How to bolt a 3.9 to a AX5 Jeep tranny???

[cybersniper]

Hello Rover list !! Happy 2004

I just received a nice present from Santa:
A nice 3.9 Rover V8
I asked for a lightweight V8 to be swaped in my YJ and this has come to my rescue.
NOW:
1.- How can i bolt it to my AX5 or an AX15??
2.- What performance can I expect from this engine?? I know nothing about this engine apart from having owner a 3.5 EFI twelve years ago......NEVER opened the bonnet.....

Thanks

Eduardo

[SeaRover]

did you say Spain? you have access to the coveted LT85 "Santana" manual transmission that we don't here in the states - I would take advantage of it, and bolt on the better LT230 rover transfer case as well. otherwise you may want to look at using a torqueflite 727 hybrid to work with one of the dana transfer cases - do a search here and on the rest of the board, and you should find more info. I bid you good luck . . . whatever route you go on this kind of a swap into a YJ isn't likely to be cheap. a chevy 3.8L V6 is about the same power to weight ratio as the 3.9 V8 - it's generally a POS as well, but you may find it to be an easier swap, fwiw.

cheers,

isaac

[Old Scout]

Originally posted by SeaRover
I would take advantage of it, and bolt on the better LT230 rover transfer case as well. otherwise you may want to look at using a torqueflite 727 hybrid to work with one of the dana transfer cases -
cheers,

isaac

It's a YJ. That means it needs a driver drop T-case!

[SeaRover]

i thought a driver drop D20 would bolt up to some of the TF's . . . . if not, I know that one of the chain-driven units will, command-trac I believe?

[Old Scout]

The driver drop d20 is a early bronco unit, never seen one hooked to a 727. I guess you could use a flip kit on a d300.

[SeaRover]

d'oh - you're right. i was thinking ford and forgetting the bolt pattern on those were different than for jeep. the command-trac NP231 is probably what he already has.

I had been thinking of the old BW 1339 quadra-tracs, but alas they a) passenger drop and b) aligned outputs - so that rules that theory out.

i'm out on a limb here, but if he hasn't upgraded his axles yet, the 1339 case with older landcruiser axles wouldn't be that hard to swap in since its a leafer. might be something to ponder.

[cybersniper]

Originally posted by SeaRover
d'oh - you're right. i was thinking ford and forgetting the bolt pattern on those were different than for jeep. the command-trac NP231 is probably what he already has.

I had been thinking of the old BW 1339 quadra-tracs, but alas they a) passenger drop and b) aligned outputs - so that rules that theory out.

i'm out on a limb here, but if he hasn't upgraded his axles yet, the 1339 case with older landcruiser axles wouldn't be that hard to swap in since its a leafer. might be something to ponder.

I have a coilover Black Diamond XCL suspension with lots of brakets welded in the D30, that is why i got my trick 4130 axles and CTM instead of a D44.....
I have a NP231 and want to bolt something between the NP231 and the 3.9 V8..??

Thanks

[SeaRover]

to be honest i don't think the weight savings over your existing mill is going to be a better proposition than just using using a newer jeep 4.0. the 3.9 is a PITA, and generally considered to be low on power for the heavier trucks. if you have a lot of weight on your rig you're going to be dissapointed after going through all this effort. my honest .02 -

[cybersniper]

Originally posted by SeaRover
to be honest i don't think the weight savings over your existing mill is going to be a better proposition than just using using a newer jeep 4.0. the 3.9 is a PITA, and generally considered to be low on power for the heavier trucks. if you have a lot of weight on your rig you're going to be dissapointed after going through all this effort. my honest .02 -

That´s the reasoning behind the whole swap !!!

By the way i like the engine.
Ed

[Strange Rover]

I put a ford spec BW t18 and bellhousing behind a rover V8 and only need to make a 1/4in adapter plate to bolt the bellhousing to the rover motor and this thickness brought the stock rover flywheel into the correct position. Just put the ford pressure and clutch plate onto the rover flywheel and the job was done.

So what I saying is that its easy to adapt a rover motor onto something that had a Ford V8 because the flywheel on the rover sticks out about 1/4in more than that of the ford.

You may be able to do something similar with your gearbox or if its way out then get something that adapts your box to a ford motor and then adapt from there.

Dont know how much fabbin you want to do or if you want a bolt in kit.

Sam

[cybersniper]

Originally posted by Strange Rover
I put a ford spec BW t18 and bellhousing behind a rover V8 and only need to make a 1/4in adapter plate to bolt the bellhousing to the rover motor and this thickness brought the stock rover flywheel into the correct position. Just put the ford pressure and clutch plate onto the rover flywheel and the job was done.

So what I saying is that its easy to adapt a rover motor onto something that had a Ford V8 because the flywheel on the rover sticks out about 1/4in more than that of the ford.

You may be able to do something similar with your gearbox or if its way out then get something that adapts your box to a ford motor and then adapt from there.

Dont know how much fabbin you want to do or if you want a bolt in kit.

Sam

I can do such an adapter, no problem. The Ford enine has the same belhousing bolt pattern as the Rover V8????

By the way, you seem to rockcrawl with a Rover so , you may know where to find a LT230 ashcroft crawler box?? That is a rare avis in Spain.
Have not seen one in Spanish peninsula, there is ONLY one in the canary islands.
eduardo :confused: :confused:

[Greg55_99]

Cybersniper, if you really want to hook up your AX5 to a Rover V8, you can use this kit from Classic Convrsions:

http://www.classicconversions.co.uk/roverv8.htm

http://www.classicconversions.co.uk/images/roverV8kit_2.jpg

The AX5 is a US Spec version of the Toyota G52 and shares it's case to bellhousing bolt pattern with the W series Toyota transmissions. Input shaft is a inch longer however on the AX5.

They also have a bellhousing to mate the Toyota R series transmissons to the Rover V8. The Jeep AX-15 is a US spec version of the R series and much more suited to what you want to do.

Greg

[Strange Rover]

Originally posted by cybersniper


I can do such an adapter, no problem. The Ford enine has the same belhousing bolt pattern as the Rover V8????

By the way, you seem to rockcrawl with a Rover so , you may know where to find a LT230 ashcroft crawler box?? That is a rare avis in Spain.
Have not seen one in Spanish peninsula, there is ONLY one in the canary islands.
eduardo :confused: :confused:

Ford and rover are different but to addapt them together we just got a big piece of 1/4in plate and drilled the two sets of holes in them.

Sorry - no idea on the crawler box but somebody here should know.

Sam

[FrankenRover]

The crawler box is no longer being produced by Ashcroft. I bought one of the last two to pay off a HUGE favor by John Putnin's. He gave me one of his two boxes over a year ago and I ordered one from Ashcroft for him to replace it. It took nearly a year to get it in finally. He might sell it to you but the price will be HIGH (think over $4000 USD), cuz they are no longer produced.

I have one in my D110 crawler and love it. Not a single complaint except for my pocketbook.

Billster

ps. Here is a pict just to get your juices flowing.

[RPR]

As suggested above, if you are putting in the 3.9, you really ought to look into finding a Rover/Santanna LT85 box - widely regarded as the strongest box LR ever used - and much more readily available in Spain than anywhere else. This will mate to an LT230 transfer box for which Maxi-Drive Australia do a low ratio gear set that will give you a very good crawl ratio. Not sure whether the overal length will be okay but this set-up has been used in 90's so it should be okay.

After that if you just swap to a LR chassis and Series body, you should have a very nice rig ;)

[cybersniper]

I have a much clearer image of my options now !!!!
Thanks

eduardo