 | Home > My Defender > V8 90 Soft top thread! at last! |
 
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| Romadog Member Since: 07 Jul 2011 Location: Powys Posts: 1746  |
Yeah, been told today that my local hydraulic pipe company can do them
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22nd Dec 2017 3:57pm |
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| Mash Member Since: 09 Feb 2015 Location: Guernsey Posts: 1674  
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Awesome progress what a good xmas present to yourself
90 wolf - Jasmin http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic39408.html
90 V8 - Maggie http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic42564.html 110 TD5 - Buggsy http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic59029.html 52HG25 lightweight https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic72342.html D3 Hse - Fiona Capri 2l S - Anna Think I might have a problem............ |
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24th Dec 2017 2:17pm |
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| L110CDL Member Since: 31 Oct 2015 Location: Devon Posts: 10478 
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Looking good and a great move forward
 1996 Golf Blue 300Tdi 110 Pick up. Keeper.
Clayton. |
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24th Dec 2017 9:45pm |
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| mikeh501 Member Since: 07 Jan 2013 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1142 
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Time to fit the engine! Now that she is on her feet the next job was to get the engine, gearbox and transfer not fitted. Originally I was very much stuck on an autobox for the project. The idea was that it would be more suited to the power output of the engine, and also the original 50th and NAS models both had auto boxes, so thought it was a well trodden path…… but I had a change of mind lol, we shall see if it ends up being the right choice - but tbh it wouldnt be hard to fit an auto instead.
So why not an auto…. #1 I worked out that 1st in the auto is more like 2nd on a manual, which when crawling down hills is a liability. #2 I got put off about the gearing and specifically when the box changes gear, and thought I may be disappointed, and the computer assisted one is more money #3 to get one which can use all the available power and lock up early is going to be fairly expensive with larger torque converter etc. So instead I decided to go R380 route as fitted to the Td5. The R380 is so called because it can handle 380 lbft of torque which should be about what the v8 will throw out. Its possible given mine is upgraded that it could strip 3rd, but ill just have to suck it and see.  Click image to enlarge I sourced a R380 “L” suffix which has the stronger internals than some of the earlier R380 boxes, and then had the box completely refurbed with all new bearings etc. Once I had it back I fitted a synchro quick shift kit to reduce the throw on the lever. The bell housing is from a D2 V8 I think. Should be nice
Transfer box was obviously the LT230 and again I sourced a later unit which IIRC has stronger internals. I then had that completely refurbd and added a Ashcroft ATB to it as well! Were now up to 3 ATB diffs lol. Should be interesting as I dont know of anyone running all 3. |
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30th Dec 2017 5:30pm |
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| mikeh501 Member Since: 07 Jan 2013 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1142
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The actual engine fit went pretty easily, and was the first time ive ever done it. We shall see if it all actually works lol.
Now, most people would fit the whole thing together engine, gearbox, tbox and then hoist it into the landie in one go. At this point I didnt have the clutch, hadnt fitted the gearbox crossmember and didnt have the right gearbox mounting brackets! oops. Click image to enlarge Tada! The engine came with the pressure plate for an autobox, and I didnt realise at the time how much like rocking horse  a V8 GEMS compatible flywheel would be! Pretty much made of unobtainium. As it happens I was already thinking about EFI options, and one of those options didnt require the timing on the flywheel - decision made! I bought a standard non-EFI flywheel and fitted it. Only snag was the dowel pin on the crankshaft which I had to remove, and then fit the bronze bush.
Click image to enlarge Next up, clutch time. Nothing fancy, just a bog standard V8 clutch. Who knows if this will work out lol. Click image to enlarge Amazing what you learn when you have to get this deep into things eh. The biggest box of spiders opened was the combination of exhaust, gearbox, crossmember. This was nightmare and there wasn’t much useful information out there I could glean. The main problem is that LR never made a V8 engined defender with a R380 gearbox. This means your into a concoction of parts to make it all fit. Crossmember wise, again getting a proper NAS/50th crossmember is nigh on impossible so I found this one someone had fabricated on ebay and then galvanised for £20 bargain! Click image to enlarge Just the gearbox/tbox mounting brackets. Again I went through a bunch of these and none of them fitted properly. It was a total nightmare honestly. In desperation I even went to LR and bought what they considered to be the “proper” ones and they didnt fit properly either! The result ended up being a combination of 200tdi mounts with some older 80s v8 mounts. Click image to enlarge Progress! Wowser this thing is now huge. The engine intake is now chest height! eek. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge |
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7th Jan 2018 12:25pm |
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| Retroanaconda Member Since: 04 Jan 2012 Location: Scotland Posts: 2545 
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I guess the exhaust Y-piece means that a standard 300Tdi crossmember wouldn’t have worked?
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7th Jan 2018 2:01pm |
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| mikeh501 Member Since: 07 Jan 2013 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1142
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is that the one which also supports the gbox/tbox? pretty sure i bought a galv one off ebay which is still sitting on the garage floor! The problem from what I remember is that it interfered with a bracket sticking out of the chassis leg. I would have to cut out a triangle from the crossmember which couldnt have neen right, so I kept looking. Eventually went with these ones which seem to work ok.
The NAS one has upswept ends so it allows the exhaust to run both sides tucked up into the chassis legs from what i understand. never could find a good pic of the NAS exhaust routing. Ill be having an exhaust fabricated anyhow. |
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7th Jan 2018 2:17pm |
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| Retroanaconda Member Since: 04 Jan 2012 Location: Scotland Posts: 2545
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It looks like this:
Click image to enlarge There is a Discovery version which has square style end plates rather than the sloped ones above. The Defender ones are sloped to clear the seat box mount on the chassis - I presume this I suspect the bracket you refer to. Here’s where it should attach on mine, as you can see I will likely have to modify my exhaust too (Mazda engine not a V8, though it sits in the same place as one): Click image to enlarge The marks on the masking tape in the foreground correspond to the front of the gearbox and to (hopefully) the centre of the gearbox mounts. In theory it should all work (excepting exhaust routing) because the R380/LT230 in 300Tdi vehicles sits in the same place as the earlier V8 ones. |
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7th Jan 2018 3:33pm |
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| mikeh501 Member Since: 07 Jan 2013 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1142
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Looks like you had the same troubles, but perhaps with a bit more knowledge lol. Yes, thats the bracket which fouled it. Heres some pics of mine up close if it helps in any way.
Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge |
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7th Jan 2018 4:30pm |
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| Romadog Member Since: 07 Jul 2011 Location: Powys Posts: 1746 |
Ahh yes the gearbox mount deduction
When fitting my GEMS setup in my Bowler I struggled for ages until I realised I had the wrong chassis bracket for a B/W Tfer box !! This time I took everything out of RR and it fitted straight in.
Regarding the cross member its just a Classic V8/ Disco 1 V8 tubular one, but the lower holes are an inch lower. Basically the Defender chassis is deeper than RR/Disco Fairly simple to modify. Just weld a bit of plate to extend each end then temporarily fit with top bolts and mark new lower ones through chassis, remove and drill. Or ask Richards Chassis to make one.
Surprised you couldn't find a manual flywheel though . Rear chassis loom for a 50th is still available for around £200 by the way. Just need to extract fuel pump and sender wires so they exit earlier for you Click image to enlarge |
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7th Jan 2018 6:16pm |
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| GREENI Member Since: 22 Aug 2010 Location: staffs Posts: 10359
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@mikeh, that's got to be the most spangliest rolling chassis ever.
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7th Jan 2018 8:01pm |
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| mikeh501 Member Since: 07 Jan 2013 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1142
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It is a bit overkill for sure. Too much time to think about each bit is the problem lol, that and not budgeting
 it’s easy to forget how much that part or doodah cost when it was six months ago etc.
WRT to the flywheel. I could get one but they wanted 400 for it which I thought was mad at the time. Time will tell. I’ve actually made a rear loom now which I think is pretty good. I bet it cost near 200 in materials though!  |
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7th Jan 2018 8:53pm |
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| Retroanaconda Member Since: 04 Jan 2012 Location: Scotland Posts: 2545
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Thanks for the pics.
P.S. You’re missing a washer off each of the upper mounts of the front shocks. |
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7th Jan 2018 9:51pm |
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| mikeh501 Member Since: 07 Jan 2013 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1142
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Well spotted, thanks! where should the extra washer be? Under the nyloc on the actual damper?
Click image to enlarge |
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7th Jan 2018 10:34pm |
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