Reversing a Holden Conversion.

[HarlingtonStraker]

How hard is it to reverse a Holden Conversion to a SWB Chassis?

I am wanting to return a Series 2 back to a 2.25 litre, but I am wondering if I should just be patient and save up for a new chassis.

Anyone done this before?, I guess the general condition of the rest of the chassis is a deciding factor, but the rear cross member seems very sound.

J

[d@rk51d3]

The only chassis change would be to the front crossmember (a section was somtimes cut out to allow a taller radiator to slip in). And you shouldn't need to touch it, unless they buggered it real bad, or moved it.

You may find the radiator support panel has been narrowed, to allow the radiator to clear the Holden 6. Re-using the panel will leave a few extra inches between the rover 4 and the radiator.

[chazza]

Well it depends what has been done to your chassis when it was converted.

A new crossmember (if needed) is easy enough to make, as are the engine mounts, or you might get lucky and be able to cut them off a donor chassis.

Give your chassis a very thorough poke and prod with a centre punch and hammer so that you can find any thinned, or holed areas first and then you should be able to formulate a plan of attack,

Cheers Charlie

[wozapinin]

The only thing usually done to the chassis, with a holden conversion, is the very front crossmember is chopped off or trimmed. The radiator support panel is usually chopped up to move the radiator forward but that's just nuts and bolts to replace. Once you remove the motor and the radiator support panel you can replace the front crossmember easy (although the steering box is bolted to it). Should be able to cut one of someones wreck and weld it in.

[HarlingtonStraker]

Thanks for the quick and helpful replys,

I do have a spare radiator support panel to replace the chopped one

and it looks like the front cross member is about 3/4 gone. there has been a steel rod weleded between the chassis rails just in front of the crossmember.

Fingers crossed the engine mounts are still in the original positions.

Have noticed some rust in those square ends above the dumbirons where the bumper bolts onto though.

I guess a dismantle and inspection is the only logical next step.

J

[Johnno1969]

Hey it's interesting reading these posts. When I converted mine back to a 2.25 ten years ago, all I had to do was sort out the radiator panel. The crossmember had never been moved and it was all just a nuts-and-bolts job. Mind you, with the Holden engine in it, I had had no room to spare......

[dandlandyman]

Crossmember 3/4 gone? Do you have a grey motor in it? It always struck me as the worst conversion possible for a Land Rover, because of the mounting system. Red motors were a better fit because they were mounted similarly to the standard layout. The front crossmember still needed trimming because the Holden fan sat lower than the Landy unit, and therefore needed the radiator to sit lower (ideally right where the crossmember is).

Dan.
69 2A 88" pet4, 68 2B FC pet6, plus other parts cars and pipedream projects.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

<snip>
Do you have a grey motor in it? It always struck me as the worst conversion possible for a Land Rover, because of the mounting system.
<snip>I guess that up until 1963 Grey motors were the only Holden option and then at least for a couple or more years the red motors were out of new cars and relatively expensive so the grey motors continued to be fitted.

By 1970-'72 no one considered fitting a grey motor.

[wozapinin]

The mechanics of the time could really get the greys to honk.

[COFFEY76]

I have a Red 202 in my 2A. The other day i took the radiator out to get it repaired and it is still the original LR radiator. I have had no modifications to my cross member either. And no mods have been made to the radiator support. So obviously while modification may have been common clearly not everyone did this. It doesnt seem to be a very tight fit in the engine bay either. However 'tight' does not compare to a v8 in a vs commodore (Im talking about working on the distributer)

[COFFEY76]

Also I dont know why bother with replacing the LR radiator? The radiator bloke said it was a 4 core unit, even worked v8's run 3 core at best, surely a 202 woulnt need something bigger?

[dandlandyman]

I didn't mean that the grey motors didn't work well in a Landy. I'm just coming from the point of view of preferring reversible modifications. I've seen one too many 80"ers (ie: one) chopped to fit a grey motor. I don't even like fitting 202s, they're harder on even Holden transmissions than the shorter stroke 149-186s. I guess I'm not enamoured with repairing gearboxes and non-Series 3 lwb rear axles.

I was very surprised to find a lwb 4cyl S3 with a 202 in it and the front crossmember hadn't been cut. It wasn't using a LandRover or Holden radiator, though.

Dan.
69 2A 88" pet4(back on wheels), 68 2B FC pet6, plus others...

[Bunjeel]

I have a Red 202 in my 2A. The other day i took the radiator out to get it repaired and it is still the original LR radiator. I have had no modifications to my cross member either. And no mods have been made to the radiator support. So obviously while modification may have been common clearly not everyone did this. It doesnt seem to be a very tight fit in the engine bay either.

Ditto for my 2A SWB with a 186S red motor. The only mods are a six-bladed fan instead of the original four with a 30mm spacer to bring the fan closer to the radiator, as it used to heat up a bit if idling for a long time in hot weather.

[orbus]

Anybody down the east coast got a 186 conversion they'd like to swap back to a 2.25L (5 bearing)? I'm thinking of converting my S3.

P.S. Hi Dan. It's Steve formerly from Palmerston.

[COFFEY76]

Ditto for my 2A SWB with a 186S red motor. The only mods are a six-bladed fan instead of the original four with a 30mm spacer to bring the fan closer to the radiator, as it used to heat up a bit if idling for a long time in hot weather.


The radiator guy said the LR radiator was 80% blocked and the top tank had warped under pressure. I only have 4 blade fan and an hour in stop start traffic didnt phase it, neither 150km hi way trip on sat. I just cant understand the motivation to convert the Holden engine out. other than originality.

[Lost Landy]

Anybody down the east coast got a 186 conversion they'd like to swap back to a 2.25L (5 bearing)? I'm thinking of converting my S3.

P.S. Hi Dan. It's Steve formerly from Palmerston.

I have a sweet running 202 conversion if your interested in a swap :D