V8 into 90. Best option - opinions please........

Well. I'll be honest. I thought that with the demise of my class 5 trialler, I thought it would be a while before I started thinking about a new project. I should have learnt by now. By a stroke of good fortune a 90 has virtually fallen into my lap at a knockdown price. In my mind I seem to be trying to fit the vehicle to my needs rather than actually thinking about putting my mind to buying something else that might do the trick better! The 90 is currently a 2.5 diesel on a C plate (bless it) but to use it as a class 2 trialler and general plaything I will be better off putting a V8 in it. I alway need to own at least one vehicle with one in! So, the question is. What is the best option with regard to fitting a V8, to the 90, whilst keeping a manual box, but not necesserily the one thats in it. I've heard that a Santana box is the one to use but i'm guessing they are neither cheap nor easy to get hold of? Do you therefore need a conversion ring(oo-er) etc etc Can I not just swing in a 5 speed Range Rover engine and gearbox in, in one go? Answers on a post please..............

Thanks

Dave

Reply to
Dave R
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"Dave R" wrote............

In the 90 with the factory fitted V8 with Santana box the engine is situated well forward, just behind the radiator but the diesel has a short bellhousing and the engine sits much further back. In fitting the V8 I don't think you will have any problems fitting either a Santana box or a box from a Range Rover classic or Discovery 1. If you want to mount the V8 further back you can probably find a replacement bellhousing from a Sherpa 400 series (ex V8) and just put the bellhousing on your own box to save the cost of a replacement gearbox. In either case you will need to cut the engine mounting brackets from an old Range Rover chassis etc. and weld them to your chassis. You have several options open to you and you can also go auto if you wish.

Martin

Reply to
Oily

Is it that simple? What about the length of the gearbox input shaft - the one that the clutch mounts on with the front end sitting in the crankshaft bush? I'd have thought that if you fit a shorter bellhousing - let's say it's 2" shorter - you'd have to lop off 2" from the input shaft somehow or change it for a similarly shorter one.

Steve

Reply to
Steve

Dave,

Satana box (LT85) new (really new) from ashcrofts 775 + vat. I've got an old 1 spare in my shed, I think it is OK, when I had it fitted (for a week) it just clunked a bit, but I think it was due to the input gear on tbox not the santana main shaft. (for the full story send me a private email) You can have it for some beer tokens, however I'm in the highlands, not sure where you are, and shipping a 50kg gbox from here is not easy.

Cheers Andrew

Reply to
Andrew T.

"Steve" wrote..........

You've already got the short one! Measure your bellhousing and compare it with a Disco one (or RRC) and you'll find there's almost a foot difference, not 2", but I'm assuming the V8 Sherpa had a short one as there's not much room under the bonnet. AFAIR there's only two lengths of input shaft but they can have different numbers of teeth on the primary gear so you may need to change the layshaft as well, not really a DIY job, depends on how confident you are. Having said that, I'd forgotten about the size of the spigot bush, the V8 is smaller, 3/4" I think, the front of the input shaft can be turned/ground down but I think you would be better just using the V8 box that was on the engine rather than going to that much trouble.

Martin

Reply to
Oily

The blue 90 (remember that?) had a V8 from an SD1 in and a Santana box - or so I was told. It fitted no problem, plenty of room. Don't forget you will need higher ratio diffs - I kept the standard 90 ones and while it was fine on a trial, it was bloody hard work on the road - top end 55-60 ish and a lot of noise and busyness with it. Disco or RR diffs would have made it more civilised as a road vehicle. Don't forget to use the temp sensor from the 90, not the V8. I didn't spot that one, and spent a week worrying that my new engine was overheating.

Reply to
Rich B

It's all down to transfer case ratios - IIRC all post-series LR diffs are 3.54 ratio regardless of the vehicle they were fitted to.

Reply to
EMB

Absolutely right. Defenders, RaRoCl, Discos 1 and 3 share the same 3.54 : 1 ratio on the CWP used in the front and rear axle.

On the other hand, according to the LR Experience books Defenders had several transfer box ratios.

110s with four cylinder engines had the 1.667 :1 90s with four cylinder engines had the 1.44 : 1 90s with the V8 cylinder engine had the 1.214 : 1

This is a very generalised guide though.

For more information you can either have a look at the above mentioned book or you can visit Ashcroft transmissions internet site and check on the relevant pages under "transfer box"

Take care Pantelis

Reply to
Pantelis Giamarellos

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