My new toy!

[Mud&Rox]

Hey guys and gals, Im new to the boards here. I have been in the rover family for years but just getting in to the oldies.I have a fully modded disco I and a chop shop DI buggy recently I got a 68 SIIA and had a few questions...ok well alot. here are a few pics
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee279/Mud_and_Rox_D1/Series%20II%20A/DSC_1156.jpg
more here... http://s234.photobucket.com/albums/ee279/Mud_and_Rox_D1/Series%20II%20A/
first off im kinda lost on the motor. I dont know what it is or what to do with it the starter is out and I dont have a hand crank.I know the armature is whats bad but NO ONE in the area can fix it. have found a new style starter for around 200. when it is rolled off it purs like a kitten and doesnt miss a beat, but the tranny has first and second only I dont know if I should just swap the drivfe train out all together I have a 350 with a turbo 400 and 231 t case that with a little fab time and drive shaft work I can have a motor I know, can fix, and get reasonable parts, I dont know lol....and Ideas or comments

[scott]

i say it's a 2.25 liter maybe a 2.5. what year is it? there are sites out here that you can put in the engine number and it'll tell you the what you got and when it was made

[greenmeanie]

The engine is a 2 1/4. By the breathers it looks ot be one of the earlier ones so expect 3 MB and 7:1 head unless it has been upgraded.

On the drivetrain swap I think only you can answer that quetion by thinking about what you want out of your vehicle. The 2 1/4 is probably the least hassle as you are only overhauling an existing installation. It will give you the real series ownership experience and all that stuff. It is, however, slow and chews through petrol and the drivetrain is not the strongest. Adequate for the engine perhaps but still not the strongest.

The engine conversion will give you more power and the ability to cruise on the freeway. On th other hand you'll need to engineer a completely new drivetrain and many other mods for the rest of the truck to keep in touch with the power increase. By the sounds of it you'll be well aware that it is neither cheap nor quick to do well.

Your call.

[Mud&Rox]

thanks guys, I belive im just gonna swap to a chevy drive train I have everything I will need. just gonna take a little time.....anyone interested in a 2 1/4 motor lol

[TSR53]

Welcome to the Rovers North forum! Nice photo, keep us posted on your progress, looks good.

[TeriAnn]

thanks guys, I belive im just gonna swap to a chevy drive train I have everything I will need. just gonna take a little time.....anyone interested in a 2 1/4 motor lol

If you can live with 55 MPH on the freeway and much slower on hills, the 2-1/4 is a very reliable engine. It is easy to work on and the parts are available through the mail. Our nice forum hosts here at Rovers North and the company I manage their web site for, British Pacific can both supply you with any of the engine & gearbox parts you may need. You can have a new starter motor as quickly as overnight delivery can get it to you. The workshop manual is very good. You should also have a copy of the owners manual as well as it covers tuneups in excellent detail.

That said, if you have your heart set on a V-8 conversion, I have a couple web pages covering engine conversions in Series rigs and alternative gearboxes that may be of use to you:

http://www.expeditionlandrover.info/#engine

The above link will get you to the contents of my pages.

http://www.tjwakeman.net/1v8s.gif

My truck is powered by a 1970 Mustang 302 with 1991 Mustang EFI. Power is delivered to the wheels via a Borg Warner T-18 gearbox, Series transfercase with Ashcroft high ratio gears, custom Great Basin front and rear propshafts, rear Salisbury with ARB locker, Great Basin hardened 24 spline axles & drive flange, Rover front axle assembly with Trutrac front diff and SeriesTrek 24 spline front axles. Oh and the stronger 4.75:1 ring & pinion gears.

You can not just add more HP and expect the rest of the drive train to hold together. If you are in it for an engine you need to be in it for a drive train. It takes a systems approach and deep pockets if you want it to be as reliable as the factory stock drive train.

Think twice about making a conversion. It is a lot of work and there will be teething problems to search out and fix. Oh and you will almost certainly want to make the conversion to power steering just to move the steering box away from the space adjacent to the engine. Then you will have to come up with an aluminum crossflow radiator that will fit and a way to cool it. It will take much more time and money than you think to do the job right so you end up with a dependable vehicle. It would be cheaper to buy a hand full of early V8 coilers and drive them to death.

But done right the conversion is mighty nice. ;)

[Mud&Rox]

Awsome TeriAnn! thats just what I was looking for! Im in no real rush to get this this movin again....I just wanna take my time and do things right. I just think a little more power will make it safer. and a regular strait drive tranny will be a little easier as well. mine is RHD and I have 1st and second but the 3rd and 4th gears just grind and never engage. I have a spare tranny thats in peices but dont even know where to start to fix her.....trannys rebuilts have never been my strong point