Thread: Re-building an LT85 gearbox

Hi Adam,
I recently refurbished an LT85. As it's a project, and not my daily vehicle, I had time on my side, however the parts I sourced arrived very quickly from England.
I have never worked on a LT85 before, just the LT95, but I took lots of photo's as I stripped it down and did it all in short time as my memory ain't what it used to be.
Just go by the book, which is pretty ordinary, but important to follow for sequence, and if you have reasonable technical skills you should be right.
I was lucky the box I fixed did not have a complete bearing failure & the layshaft in good nick. I have another box here that failed completely - I think it was driven till it imploded- and it would cost a bomb to repair.
I got an input shaft & master rebuild kit from Ashcroft in England for $620.00 & a front pinion shaft $ seals, shims etc from LR Series in England for $273.
In Hindsight Ashcroft would have probably supplied the lot as they were extremely helpful - freight was 79 & 49 pounds - included in above & I could have saved maybe 30 quid.
Good luck..

If you are going to rebuild it yourself, make sure you strip it and inspect everything before ordering ANY parts.
Otherwise you'll be in a situation where you've committed to the rebuild having just shelled out for a rebuild kit, then find that you also need other (possibly expensive) parts that make rebuilding it a less economic option than the likes of a Grubb isuzu box conversion.
If you haven't already spent any money on it then its easier to walk away from it and choose a better option.

An LT95 setup would still cost you a fair bit by the time you get a bellhousing, a decent LT95, ideally a TRB kit, and clutch plate. Unless you already have some of those bits, or get lucky when buying them, you could easy be looking around $2K.

Steve

Thanks DeeJay and SteveG. Luckily I can use the my trusty old Stage 1 (V8 & LT95 - can't kill it) to get me around while I get the LT85 sorted out, so will also have a bit of time on my side. Will definitely do as you both suggested and strip it first before buying any bits. Crossing my fingers that it's not too bad in there.
How much of a pain was it to get the gearbox out? I'm thinking it won't be too bad, but I'm often proven wrong after I've started. Suppose getting it back in is worse.
Need to go now and make some space in my shed! Nothing worse than tripping over all sorts of junk when you're doing something like this.
Thanks guys,
Adam.

Currently looking at this myself but I'll be simply chucking a recon unit at it. Current gearbox removal is looking like floor and transmission hump out and floor crane in through the cab to lower it. Although chasing rust ATM so it will be a while yet.

I have a funny way of removing a gearbox. I remove the seat box, floor panels etc, also the crossmember & lift it out, but put it on the floor, jack up one side of the Landie & slide it out from under. No chance of interior damage that way

Thanks guys, so a crane through the door to help lower the box may be the way to go. Obviously I don't want to make too much work for myself removing panels and things that weren't going to get in the way anyway. Won't be pulling it out immediately, but will report back once I get it started. Still sorting out some space in the shed - it's taking a while.

Originally Posted by steveG

If you are going to rebuild it yourself, make sure you strip it and inspect everything before ordering ANY parts.
Otherwise you'll be in a situation where you've committed to the rebuild having just shelled out for a rebuild kit, then find that you also need other (possibly expensive) parts that make rebuilding it a less economic option than the likes of a Grubb isuzu box conversion.
If you haven't already spent any money on it then its easier to walk away from it and choose a better option.

An LT95 setup would still cost you a fair bit by the time you get a bellhousing, a decent LT95, ideally a TRB kit, and clutch plate. Unless you already have some of those bits, or get lucky when buying them, you could easy be looking around $2K.

Steve

My County had an LT85 adapted to a truck 4BD1T, when I bought it but was extremely noisy. I adapted an LT95 to the truck motor using the Isuzu bellhousing bolted to a cut down LT95 bellhousing that has a plate welded to it. The benfits being a larger clutch and more reliable clutch fork pivot and off the shelf parts, apart from the spline in the clutch plate.
The starter is a 12v in the truck 3 bolt nose. All up cost was $800 for the adaptor (made by the local fitter machinist),$75 for the bellhousingand clutch fork, and $430 for the clutch kit.
If you use the 1.113:1 transfer gears you can get away without a tapered roller transfer case.
If you insist on the 0.996:1 gears only use the tapered roller set as they overheat and melt the needle roller cages on yhe intermediate shaft blocking the oil galleries in the shaft.
A couple of friends of mine using the 0.996:1 trb setup still find they run exceptionally hot, destroying the transfer case oil prematurely.