5 speed gearbox - will it fit a 2000?

Y

young_simon

New Member
I am going to do a complete mechanical rebuild on my 1972 2000TC, and have heard of 5 speed gearbox conversions for the LT77 sd1 5 speed onto the v8, but I have a 2000TC.

I commute 120 miles a day and a 5th gear would be heavenly to my engine (which hasn't run since 1980!), and help keep fuel consumption down. Anyone know if it has been done before?
 
Yes it has been done, and has been covered in full detail in the club magazine. Back copies may be available to buy, contact the editor, editor@p6roc.com

Didn't look too hard a job either........

Richard :)
 
Has the club mag covered the same conversion on a 3500s? I have left a message on the site regarding the need to amend the exhaust system to fit the slightly bigger gearbox in. I would like someone to confirm whether or not any amendment to the exhaust is necessary.
 
I haven't seen that conversion in the mag, but I suspect it will have been covered. I'll try and check with the editor, and see what he comes up with...

Richard :D
 
Thanx for the info, all I need to do now is find out which issue and order it, I'm assuming that it is the LT77 box as fitted to the SD1.

The v8 conversion should be a straight swap of the old 4 speed box for the SD1 v8 box and bellhousing.

I was going to do the same 5 speed conversion to my Land Rover, but have not found the time for that one. Second time lucky?
 
I noticed 'young simon' asked about fitting a 5 speed gearbox onto a 4 speed 2000TC.

Does anybody know if this is possible with a '73 2000SC, if so would it be worthwhile doing.

Cheers

Maurice :)
 
Anyone changing to the 5 sp box will need to have the speedo recalibrated. Mine hasn't been done yet and I reckon it's 20-25% slow!
The gearbox cover needs some modification on a 3500S to take the LT77 I believe, at least mine has been altered. Topping up the box is now fun due to the almost inaccessable filler plug. Consider putting an access hole in the cover. I can just do mine with a long 24mm open-ended spanner, patience and a syringe to top it up. Not much fun.
 
Hello Everybody,

Just bought me a 1970 2000 sc with lots of factory extras, and was having a peep around the site...

anyway, I was just wondering if you knew the SD1 manual box was also fitted to the Sherpa 2 Litre Van, reason I know is that I rebuilt one for a friends Vitesse, as he had allowed the original to run out of oil, hmmm... and it was a lot cheaper to get from the scrappies than an SD1 box (although the same box!), only differences are the bell housing which is for the 4 pot, the gearstick remote extension, which is a different length, and possibly the clutch arm pivot bolt, but as this was welded on the box we already had I'm not certain. Anyway, all these bits bolt onto the main box casting, so if you can get a broken sd1 box for pence, and a low mileage sherpa box, you might save a few quid! (+ the leyland daf dealers can supply internal spares for the box too)
Pardon the long post, but might help someone..

Bye Bye all.
 
The LT77 gearbox was also fitted to 4 cylinder Land Rover 90s and 110s from 1983 up to around 1990ish. The reason I know this is because I have one sitting in the back of the garage for my 1975 Land Rover, but I don't know whether it has a different mainshaft to the SD1 unit fitted to it or not, and has a two speed transfer gearbox fitted to the back of it, instead of a normal output shaft.

As far as I am aware, the LT77 is a Jaguar gearbox, so you could source one from there, how about it? a 4+ litre rover p6!

If anyone wants a stronger 5 speed gearbox, I believe the R380 gearbox is a straight swap for the LT77, and is fitted to the current Land Rover, and I believe MG used it in a v8 model a few years back.
 
I still haven't had any help with my query on fitting the gearbox, so I suppose I will go it alone and see how I get on with it. I've got a few ideas on how it should be done, I just need to find a spare gearbox to play with.
 
I stand to be corrected but rover did produce a 4 litre engine (v8) with a 4 speed manual gearbox.
It was a pre-production car. This car has recently been sold by a long standing club member to another club member.
Just for the record the engine was fitted into a 2000 base unit.
regards
Paul. ;)
 
Just to add a late reply, if you look on the main site, under "membership" and look at the far right p6news sample page, you'll notice that it is the article detailing the 5 speed 4 pot conversion.

If you contact the editor, I'm sure he'll be happy to sell you the appropriate back issues.

Richard :)
 
So it does!

Looks like its been there under our noses all along then.

I haven't had much of a chance over the past two months to chase up on this, as my Land Rover has taken priority and funds down the petrol filler.

I have however been keeping my eyes open for scrap SD1's, so maybe it will all fall into place over the winter.
 
Hello Simon,

A scrap SD1! You would be lucky to find one and amazed to how rare SD1's are. I beleive Sherpa vans use the same box and spares are good.

The is a specialist or 2 so you are in luck.

Any thing V8 or SD1 new and recon they can supply what you need but you pay for it. based in Lincoln
rimmer bros SD1 index

Any thing SD1 or 800 used. They have revamped their web page, I never knew they did p4,p5, p6 and moderns. very good service from terry, based near blackpool. freckleton rover centre

I know a chap in the west of scotland who is reasonable for price and can arrange delivery. If you email me I can give you his details.

You will probably live at the other end of the country from these guys which is typical.
 
Well, I've finally got the two issues with the conversion in. They are the April and June issues of 2001. The conversion looks quite simple to do.

Across the road from where I work is a scrapyard, so one lunchbreak I nipped in, asked around, and found the perfect gearbox on the top of a pile of boxes in a skip! £50 later and it was in the boot of the car.

It's off a 1987 Sherpa van, and appears to be in good nick so far. The gearlever has been snapped off and sits significantly further forward than that of the SD1 unit, so it looks like the perfect opportunity to modify the P6 short gearlever to fit the Sherpa box.
 
Ah, the old 5 speed SD1 conversion for the P6.

I was one of the first to do the conversion. I did mine back in 1986. I believe the only other person to do it before me was Steve Evans, one time membership secretary.

Unfortunately the "s" I converted was written off in 1989 by a complete numpty in a Fo@d Se@~ra.

I cant believe that you chaps are feeling your way in the dark over this 18 years on. Its like history repeating itself for me. At the time I couldnt help thinking, will it fit, wont it fit, oh it must, wheres the tape measure.

Overall it was a fantastic conversion. Gearing worked out at about 35 mph per 1000 rpm. I recall my father going on a touring holiday with the V8 and averaging 35mpg !!

In addition I have converted an auto V8 to 5 speed manual.

I was also heavily involved in re-engineering a 5 speed conversion in a 2200 TC which once belonged to my father. The car is still owned by a very close friend of mine

The conversion for the V8 was published in the magazine back in the late 80s. I believe the authur was Chris Gregory (ex club chairman and all round good guy). I later did a printable fact sheet for the technical team.

The SD1 box also featured in :-

1) Truimph TR7
2) Jaguar xj 6
3) Sherpa van

The conversion to the V8 is straight forward, remembering what I did 18 years on is not so straight forward. I believe you will need the following apart from the gearbox (off course) and the V8 SD1 bellhousing :-

1) SD1 crank spigot bearing.
2) P6 V8 auto prop shaft
3) SD1 clutch friction plate
4) SD1 gearbox mount

I wasnt able to find a V8 5 speed box But I did locate the correct V8 SD1 bellhousing. I therefore used a SD1 2.6 gearbox without any problems.

I wont go into the ins and outs of a ducks posterior re the change expect for the following.

1) No problems with clutch slave cylinders etc, use the P6 items.

2) Mount two metalastic bushes vertically to the flat boss on the bottom of the SD1 box. Drill the SD1 gearbox mount to accept the bushes vertically. Dont use the boss'es employed on the box which mount the rubbers at 45 degrees from vertical. Dont bother adapting the P6 mount either.

3) Drill the floor of the car to accept the SD1 gearbox mount and re-inforce the floor with very large washes on the inside of the car to spread the load.

4) The exhaust will not require adapting.

5) Have the speedo re-calibrated and cut an inspection hole in the tunnel for oil top ups.

The original 2200 conversion I was invloved with was carried out by a garage near Bristol. My friend and I re-engineered the conversion as we were not happy with the conversion. I have no idea if the garage still exists. If they did I would not recommend them to my worst enemy. In the end we had to steal the car back from them and thereafter we withheld part of the payment due to bodywork damage they had caused.

In essence you will need to make an adaptor plate to mate the SD1 box to the P6 bellhousing which forms an integral part of the P6 box. The bellhousing needs to be adapted to allow for clutch operation on the opposite side.

The extension housing and selector shaft on the Sd1 box both need to be shortened. I believe an auto propshaft is required although I cant recall for sure now.

I cannot recall either what form the gearbox mount took either (Please bear in mind this all occurred around about 10 years ago).

No doubt my friend will be aware of the more detailed elements of the conversion as he still owns the car.

I drove the 2200 prior to undertaking the re-engineering. It was much quieter. Gone was that familiar whine from the gearbox. It was much more long legged. I am unaware of the differences in speed per 1000 rpm or fuel consumption as the speedo had not been recalibrated at the time.

If you require further assistance on either conversion feel free to send me a personal message.
 
Hi Young Simon,

I was just wondering how you were getting on with the 4cyl 5 speed conversion.

Arthuy
 
How am I getting on with the conversion?

Well, the main work in making the adapter plate for the bellhousing to the gearbox is yet to begin, and after a minor accident while removing the front cover allowed the synchro rings on the back of the input shaft to fall out of place.

DO'H!

When I have the time I will strip the box down to put it all back together, and I do know it will be a pig to strip down and reassemble, I will put it all back together. I won't be doing that again now will I!

The box came from a Sherpa so the gear lever sat too far forward. By chance I recently bought a 3500S to break with the gearlever extension casing broken off, so I have made that fit, using the shaft running through the extension casing direct onto the selector shaft on the back of the gearbox.

The 3500 has also donated a propshaft to be shortened to the required length.

To be honest, I haven't really done that much to it yet, and if people want to know how I get on, I will regularly (well, whenever something happens) put up posts on my progress. I will make duplicates of the custom parts that I have made, in the view to doing another conversion if mine goes successfully. Would anyone be interested?

I may load the box into the back of the Land Rover and take it to the Southern National if anyones interested in seeing it, and if it hasn't been fitted to the Rover by then.
 
I have been amassing the bits needed for a 5speed conversion to my v8 for a while now. I have a sd1 gearbox and bellhousing, frictionplate and spigot bearing. I also have the p6 Auto propshaft. It has just dawned on me that The SD1 had a electric speedo. Where do I attach the p6s speedo cable then?
 
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