Robert Davis bell housing info

[Eric W S]

Amen.

I don't know why there aren't more 4.3-V6/NP435/Ike adapter/Rover t-case conversions out there. Cheap, easy, reliable, small and plenty of power.

Misguided common conception that a rover should only be comprised of rover parts?

Turd Polishing as a primary hobby?

[Mercedesrover]

Misguided common conception that a rover should only be comprised of rover parts?

That would do it.
Hell, Rover didn't even stick to Rover parts.

[msggunny]

Amen.

I don't know why there aren't more 4.3-V6/NP435/Ike adapter/Rover t-case conversions out there. Cheap, easy, reliable, small and plenty of power.

Didnt look that hard into it, but your right Ike, id still have the rover 4speed.


Now about those adapters mentioned above, are they still in production or only a speciality item?

[jp-]

Does anyone make an NV4500 adapter to Rover T-case?

[leafsprung]

Adaptors

Marks and cooper have made NV4500 adapters although they have been somewhat problematic. There is word we will see a sporty new adapter which will allow a variety of transmission options including the 4500 in the near future.

[jp-]

Marks and cooper have made NV4500 adapters although they have been somewhat problematic. There is word we will see a sporty new adapter which will allow a variety of transmission options including the 4500 in the near future.

Problematic how?

[leafsprung]

Id rather not get into it here. If you gotta know email me.

[jp-]

Also curious if anyone knows whether the Toyota transfer cases are any good? Like the one that goes on an R150F toy tranny.

[leafsprung]

That case is chain driven (not desireable) The gear driven cases from the pickups and 4 runners are ok, there is a great aftermarket for them. They have centered rear outputs though. The cruiser split case is decent. The early cruiser cases are junk.

[gambrinus]

Going with the Davis conversion kit MINUS the adapter to use the rover tranny sounds more and more like the way to fly.

Iron Duke + NP435 + Rover Hi-Ratio box

RW

[Alaska Mike]

I looked long and hard at the Iron Duke for my Rover pile. I had an Iron Duke in my '80 CJ-5, and while I swapped it out because of persistent performance issues, it had enough power to maintain highway speeds (70MPH) on the flat Idaho highways with the stock 4.10 gears and 32" tires. Iron Dukes are very common up here in AMC AWD cars and early '80s CJs. An outdated engine, but certainly not as much as the 2.25L.

My stock engine, transmission, and transfercase were all either toast or questionable, so I planned on swapping them all. The Robert Davis conversion was less attractive to me as I was likely only going to be using the engine mounts. The physical mounting of the engine is probably one of the easier parts of an engine conversion. Since I was going with a GM truck transmission (SM465) and strength was not an issue, I decided to go with a slightly more modern, more powerful engine (AMC 2.5L) with MPFI. It's a more involved swap, but it provides more usable power and very likely a longer service life (parts availability).

If you're going to swap the transmission, the options are nearly wide-open if you can find a transfercase adapter. The stock transmission is the real fuse, and the main reason the Robert Davis conversion is attractive. It's a low power engine that performs better than the 2.25L, but not too much better.

I'm not much of a diesel guy, but Mercedesrover's conversions really are an attractive package. Simple external components (fuel pumps, wiring...), solid reliability, decent availability... There's a lot to be said for it. The chug-chug of a small diesel also seems to fit a Rover. It's not as drop-in as a Robert Davis conversion, but it is easier than what I'm doing.

The GM 4.3L V6 would be a great powerplant, and the knowledge base and parts are out there. You could choose anything from a carbed engine all the way up to an OBDII MPFI engine, which allows you to choose just how involved your harness and fuel system plans are. Motor mounts are available from several sources, and factory adapters to many desirable transmissions are out there.

Any swap is going to be an involved process. Very little is going to be bolt-in or simple. A swap will very likely make the vehicle less attractive to a "purist", but perhaps more valuable to someone who likes the concept of a Series Rover, but not the realities of maintenance and performance.

Think long and hard. Develop a budget for the project. Triple that number. Plan on spending a lot of time screaming obscenities and bleeding from the knuckles. Look long and hard at the durability of your axles and the capability of your brakes. Maybe add a few thousand on your revised estimate to cover upgrades. Still worth it? Then dive right in. Just don't expect to be driving the vehicle for awhile.

[gambrinus]

The plan is to ditch the tranny along with the engine... I don't want to cut the frame or the bulkhead. Need more power, I'd love a diesel, but it seems to be a WAY more involved process. Nothing is perfect..

RW

[yorker]

Borg Warner T98 gearbox to Series transfer

[gambrinus]

T98?

Why?

RW

[Alaska Mike]

It was a solid, granny-geared, widely available transmission in its day. Parts availability has pretty much dried up, though, and the T-18 is a better design with even better availability and serviceability.

However, if you can find the adapter, it's another option.