Holden Conversion Gearbox Headache

[theflyingbra]

Hi Guys,

This is my first post in this forum and suspect it won’t be not my last...

A Mate and I have adventured into the land rovers and are made keen to restoring our beast. The land rover is 72 Series 2a LWB Safari six,

It has a 186 conversion, after dicking around with the 186 we discovered the compression in a couple of the cylinders was below 40 psi... we luckily have our hands on a 202 that we can drop in and we can later think about rebuilding the 186.

The problem lies with the Gearbox. The Current Gearbox wouldn’t go into second at all (It’s like there is a blanking plate there), we check the selectors and about every other thing we could think of. Whilst doing that we dropped a couple of the spacers into to box, so it basically has to come apart now. We have been quoted 1500 - 2000 to have it rebuilt. is that ridiculous? It seems a lot better than trying to rebuild the box ourselves. Do we have any other options? we also have a series 1 gearbox that seems to be in pretty good condition but the bell housing is different.

Is there a different holden - Gearboc combo we could look into?

Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated!

[Uglitom]

Hi guys, the box you have is often considered the strongest series gearbox. You do know that it is a crash box ( no syncros) ? Try turning the input shaft (or rolling the car in gear) after you have fished your spacers out and see if that works. If not, the series 3 box fits as well, plenty on eBay.

[clubagreenie]

Just rebuild what you have, as said it's the strongest. Just learn to shuffle and you'll be right. There could be any one of a number of things stopping it changing. It needs a pull down anyway so get a manual, and just follow the numbers. At the end you should have it working again and know how to do it next time.

While it's apart best check the alignment of the adaptor plate. Some of them are not the best and the gearbox is not square to the engine. Cause all sorts of issues with the input shaft.

That money is probably on par for part and labour when you consider rates but it's not complex at all.

[Blknight.aus]

the box is a DIY rebuild if youve got what it takes to get one in and out of a landy, can do your own valve adjustments and have the nouse to get the engine correctly tuned and the brakes correctly adjusted you've got enough to be able to rebuild the box.

[blitz]

I had a 186 L2 in my series IIA shorty and it was problematic in as much as it could snap axles faster than blinking if unwary. But I would give my eye teeth to get it back.

First and Second in your box have no synchro so you may need to learn how to double declutch it to change gears once you can it is very fast.

[Homestar]

As mentioned, check the alignment once you have sorted the box - there is a sticky thread on this - BEFORE FITTING A HOLDEN ENGINE CHECK ALIGMENT FIRST make sure you check this or you may end up in the same boat again.

Oh, and welcome to the forum . An explanation of your username wouldn't go astray either...

Cheers - Gav

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Just so you don't get confused, the suffix D and later SIIa boxes are non-synchromesh on 1st and 2nd + reverse. They have a shouldered layshaft and larger layshaft bearings as well as larger intermediate shaft and bearings in the transfer when compared to the S1 or earlier suffix boxes. They are also stronger than the all synchromesh SIII boxes.

They are relatively easy for the mechanically minded novice to do, but make sure you get the workshop manual or the ones on Rave CD etc and do the re-build exactly as described in the manual.

Long wheelbase series LR and 202 Holden engines can snap rear axles, a common fix is to retrofit the Salisbury rear diff from a SIII 109", but it is worthwhile to fit the SIII hubs to the front axle so the wheelnuts are common all round.

[theflyingbra]

Thanks Heaps for the help and info. Yea we are aware that the box is non syncro for 1st and 2nd, we tried everything we could while we could still pretend we had a working Landie. No matter how we tried to get into second we couldn’t, went through every gear, double clutched chhecked oil level etc...

Once the box was out we tried turning it by hand in and out of gear and seeing if we could sneak it in but no luck there either.

Whilst I/we have been trying to steer clear of rebuilding a gearbox, looks like we may take the challenge on . It seems like the most appropriate thing to do. But that might put a hand brake on getting the Box in before Xmas

In regards to the Rear axle swap, What’s the Chances that we already have a Salisbury diff on the rear as it is a really late series 2a? The Vin Number ends with a "G" looking at another thread it seems it was only LR's with a suffix of "H" have them but not sure? If not will deff do the swap if we can get our hands on a diff...

Gav, the user name is a nick name that has stuck with me since high school and there is no real explaination for it :S

Once again Thanks guy's

[Lotz-A-Landies]

The rear Salisburys were transitional before SIII so fitted on some suffix H but not all.

[Seriestwo]

You can tell if its a Sailsbury if the rear diff is lots bigger then the front one.