[Lawnmower]

Hi,
I bought a Series 2a off of ebay and collected this weekend:
The selling spiel:

"Land Rover 88” 1963 A Reg (Tax Exempt)
2.25 Diesel
MOT February 2005
TAX September 2004
Has had many series 3 parts fitted:
· Bulkhead with series 3 dash
· Series 3 blower & heater
· Series 3 front wings, lights, grill etc
· Series 3 gearbox
Nearly new 235/70 tyre’s all round
Plastic wheel arches
Rear springs recently fitted
Good runner & reliable
Good solid condition
Ready for work
Feel free to ask any questions
Reserve the right to withdraw
Re-advertised due to geniune reason"

Drove it back on saturday, 150 miles in 4.5 hours top speed of 48ish, needle bouncy.

My main problem is that it jumps out of 2nd gear a lot, occasionally 1st, what would i need to do to fix this?

Also want to fit seat belts, possably harness and bucket seats-matter of urgency.

future plansut series 2 grill on so have set of spots,
Carpets/sound deadening stuff,
fit radio,
repaint
waxoyl and hammerite chassis
MOT!!!
Overdrive
Roll age/bar
Better heater
fridge

Located in Worcestershire, UK

any help advice greatly appreciated

 

[Lawnmower]

Oh, and winch, roof rack, disc brakes, and no doubt some chequerplate at some point!

 

[V8_Agro]

Can't really help you with the gearbox prob but I think it could be a spring related thing????????

With the seat belts thats the easy part but you have to make up your mine to weather you want the normal seat belts or the harness type as they are fitted a bit different, Have a look around the cab and on the posts to see if landrover put in anker points ( don't think they did ) if not you have to make some up.

p.s. nice list you have but make sure you do the right ones first trust me you will start to buy things you don't really need ( like me )

Adam :beer:

 

[Andrew388]

That gearbox problem is due to worn first and second gears, you'll have to open her up and at the same time probably have to redo the synchro's and bearings. Probably cost you about 1/3 of what you paid for the car.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it happened to me too!

 

[Snagger]

The detents for 1st and 2nd gear are worn. This is usually the first symptom of a worn box, and properly fixing this alone is not worthwhile as the whole gearbox needs removal and stripping to get at the synchro detents.

However, you could try replacing the 1st/2nd selector shaft detent spring, as this does not require much effort, and may be effective enough to hold the gears in. You need to remove the floor panels and gearbox tunnel cover. Behind the gear lever mechanism is an ali cover with a circular steel plate in the centre. There is a brass bolt head aft of the plate which retains the 1st/2nd selector detent (in line with the steel plates and bolts at each corner which retain the reverse and 3rd/4th selector detents). Remove this brass cover and the spring underneath it. Replace with a new spring, perhaps of heavier guage.

If this (slight bodge) doesn't solve the problem, I suggest you live with it until you feel up to rebuilding the whole box. LEGS sell refurb kits and all parts required.

 

[Lawnmower]

Thanks all!

At some point I want to fit an ovedrive, would it be easier to fit a 5 speed gearbox off another vehicle say a defender, or would this open up another can of worms, mechanical and legal (tax free status)? Series 3 boxes and overdrives in reconditioned status seem to go for £400 plus, way outta budget!

A guy featured in the latest Landrover Owners International Magazine solved the gear jumping problem with some bungee leads......

My wife is scared, with good reason, about being a passanger with no seat belts, and as i wih to do loads of ofroading, they would be pretty damn usefull. Was thinking more of the harness type of belt, anyone fitted them in a landy?

 

[V8_Agro]

With the seat belts thats the easy part but you have to make up your mine to weather you want the normal seat belts or the harness type as they are fitted a bit different, Have a look around the cab and on the posts to see if landrover put in anker points ( don't think they did ) if not you have to make some up.
Adam :beer:

Sorry to quote myself but thats what I put in the last post about seat belts being an 88inch it will be fairly easy to fit but find out if there is exsisting anker points first if not you will have to do some drilling and get yourself some scrap metal to brace to hole so the new anker points are very secure.

If you can get scrap metal let me know and I will send you some!!!!!!!!!!!


Adam :beer:

 

[onslow]

It sounds like the Detent springs,pull them out then get one of them telescopic magnetic pick up tools to fish the little ball thing out the hole these can wear into an odd shape,if they are worn get some new ones along with new springs this should cure it.

However if it is the syncro hubs dont even bother opening it up its too much hassle look for a good 2nd hand box you can pick em up for 70-80 quid in good nick and if you do have to swap the box its a good excuse to fit a new clutch at the same time :clap:

 

[Andrew388]

It may sound like the detent springs and everything points to the detent springs, but it won't be that. Thos springs are not strong enough to hold the selector in place, they are there to provide a "positive" click as you select gears. A worn gear can easily push the selector out, whether the spring is new or not. Been there, done that. Got EP90 on my t-shirt

 

[andyd]

To fit a 5 speed box you would have to chop the bulkhead/floor and tunnel so the bellhousing would fit it is easier to buy another gearbox and fit it.It takes about a day to do this with a friend the biggest job is taking the seatbox and floor out.You dont need an engine hoist a long bar,strap and two people can manage easily.One other tip take passenger door off it comes out that way and gives you a lot more room.If you are struggling Iwill try and answer any questions.The last series 3 I had I changed the gear box 4 times in as many months due to buying really cheap boxes with no warrenty or guarentee.
regards,
Andy

 

[Lawnmower]

Should really double check my spelling!

My father-in-law gave me his MIG welder the other day, just needs wire and gas, and I have a few dosen 3-4 foot long lenths of steel shelf racking L shaped cross section with predrilled holes, 4mm thick i think, which I 'aquired' from a previous employer. I'm guessing all anchor points have to be welded to the chassis some how. will do some measuring if it stops raining this weekend.

As regard my gear box, so I need to dismatle my floor, shell out lots of money on a replacement/ or fix the existing one, change the clutch, possably fit an overdive??? and maybe fix any other problems I find, or may cause whilst doing this!

Need some thinking on this one!
Thanks!

 

[Snagger]

My advice, aftr 12 years of working on Land Rovers, using recon parts, factory "new" units, second hand, etc... is to refurbish your own stuff with decent quality new components.

Once the gearbox is out, refurbishing the inards is pretty straight forward and requires few special tools. It's certainly cheaper, quicker and easier than fitting an R380 (which might be worn out too).

DO NOT buy second hand or reconditioned, even from Land Rover "specialists". I rebuilt my factory new box (50,000 miles, careful maint + no off roar/towing). It was incorrectly assembled by Gen Parts. My rebuild cost £400 in parts alone (£100 for the simple refurb kit of brgs, bushes, seals etc and £300 for various gears and synchros damaged by the initial fault). If just the parts cost me £400, what can you expect for £300 outright sale, including all new components and labour?

The same goes for Overdrives, which are generally old and poorly maintained. The Fairey/Superwinch OD is easily damaged by misuse, and careful ownerhip still results in significant wear over 50-60k miles. The Roverdrive (RM) should be more durable. Buy new, as with secondhand you have no idea what you're gettting.

You could fit a refurbished R380 to get round both problems (I'd only trust Ashcrofts for refurb transmissions), but it's a fiddly conversion that will require specially fabricated parts and some chassis/floor modifications. The total cost may exceed that of rebuilding your main box and getting a new Roverdrive. You can also expect a significant loading on your insurance premium for driving a converted vehicle.

Like I said, rebuild your existin box when it becomes completely neccessary - you'll learn plenty, and probably enjoy it. You can ad an overdrive at any time, and I'd be really careful about buying secondhand.

As for harnesses, any of the motorsport hanrnesses advettised in the mags should work. Use spreader plates behind any ali panels that you fix to.

 

[onslow]

boxes

Firstly I have never seen "worn" gears in a series box yet I have seen worn and weak syncro hubs,the detent springs can cause the box top pop out if they are weak have you ever tried moving the selectors by hand without the use of a 2ft gear lever very difficult indeed.I have swapped and rebuilt more boxes than you can shake a stick at and Through my experience throwing money at em aint worth doing,find a box that can be tested in a motor before buying,as snagger sez it can be a mine field but the time an effort rebuilding boxes isnt worth it in my opinion.good quality oil is the key to a reliable box
Cheers ONz

It may sound like the detent springs and everything points to the detent springs, but it won't be that. Thos springs are not strong enough to hold the selector in place, they are there to provide a "positive" click as you select gears. A worn gear can easily push the selector out, whether the spring is new or not. Been there, done that. Got EP90 on my t-shirt

 

[Snagger]

I agree that good oil is important to the longevity of a transmission (I always used Shell Hypoid EP90, changed after 500 miles, again at 1000, then every 10,000, plus regular top ups). This does not cure a box that has been previously damaged or incorrectly assembled, and so, dispite my diligence, I still had to rebuild my unit.

The alternatives were to fit a secondhand or recon unit, knowing that they would be scrap before installation and would not last long, another factory new unit (but having paid £1100 for one a few years ago that turned out to be faulty, it wan't appealing), or rebuild it myself (knowing that every damaged or worn part would be replaced with quality new parts, saving the labour cost at the same time). Not really a tough decision.

It all comes down to how long you plan to keep the thing, as a strip and rebuild is an investment in your time as much as money. However, given the choice of buying a reCON unit for £300-400, or extensively and thoroughly refurbishing your own for the same price, choose the latter. And, really, what's the point of fitting a s/h replacement if you're not sure it's going to last - it's a lot of work to swap for such a gamble.

 

[Lawnmower]

Hi thanks,
I am on a limited budget, but luckily don't have to rely on my Landy to get me to work and back, will probably give tinkering a go. Besides thats part of the reason I bought it, to learn about mechanics etc in case I went off travelling in it. Am off outside to clean it some more now, will probably take a look undeneath too.

Any ideads about how much repairing it myself would cost?
Any special tools I might need?

I've only ever really had a Nissan Micra to play with, and it was very reliable, so never really thought about it much.

 

[Snagger]

I really wouldn't want to paint to detailled a picture, because I could be way off the mark. Without seeing the innards myself, and knowing how perfectionist you are (I'm well over the top), it's impossible to give an accurate assessment.

LEGS (www.legs.co.uk) sell refurb kits for £90 odd. This comprises all the brgs, bushes, synchro cones, seals and gaskets for the main box. You may well need a new 1st/2nd synchro too, though there is a fair chance that the existing unit can be refurbished with new detent springs and balls (they sell these too). I had to replace a lot of compnents (input shaft and corresponding lay shaft gear, 2nd and 3rd gears and 3rd/4th synchro hub) becuase a thrust brg had been fitted reversed and welded itself to the 2nd gear, and the synchro was faulty, causing the springs to fail (the bits then damaged the input shaft and 3rd gear either side). The total was about £400.

I don't think it'll cost you more than £200 unless you're unlucky or go OTT. If you can spare the vehicle, strip the box first, see what you need, and decide if it's viable from there.

You can remove the transmission without an engine crane or assistance if you:
Drain all parts;
Disconnect all attachments, incl bell housing-flywheel housing and mounts;
Remove OD or PTO first (if fitted);
Remove transfer box lower plate and intermediate cluster;
Separate and remove transfer box from gear box;
Remove gearbox.

The Haynes manual will then become your best friend. A big pair of circlip pliers will also help.

PM me if you get stuck. Good luck!

 

[Lawnmower]

Ok, thanks!

btw. Just won some gear box gaskets off of ebay.

Nice homepage Snagger, nice truck too. Whats wrong with using underseal and/or hammerite? The previous owner of mine seems to have sprayed the underside with used engine oil.

Had a look for anchoring points for a harness/seatbelt. As mine was orringinally a truck cab, it still has the metal partion behind the drivers seats. I figure at the base of this somewhere...

btw. when 'they' bunged the replacment hard top on, they appear to ave used loads of silicone sealant on the roof. On my drive back last week fromn collecting it, it rained solid and the roof leaked all over my right foot! Yet another job on the list.

 

[onslow]

Oil

Used engine oil is the finest landy protector available.Hammerite is to thick and is very overrated,underseal is ok until you need to carry out a welding repair then it is the worst thing in the world.

Cheers ONz

 

[Lawnmower]

Not sure of the environmental impact of driving an oil soaked Landy through stream??? Perhaps Waxoyl is the answer?

Been driving my Landy around today, even christianed it on some grass! Have come to the realisation that I have become a sunday driver!

As far as the gearbox go's I think I will be taking it to bits myself, btw its sometimes tricky to find 1st gear (occasionally 2nd). This still the detent springs? or something worse?

----------

Thanks from a complete novice mechanic.

 

[Snagger]

Thanks for the compliments!

Re. chassis treatments:

Oil - penetrates dirt and rust (can be applied without stripping back to clean steel), inhibits rust well, very cheap. Environmentally atrocious and washes of very quickly, so you'll have to repeat every few months.

Hammerite - Needs thorough chassis preparation and cleaning. Chips and flakes very easily (too brittle, even when applied thickly). Does not inhibit rust, which will re-appear. Expensive too.

Waxoil - top stuff. Inhibits rust completely (but doesn't convert it). Creeps over sratches (self healing). Resistant to stone chipping (soft). Penetrates dirt and rust (easy/quick application). Can be washed off with high pressure hoses (can be an advantage for welding, but means reapplication every few years).

Underseal - corrosion accelerant. Devellops cracks as it dries out, trapping water between it and the chassis. Hides the increasing rust from you until it's too late, and is a pig to remove for repair work.

Hammerite undershield (part bitumen, part waxoil) - very good over clean metal or paint, but does not inhibit rust growth if applied over rust. can be applied over neat waxoil once waxoil is cured, giving waxoil's rust inhibition combined with the "paint's" wash resistance. I am coating my new galv chassis with 2 coats of this, I love it so much!

As for the harness, you can attach the top points to the rear bulkhead so long as you use a spreader plate - 3"x3" of 3mm steel will be sufficucient for each bolt hole. I suggest you isolate the steel from the ali panel with a rubber membrane (pond liner would work well) to prevent any electrolytic corrosion between the two metals.

Re. gearbox; good for you! Glad to hear you're up for giving it a go yourself. The gearbox is very simple, just heavy and has a few awkward proceedures where a third hand (child sized) helps. If the dificulty finding 1st or second meand crunching, I'd suspect worn synchro rings, which are in that LEGS kit. If there is simply a resistance to gear lever movement, I'd suspect the synchro hub itself, which is you initial target for the gear jumping anyway. Unless there are lots of small bits of metal and swarf in the oil (like there was in mine), I don't think you'll be in for to bad a time or bill.