QuestionI want to transplant a range rover v8 engine and auto box into an early 110, is this a reasonably easy task or would swapping it the other way be an easier option, ie the 110 body cut down onto the RARO chassis.
AnswerHi Jim,
here is what I found for V8 to 2.5 110 conversions...
owner 1:
Use Range Rover engine, gearbox and T-box then the only mod will be to the front engine mountings.
Owner 2:
I did this about 18months ago. Purchased a scrap RR Classic and used the engine and gearbox. The LT95 sat on the existing g/box mounts and I cut the old engine mounts off the RR chassis and welded them onto my 90 chassis to make them fit. Both the original props fitted so no probs there. I put a heavy duty V8 rad on from Bearmach and cut the top hose to the thermostat. For my purpose I placed a small length of stainless pipe into the hose and attached my temp sender for the electric fans on the outside of this pipe. Wrapped in tinfoil and then some heavy duty tape to protect.
The only problem was the gearbox tunnel that I had to fabricate to go around the box.
owner 3:
Hmmmmm - I have recently done this on my 90 truck cab last winter with excellent results. There are two ways to do it, either go with the existing G/box and adaptor plate (needs cut and shut on bulkhead) or get an LT77S with longer V8 input shaft and bellhousing. I went the latter route and rebuilt a 3.5EFI to give me about 180/200 ponies and 200(ish) ft/lb of torque at 2000/2500rpm.I limited the engine size to 3.5 because that was a standard 90 fit and insurance companies don't tend to ask too many questions (just makes life easy).
If you go down the LT77 route then there is no need to change the props - only needed on LT85's as the box is shorter(that makes the front prop shorter and the rear prop longer).If the correct LT77 box is used then the engine sits in the right place and you can use standard hoses and exhaust etc. A 2.5 diesel rad is OK (don't know if the 2.5 petrol is the same) and only requires one small mod to turn it into a pucker V8 rad (I got Sercks to do it for me - cheap).
I have fitted a 1.222:1 gears as this is correct for a V8 90, however, 110 V8 you would need the 1.410:1 intermediate transfer box gear (10 minute job with the Transfer box out).
owner 4:
You can use existing box and use a adapter, this means you have to use a babay clutch system, and you need to move the engine mounts and play about to get an exhaust to fit...
If you can source a proper V8 110 box then it fits on the G/B mountings, but engine mountings wrong, and exhaust needs to be chnaged to std V8 One the bulkhead will need chopping about, and the tranmission tunnel changed to V8...
Also Propshafts are wrong length as V8s have special lengths..
Rad prob should be upgraded to V8 rad, and on conversion the std top and bottom hose will not fit as engine futher forwatrd than it should be, many will say std 2.5 rad will be ok, depends what you will do with it....
So its possible just requires lots of patience, adaptation and money.
Best of luck,
JohnMc
