defender tranny

[XXXpedition]

ok, probably some stupid questions, but i'm not too knowledgable about defenders yet:
we are looking into used defenders for our upcoming adventures. it's probably going to be a diesel 110 but i read in a mag that the transmissions are a bit on the weak side (?).
is that true?
what else do i need to look for?
any good upgrades recommended?
any years better than others?

i'd like to lift it and modify it a bit - not as extreme as our cherokee,though...
what size tire can i run without regearing - i would think 32" or even 33" could work,or am i wrong
i'd like ac and if possible cruise control.
other than that i don't care about luxories. the simpler tha better!!!

thanks for any input!
sven

 

[Blair G]

ok, probably some stupid questions, but i'm not too knowledgable about defenders yet:
we are looking into used defenders for our upcoming adventures. it's probably going to be a diesel 110 but i read in a mag that the transmissions are a bit on the weak side (?).
is that true?
what else do i need to look for?
any good upgrades recommended?
any years better than others?

i'd like to lift it and modify it a bit - not as extreme as our cherokee,though...
what size tire can i run without regearing - i would think 32" or even 33" could work,or am i wrong
i'd like ac and if possible cruise control.
other than that i don't care about luxories. the simpler tha better!!!

thanks for any input!
sven

Which motor will you be using?
Blair

 

[bluedog]

Some good reading here. One day I will have a D110.

http://www.eastcoastrover.com/

B.

 

[gjackson]

Depending on the year you will get either an LT77 or an R380 (or the transit van 6 speed if you get a new one!) Anyway, there were some issues with both the LT77 and the R380. The LT77 had some lubrication issues (not totally sure on this and I'm not near my info, so I working off the cuff here), but there was a factory fix/update for it. The R380 was a bit weak on the output side, but was updated for the TD5. I made sure I had that update when I got a new tranny (the mechanical kind!). I used LEGS in the UK (http://www.legs.co.uk) They were very helpful. In Spain you can get the LT85 from a Santana. I'm not sure about the bellhousing for mounting to Land Rover engines, but the LT85 is the strongest of the 3.

Hope that helps some.

When I get home I'll see what other info I have.

cheeers

 

[XXXpedition]

thanks guys that helps a bit.
my problem here is that i don't have a garage, no tools, no nothing.... :-(
my infrastructure in that sense is gone since i left the states. i have to figure out how to work on the rig and so on. and i'm not a mechanical wiz. i can do some stuff but not the major things. tranny upgrades would be probably not my part anyhow....

any year that is preferable?
thanks
sven

 

[Blair G]

thanks guys that helps a bit.
my problem here is that i don't have a garage, no tools, no nothing.... :-(
my infrastructure in that sense is gone since i left the states. i have to figure out how to work on the rig and so on. and i'm not a mechanical wiz. i can do some stuff but not the major things. tranny upgrades would be probably not my part anyhow....

any year that is preferable?
thanks
sven

Sounds like you need to find a vehicle first. Worrying about the transmission might be a a little premature. Finding a 110 in good condition would be my priority. Decide between a 5 door and a 3 door and choose your truck. If I were going to choose a truck to start with I would get a 300 TDi with the addition of the Zues timing gears. I believe the 300's used a R380. It really is not an issue to change out a transmission with a fresh unit. It is more cost efficient and less of a pain in the ass to purchase one that fits your needs and start improving on that.
Just my dos centavos,
Blair

 

[marc olivares]

where are you located?

for a stateside expedition vehicle, a 110 would be a terrible investment.
way to much money in overhead to procure a decent vehicle/motor combo.

anywhere else in the world, i'd get as new as you can afford

 

[SuperSoniC_110]

Hi Sven

Depends on the budget but a TD5 110 with the R380 is by far the best rig you can buy.

I owned and driven from Series to Atmo diesels with LT77 gearboxes to Tdi's & TD5's on R380 boxes.
they last forever and spares are cheap in Europe.

Check out Mobile.de in Germany as the offer is huge and prices in Germany tend to be lower than the rest of Europe.

Loads of german 110's have webasto heaters as standard pack.

cheers SS110 :smiley_drive:

 

[Blair G]

Hi Sven

Depends on the budget but a TD5 110 with the R380 is by far the best rig you can buy.

I owned and driven from Series to Atmo diesels with LT77 gearboxes to Tdi's & TD5's on R380 boxes.
they last forever and spares are cheap in Europe.

Check out Mobile.de in Germany as the offer is huge and prices in Germany tend to be lower than the rest of Europe.

Loads of german 110's have webasto heaters as standard pack.

cheers SS110 :smiley_drive:

Interesting you would recommend the TD5. Having no experience with them myself, I heard they are a great motor as long as you are close to the dealer. To many electronics to be able to be worked on in the bush. Not so?
Blair

 

[overlander]

I have an NAS 110 with an International 2.8 TGV powerstroke diesel, which is the enhanced version of the 300 TDI. mated to that is the latest version of the R380 (the L series) which has most if not all of the fixes needed. The 2.8 pulls like a v8, and has NO ELECTRONICS like the 300tdi. only 1 wire needed to the fuel cutoff solenoid. Highly recommend that engine to you. I'm getting a solid 20mpg city/highway/whereever. Since it's a variant of the 300tdi, it uses mostly 300tdi maintenance items (air/fuel/oil, etc), with but a few exceptions.

 

[SuperSoniC_110]

About the TD5 they write a lot of crap.
We have thousands of them in both Def&disco over here.
A lot is said about electronics but the only things that goes wrong is the ECU when drowned in a lot of water(this can be solved by raising the ECU or kitting the box where it's in),and in some cases oil creaping up the loom but this is a question of spraying brakecleaner in the contacts and problem solved.

I know many TD5 drivers including myself taking the rig up to Africa and overlanding but if you do take a spare ECU (600€)
So when it goes wrong,plug in the spare and you're off again.

About the TGV2.8,I don't know about the "real spare parts(exept from oil/air filters) but anything else is different from a 300TDI and spares are very hard to get your hands on in Europe.

To my opinion, A TD5 is the one to go for followed by the 300TDI

 

[XXXpedition]

wow, more and more info to process...
thanks guys

 

[overlander]

Email me if you want the parts catalogue for the 2.8. You can also contact David Jackson at M&D Engineering in the UK. They are the rover diesel conversion kit experts that I purchase my conversion kit from. They also sell conversion kits for 300tdi, so they know both well.

Motor & Diesel Engineering (Anglia) Ltd.,
Rowan Farm, Priory Road, Ruskington, Sleaford, Lincs.
NG34 9DJ
United Kingdom.

http://www.mdengineering.co.uk
david@rowanfarm.org
011 44 1526 830 185