The V8 Owners Forum -

I would appreciate confirmation that this is not a good idea. Cut & shut with the bellhousing to mate with a rover V8. Hoping that other people
know of really good reasons not to try -

Would love to comment one way or the other but just cant find very much info on it other than it seems far more common on land rovers than transits. Only thing I can say is check the ratios as these are all on diesel engines so the ratios could be all wrong. Its also going to be a lot of work specially when there are other known boxes out there but if you can do the machining and welding and it isnt a wild engine then it might be worth doing.

I know someone who can do the machining for the bell housing and someone who can tig weld but the splines could be a problem.
I do not mind taking a reasonable chance on success but would hate to make a complete hash with x amount of pounds up the swanny.

The ratio's for the Land Rover MT82 can be found here: http://www.expeditionlandrover.info/gear_ratio.htm#gft

Thanks for the info. So a nice first gear and a useful overdrive ratio.

be careful as that's a 4x4 box so the ratios might not have an relation to a box you can use like a transit one. That also isnt a nice first gear, its seriously low, you should be looking for something in the low 3's. Look at the R380 ratios above and you will see what I mean. All the ratios are pretty low actually which is a typical diesel box. Clutch plate ultimately wont be a problem as you can get one made for you. I cant remember who does it but Ian S uses them.

smokeyone wrote:Thanks for the info. So a nice first gear and a useful overdrive ratio.

The first gear ratio was intended to be really low for the Defender so it could set off with a 3.5t trailer on a slope without having to use low range, ideal for it's intended purpose, but maybe not so good for a light V8 powered vehicle.

So the forum knows someone who can help with a clutch plate - any thoughts on the splines ...

katanaman wrote:be careful as that's a 4x4 box so the ratios might not have an relation to a box you can use like a transit one. That also isnt a nice first gear, its seriously low, you should be looking for something in the low 3's. Look at the R380 ratios above and you will see what I mean. All the ratios are pretty low actually which is a typical diesel box. Clutch plate ultimately wont be a problem as you can get one made for you. I cant remember who does it but Ian S uses them.

I run an R380 box mated to a stage III 4.6 in my Cobra rep, even with this box I find first gear totally useless, I never use it. My diff is also quite a low ratio (3.36:1), along with 17" rear tyres. So fitting a box with an even lower first gear would be horrible IMHO!

Search for the quinton hazel catalogue online.

Helix Clutches, really helpful, and quick too

Thanks for the tips on where to look