4.4 V8 in series 3 - Can I / Should I / Has anyone?

[FenianEel]

Just thinking aloud and would like suggestions/comments/opinions etc.

I have a couple of spare 4.4 V8's and am contemplating fitting one into a Series 3.
I have 3 land rover 4 speed manual boxes, but I also have a few 3 speed auto gearboxes and few 4 sp manual boxes (borg warner 35's I think) out of P76's, though I'm not sure these would suitable.

Anyway.....
Has anyone done this?
How easy/hard was it?
What do I need to look out for / be careful of?
What other things do I need to upgrade,strengthen etc?
What do I need to mate the engine to gearbox/tfr case? and which gearbox is preferable to use?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions, comments and flamings

[Muckinhell]

Make sure the landy its going into has the salsbury diffs for the extra power and these are any landies that had the original 6 in it or v8....

[gibpeewee]

i`d use the later defender/range rover or discovery transfer box to make it permanent 4 wheel drive, trying to pull away with that much power through the rear axle only will break the half shafts

[Rangier Rover]

The 4.4 will kill series runing gear and will be undergeared 4.4 will not last if reved hard (not x bolted). I have seen these done with LT95 box Salsbury rear diff. Frount is harder to strenthen cheaply. Best option is S111 stage 1 runing gear with 3.54:1. will need the biger brakes, Duel speed wipers etc. Geting a V8 into a S111 will involve altering the bulkhead.

[Muddydigger]

Id suggest using range Rover running gear as well as the diffs, that way you can coill convert too. I duno to much about series LRs but wont you need to modify the bulk head as well as the chassis? actualy I think puttinng the engine on to Range rover chassis and running gear may be easier, then put the body of the series on the chassis.

[Rangier Rover]

That would make great S111! I looked into doing one 2 years ago,spoke to an engineer thinking no chance and to my suprise he was very suportive. If you word it that you are improving the S111 Disk brakes& steering etc. It is a big job... Involves cuting and grafting out rigers and rear x member. Most RR are 100inch. S111 is 88 or 109 so more mods! But it can be done!

[Muddydigger]

That would make great S111! I looked into doing one 2 years ago,spoke to an engineer thinking no chance and to my suprise he was very suportive. If you word it that you are improving the S111 Disk brakes& steering etc. It is a big job... Involves cuting and grafting out rigers and rear x member. Most RR are 100inch. S111 is 88 or 109 so more mods! But it can be done!

A bloke did it to a light weight up here in QLD, i think the easiest wat round the rego was to register it as a Range Rover with modifications. I guess it will differ slightly state to state. put yes personly I think that would be the way to go, an improvment all round on the standard serIII. Just for inspertaion get the video a fourwheel drive is born! Where the author does pretty much exactly this.

[Rangier Rover]

I saw that one , I looked good in blue. The poms love the things! I have a heap or Land Rover international mags wich often had build ups. One put a 5.7 chev in!

[Disco98]

Why not save the time and use the rangie chassis and put the series III Panels onto that and make a hybrid like in a 4x4 is born. Would be much easier to change a few body panels than stuff around making gearboxes, diffs, engines etc fit into a series chassis. Matt

[Muddydigger]

Why not save the time and use the rangie chassis and put the series III Panels onto that and make a hybrid like in a 4x4 is born. Would be much easier to change a few body panels than stuff around making gearboxes, diffs, engines etc fit into a series chassis. Matt

I think I said that?

[Rangier Rover]

Great minds think alike!!!

[101 Ron]

A friend of mine dropped a 3.5 litre v8 and rangie running gear into a series 2 or 3.
If you look at the later stage one v8s you will find the chassis cross members at the front repositioned so the engine and transmission can sit a long way further forward in the engine bay and the need to move the grill forward too.
My mate managed to advoid extensive chassis changes and keep the drive shafts long enough with the gear stick in the right position etc by using a bellhousing off a 101 landrover as it is much shorter than the standard rangie item..........the radiator and grill was unchanged too.
!01 landy bell housings are like rocking horse poo.
The vehicle was easy to get approved as only required minimum changes due to the use of the short bell housing.
Your time and money would be better spent on a stage one v8 as they are cheap to buy and all the hard work has been done for you.
The series two and three transmissions will not handle a v8 at all.

[Slunnie]

I'm just finishing putting a V8 + LT95 into a SeriesII. My recommendation is to just buy a Stage1 SeriesIII.