Thread: LT77, LT85, R380 Which is where?

Thanks Jeff

Good info.

I think I was too specific about 3.9V8/CDL & R380 mentioning only Defender/County - it is in the later Discos but from what year????

Originally Posted by slug_burner

I would not expect to see any County with an R380, in the Defender the R380 came with the 300Tdi and that was 93-94. I am no expert but I also suspect that you will not get any 3.9 V8 in the county I thought that they only came in the 3.5 V8.

I also have my doubts that the R380 is the box you want, I thought that the LT85 and LT95 were stronger.

Thanks SB.

The LT95 is definitely a stronger box but only 4 speed.

I thought the Santana LT85 gearbox is a 5 speed, but very expensive to repair.

The reason I'm looking for a 5 speed, is that it gives you an overdrive 5th without the hassles of the remote overdrive units which also take your mainshaft PTO.

The overdrive is required because I intend to use the standard 4.7:1 ENV diffs, which will reduce some of the loads on the gearbox.

Using the LT230 and the ENV 4.7:1 diffs leaves with low transfer ratio slightly lower than the original FC/1 Ton helical transfer box.
The 1.222:1 LT230 high transfer ratio on the 4.7:1 diffs is almost the same final ratio as swapping the diffs to 3.54:1 or swapping the transfer box to the standard series box and I still get the flexability of the overdrive 5th without the weakness of the 3.54:1 Rover diffs.

What I haven't yet settled on is whether the 1.222:1 ratio from the Disco is too tall for the 9.00 tyres or whether I should opt for the 1.41:1 Defender ratio.

Opinions are very welcome.

Diana

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Thanks Jeff

Good info.

I think I was too specific about 3.9V8/CDL & R380 mentioning only Defender/County - it is in the later Discos but from what year????

Diana

I'm trying to find this out for sure too, as I want that exact combination as a donor.

Late D1's had 3.9, CDL and the R380/LT230 combination.

I think only some D2's lost the CDL (But my personal Disco ownership is only with a 200TDi and a TD5 D2a which both had it) but I'm sure some Disco owners will have more definitive info.

What I don't know is whether all V8 D1's got the R380 in 1994 when the diesels went from 200TDi/LT77 to 300TDi/R380 the same as the Defenders, or whether they transitioned later.

I also don't know when they went from 3.5l to 3.9l, or when they got EFi, which was another requirement I had (Though obviously EFi only on a 3.9l).

Ok i know a few of these questions.

Your options are:
Rangie/early disco 3.5v8 5 speed LT77 first of the LT230 transfer. gearstick behind transfer knob. (cheap pay 5 or 600 for a box and trannie)

County 3.5v8 5 speed LT85 santana 5 speed with gearstick infront of transfer knob. Lt85 is meant to be stong, but i still snapped the main shaft without trying) Lt230 has different ratio to the rangie. (pay 7-800)

Disco 3.9v8 has the R380 and the lt230 up to mid 96 (i think) didn't have a cross drilled input gear, and had a habbit of flogging the splines. (see ebay and buy mine..... (pay up to 1k)

Defender 300tdi also up to sometime in 96 had the non x drilled gear, gearstick infront of transfer stick. Lt230 has lower gearing than disco of similar year. (defender transfers charge a silly premium say 1400 for a box and lt230)

Disco 3.9 and defender 300tdi after 96 had the x drilled transfer gear, and are a better option than those before them. (wreckers wouldn't know the difference between these and the earlier ones, so prices would be the same)

TD5 defenders and series 2 discos are the same as the 300tdi's but have a cooling pipe (it doesn't go to a cooler, it just runs up and back) Also transfers have Q cut gears (meant to be quieter or something?) (up to $2k because they are newer). CDL shaft dissapeared from the lt230 in 01 and didnt come back until the headlights went funny in late 02.

td5 update (the one with the funny lights and connected difflock) has the gearstick in the same place as the earlier ones, but it has a cable activated LT230 CDL. (pay up to 1100 for the transfer alone, because of newness)

Your best option would be a mid 97/98 disco or defender box (depending where you want your sticks as they cannot be changed) as the main shaft would have been well lubricated, and a disco transfer (any year) and throw in a new input gear (easy to do and not much $$). If you want defender gearing, then pull it apart and put the gears in, it would probley be cheaper than a defender transfer anyway.

It may be hard, as v8 manual discos are not very common.

If you want a 3.9V8, pm me.

Andy

SB

Just to clarify where I'm coming from. The final drives in high range on 4.7:1 ratio diffs and (KPH/1K RPM 9.00 16 tyres) are as follows:
Forward Control helical t/f = 7.19:1 (22.64 KPH)
F/C Helical + Farey OD = 5.61 (27.58 KPH) (combination not available)
Regular Series t/f = 5.4:1 (30.15 KPH)
Series + Farey OD = 4.21 (36.72 KPH)
LT230 1.003:1 5th = 4.7:1 (34.64 KPH)#
LT230 1.003:1 4th = 3.43:1 (47.45 KPH)#
LT230 1.222:1 4th = 5.74:1 (28.35 KPH)
LT230 1.222:1 5th = 4.19:1 (38.83 KPH)
LT230 1.41:1 4th = 6.63:1 (24.57 KPH) *
LT230 1.41:1 5th = 4.84:1 (33.65 KPH) *

* Probably the best options when you think about it!

Diana

Out of interest: Regular series vehicle 7.50 16 tyres = (27.49 KPH/1K RPM) + O/D = (33.48 KPH/1K RPM)

LT85 was the 1st 5 speed in a Land Rover and all had the LT230. Later LT85 have a different split gear housing and are said to be stronger. The gear shift is long throw and slow (like the LT95). Some of the bearings were weak and Maxi Drive used to convert the bearings so they could live behind the Isuzu 4BD1. But I don't have experience with any LT85.

Remember that bell housing and input shaft are different for 300Tdi and V8.

200Tdi defender has an LT77 with a very short bell housing - shorter than 200Tdi disco. With the R380, the bell housing were the same between defender and disco.

Avoid early LT77 or R380.

IMHO, the LT230Q (quiet) should be weaker than the LT230R (roller bearings) or LT230T (taper roller bearings). The Q has more, smaller (weaker) teeth on the gears and the pressure angle looks smaller (small pressure angle is weaker than large PA).

I haven't had anything to do with EFI, but understand the early version used in Land Rovers are inferior and unreliable. Don't know if this was only on the 3.5 V8 or if it was also on early 3.9 V8.

I think you'll need to do some measuring if you go R380. As touched on in Bryce's thread yesterday, Defender & Disco R380s have the gear lever in different positions, & can't be readily converted.

That'll narrow your options a bit.

Regards
Max P