109 Expedition rig build
- Thread starter Mercedesrover
- Start date
Mercedesrover
Explorer
Don't get too carried away. I'm worried the 4:10s will be a little tall for me. I think the original 4:70 gears will be just about right with a 5cyl turbo and an overdrive.
jim
jim
Mercedesrover
Explorer
Latest progress
Well, I got the Mercedes/NP435 adapter all done and on the transmission. Waiting on a second clutch yoke so I can extend one and finalize the clutch release. I've already got a slave cylinder that will bolt directly to the side of the tranny. Nice and tight and won't take up any room.
Tranny is rebuilt with a Pangolin4x4 adapter plate and new mainshaft.
Ashcroft high-ratio box rebuilt, together and on the back of the tranny. All new bearings, seals, etc. Just waiting for a Rocky Mountain lower pan and to paint the e-brake backer and drum tomorrow and that will be done too.
The bellhousing/tranny/adapter is only 16 3/4" inches long which is only 1/2" longer than the Rover bellhousing and tranny. Overall length from the bellhousing to the back of the e-brake drum is 27 1/2". Again, only 1/2" longer than a standard Series tranny/t-case. A nice tight package that will fit in an 88" with no trouble. Might have to run this tranny in my 88" if this is as nice as I'm hoping.
Anyway, it's not painted yet but here are some pictures from tonight. Not sure if I'll paint the whole mess or just the transmission. Whattaya all think?
I'll have the re-balanced flywheel back in the morning and hope to have this whole mess bolted to the back of the engine by next weekend. Wish me luck.
Jim
Well, I got the Mercedes/NP435 adapter all done and on the transmission. Waiting on a second clutch yoke so I can extend one and finalize the clutch release. I've already got a slave cylinder that will bolt directly to the side of the tranny. Nice and tight and won't take up any room.
Tranny is rebuilt with a Pangolin4x4 adapter plate and new mainshaft.
Ashcroft high-ratio box rebuilt, together and on the back of the tranny. All new bearings, seals, etc. Just waiting for a Rocky Mountain lower pan and to paint the e-brake backer and drum tomorrow and that will be done too.
The bellhousing/tranny/adapter is only 16 3/4" inches long which is only 1/2" longer than the Rover bellhousing and tranny. Overall length from the bellhousing to the back of the e-brake drum is 27 1/2". Again, only 1/2" longer than a standard Series tranny/t-case. A nice tight package that will fit in an 88" with no trouble. Might have to run this tranny in my 88" if this is as nice as I'm hoping.
Anyway, it's not painted yet but here are some pictures from tonight. Not sure if I'll paint the whole mess or just the transmission. Whattaya all think?
I'll have the re-balanced flywheel back in the morning and hope to have this whole mess bolted to the back of the engine by next weekend. Wish me luck.
Jim
Alaska Mike
ExPo Moderator/Eye Candy
I'd paint the iron part of the tranny with some Extend (or other Rust converter) and topcoat it with whatever gloss paint you like. The rest of the parts I'd leave as they are. I don't think galvanic corrosion is going to do much in our lifetime to those parts.
I picked up my Spicer 18 transfercase down in Virginia, disassembled, cleaned, and painted it, then shipped it up here in two boxes (1 case, 1 guts). It should be here in a few days, and then I'll get to rebuilding it and adapting it to a SM465 with a Novak adapter. I expect that my finished product will be more or less the same length as yours, although there may be some differences in bellhousing lengths since I'm using a stock GM 151 bellhousing. I have a few inches to play with in the 88, so I'm not sweating it too much just yet. I can always move the engine forward a little and rework the radiator mounts if needed.
Thanks for the pictures. You've added a little motivation to my project.
I picked up my Spicer 18 transfercase down in Virginia, disassembled, cleaned, and painted it, then shipped it up here in two boxes (1 case, 1 guts). It should be here in a few days, and then I'll get to rebuilding it and adapting it to a SM465 with a Novak adapter. I expect that my finished product will be more or less the same length as yours, although there may be some differences in bellhousing lengths since I'm using a stock GM 151 bellhousing. I have a few inches to play with in the 88, so I'm not sweating it too much just yet. I can always move the engine forward a little and rework the radiator mounts if needed.
Thanks for the pictures. You've added a little motivation to my project.
Mercedesrover
Explorer
With all due respect, TeriAnn, did you cut off the end of the clutch fork and weld the slave pin to it? Maybe I'm not seeing that photo right.
TeriAnn
Explorer
Mercedesrover said:
Timm Cooper did it. He cut off the end, welded on some flat stock and drilled a hole for the stock LR linkage pin to fit through. Everything is stock LR from the pin forward (The SIIA clutch mount bracket was reworked) and stock Ford from the arm inwards. The stock Ford clutch releases a little over half way through the pedal travel and since the slave cylinder sits horizontally it is a lot easier to bleed.
In retrospect I should have taken more pictures at the time and replaced my light meter's battery before documenting the rebuild.
I'm eagerly awaiting for your report on fitting the engine, gearbox and bulkhead.
Mercedesrover
Explorer
Don't know Timm or his work but he's been at this Land Rover stuff a lot longer than I have. I'm sure it's fine...Just looks a little crude.
I was hoping to have the engine/tranny/transfer case together tomorrow but as it usually goes Mercedes sent me the wrong clutch yoke today so it'll have to wait until next week. I had the flywheels checked for balance yesterday and both turned out to be neutral, so that's a bonus. I have to build a rack with casters to drop the whole mess on too. Hopefully by the middle of the week. I'll post pictures when it happens.
jim
I was hoping to have the engine/tranny/transfer case together tomorrow but as it usually goes Mercedes sent me the wrong clutch yoke today so it'll have to wait until next week. I had the flywheels checked for balance yesterday and both turned out to be neutral, so that's a bonus. I have to build a rack with casters to drop the whole mess on too. Hopefully by the middle of the week. I'll post pictures when it happens.
jim
Mercedesrover
Explorer
Today's progress
Besides forgetting the bolts I needed at home and having so scrounge up bolts and washers to bring the motor and tranny together until I remember the right ones, it was a successful day and everything went well. Still have to mount the slave cylinder and build a bracket for the high/low lever but the tricky stuff is done. Looks like it was all meant to be together!
Jim
Besides forgetting the bolts I needed at home and having so scrounge up bolts and washers to bring the motor and tranny together until I remember the right ones, it was a successful day and everything went well. Still have to mount the slave cylinder and build a bracket for the high/low lever but the tricky stuff is done. Looks like it was all meant to be together!
Jim
TeriAnn
Explorer
Wow, Looks really good so far! I have a couple questions & a suggestion:
How is the front propshaft to starter motor & bell housing flange HORIZONTAL clearance look? Vertical clearance has a way of changing as you exercise the suspension.
What are you going to use as a bottom pivot mount for the hi-lo shift leaver?
Suggestion - Sometime after you have the engine & gearbox mounted on a rolling chassis, put the front of the chassis on a good jack, remove a bolt off the front shackles and slowly lower the frame to see if the front axle pumpkin could possibly strike the oil pan under full upward articulation. If it is close or strikes, add length to the axle stops to insure the two will never meet. I'm a little worried about clearance for your front oil pan.
I thought the oil pan on my 302 was well clear of the front pumpkin until one day after a trip I found a one inch by one inch by one inch dent in the front right corner of my oil pan.
How is the front propshaft to starter motor & bell housing flange HORIZONTAL clearance look? Vertical clearance has a way of changing as you exercise the suspension.
What are you going to use as a bottom pivot mount for the hi-lo shift leaver?
Suggestion - Sometime after you have the engine & gearbox mounted on a rolling chassis, put the front of the chassis on a good jack, remove a bolt off the front shackles and slowly lower the frame to see if the front axle pumpkin could possibly strike the oil pan under full upward articulation. If it is close or strikes, add length to the axle stops to insure the two will never meet. I'm a little worried about clearance for your front oil pan.
I thought the oil pan on my 302 was well clear of the front pumpkin until one day after a trip I found a one inch by one inch by one inch dent in the front right corner of my oil pan.
Mercedesrover
Explorer
TeriAnn said:
The front propshaft clearance looks fine. This bellhousing has the same width as the conversion I do with the Rover tranny so I'm set there. If you see the plate between the engine and bellhousing, that plate stays with the Rover tranny too and is the widest part of the engine/tranny.
The hi/lo pivot will be a simple plate bolted to the tranny adapter with a tongue on the backside for the lever to bolt to. I'll shoot a picture when it's done. What did you do there, TeriAnn?
Jim
TeriAnn
Explorer
Mercedesrover said:
I think you mean what did Timm do. The T-18 has a side plate on the right side held in place with a ring of bolts, one of which was in the right place for a hi-lo lever bottom mount. Timm basically welded the heads of 2 bolts together so there was a threaded stud to mount the bottom of the shifter to.
I had the transfer case off just a couple months ago because the bolts holding the adapter to the gearbox had worked themselves loose. I didn't think to take pictures at the time. The hi-lo shifter bottom point is mounted loose on the factory mount allowing it to wobble (which is why that anti rattle spring exists on the ball). If the bottom mount is too rigid, the transfer case has a tendency to pop out of gear on occasion during compression. I had been having the problem. I ground down the width of the shaft bottom mounting point to narrow it for a less rigid mount. Hopefully that was enough. If it still pops out I take some more off to see if it helps. I'm using a nyloc nut threaded loose with the added space. One possibility in reserve is a flat washer & cotter pin instead of the thick nylock nut for even more clearance.
I suggest two tongues with lots of space between like the factory used.
One thing I asked Timm to do was put a bend in the shaft just above the ball to point the leaver more to the the rear. In the past I would push the lever up against the tunnel upholstery and wonder if the high range was completely engaged. Bent back a little there is space between the lever and the upholstery when high range is completely engaged.
Another thing. The wider T-18 required a wider tunnel (and slightly higher) which put the yellow 4WD push lever on the top of the tunnel instead of on the side near the top. When Timm was finished I had problems keeping the lever down in high range 4WD and unknowingly practiced working through obstacles in 2WD wondering why I was having such a hard time. After looking at the problem closely I noticed there was no space between between the spring loops. I cut a section off the spring and it has worked fine since then.
The Devil is in the details.
Mercedesrover
Explorer
Got the slave mounted and the correct bolts in the bell housing. That's about it.
I know, the bleeder is on the bottom. It's the only one I could find that was the right dimensions that I wanted. I'll bleed it backwards.
I still have to make the high-low pivot but besides that the engine/tranny/T-case is about done. Some little things here and there but for the most part ready to go.
I'll start on the axles next week. The diffs are here and shafts are on the way. I need to order new swivel balls, bearings, etc. next week too.
Stay tuned!
Jim
I know, the bleeder is on the bottom. It's the only one I could find that was the right dimensions that I wanted. I'll bleed it backwards.
I still have to make the high-low pivot but besides that the engine/tranny/T-case is about done. Some little things here and there but for the most part ready to go.
I'll start on the axles next week. The diffs are here and shafts are on the way. I need to order new swivel balls, bearings, etc. next week too.
Stay tuned!
Jim
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