckets from a Blazer that looked out of place and were too high in the saddle for me. I think I can make the Trakkers work if I find another seat base frame. Has anyone else installed these seats in their truck and am I missing something? What's the best way to install them? The seats just came as a bottom and back cushion with no hardware for fastening the 2 pieces together. Thanks.

[thixon]

Hello there,

I beleive that name calling and demeaning any supplier is not beneficial to anyone.
This conversation appears to be spiralling into nowhere.
If people continue down this path, this thread will be terminated.
The Landrover parts supply and support pie is big enough, without folks deriding any particular supplier.
RN policy is not to interfere with the BBS, though if folks persist with negative input, it leaves us little choice but to act and swiftly lock this thread.
Please get this thread back on track.

Les,

With the exception of a disagreement between members on semantics, I see little difference between this thread and the one titled "never ever go to west coast british." If one of your primary concerns is muckraking of Land Rover based businesses, then why not threaten to kill that thread as well?