Land Rover series transmission identification

[ryancr500]

Ive spent a few hours trying to identity this transmission to see if it’s compatible with my 88” 2A project. Can anyone help identify it. Ive gone through most of the online ID pages and serial number IDs.
Notable differences.
No suffix under serial number
Has a dipstick to check tranny fluid
Plate below shift lever is round no ‘D’ shaped

[TimberPig]

The early suffix a boxes didn’t have the suffix stamped on them. That plus the dipstick makes it a earlier suffix a gearbox.

The bell housing bolt pattern will determine if it is usable for your 2a or not as the Series 1 suffix a petrol gearboxes are different from the diesel/Series2/2a petrol gearboxes. The 10 o’clock- 2 o’clock top bolt holes is the Series 1 petrol, while the top hole at 12 o’clock fits a Series 1 diesel or a 2/2a petrol or diesel.

[mepham55]

I think that’s an early series 2 box. A series one box would have the clutch cross shaft exiting out the drivers side of the bell housing to connect to the mechanical clutch on series ones.

[ryancr500]

The clutch release mechanism exits out the drivers side. The holes on bell housing are 10 and 2 position

[ryancr500]

It could be a series 1 petrol?

[TimberPig]

It could be a series 1 petrol?

Sounds like a Series 1 box.

With a bell housing and clutch release swap it can be made to be a 2/2a suffix a box, but likely there is someone who needs a S1 gearbox if you wanted to just swap/sell for a 2/2a box.

[ryancr500]

That's what I was thinking.... if anyone needs a S1 gearbox.. I have it in Vancouver.

[Hamberger]

I bought a Suffix D Tranny with bell housing and T-case a while back with the intention of swapping out my Series 1 Suffix A . If this is not possible please let me know and I will just end up selling it again.

The reason I wanted a later Suffix box is because 1st gear is lower (3.6:1) than the Early Series 1 boxs (3.00:1).

[TimberPig]

I bought a Suffix D Tranny with bell housing and T-case a while back with the intention of swapping out my Series 1 Suffix A . If this is not possible please let me know and I will just end up selling it again.

The reason I wanted a later Suffix box is because 1st gear is lower (3.6:1) than the Early Series 1 boxs (3.00:1).

If your series 1 is a diesel the bellhousing bolt pattern is the same. A series 1 petrol is different from a suffix D 2a box. 1st gear is lower in the C on gearbox, but the transfer case high range is adjusted to compensate so the final ratio works out the same as an a or b suffix.

The only later suffix gearbox that used the same bolt pattern as a series 1 petrol is those from the 6 cylinder trucks (NADA and otherwise) but in Canada only the 811 NADA 109’s with the 2.6 6 cylinder were imported, so not many around and more valuable to someone putting together a NADA 109 if it’s a parts truck (like the overpriced one on Kijiji). Some 6 cylinder trucks have filtered in from other markets as well. These gearboxes used the larger front lay shaft bearing than used in suffix a boxes.

You can put the later gears into an earlier box as matched sets, but not as simple as swapping a gearbox.

Depending on price, you might PM me if you end up selling that gearbox as I may be interested if the price is decent.

[Hamberger]

I see. Mine is a 1.6L Petrol. So I can take the gears out of the Suffix D and put them into the Suffix A.

Since we are on the subject of bell housings. I also bought an adaptor plate that came from a Series 2 that bolted a 1800 Datsun engine to the Landrover housing. Since the adapter was designed for a Series 2 that originally had a 2.25 petrol will it work for a Series 1. I've tried to find a website that lines up diagrams of bolt patterns side by side but cant find one.

Sorry to hijack this thread.

[TimberPig]

I see. Mine is a 1.6L Petrol. So I can take the gears out of the Suffix D and put them into the Suffix A.

Since we are on the subject of bell housings. I also bought an adaptor plate that came from a Series 2 that bolted a 1800 Datsun engine to the Landrover housing. Since the adapter was designed for a Series 2 that originally had a 2.25 petrol will it work for a Series 1. I've tried to find a website that lines up diagrams of bolt patterns side by side but cant find one.

Sorry to hijack this thread.

Swapping gear sets takes a bit of work to do, as they need to be set up correctly. You’re basically doing the same steps for a gearbox rebuild when you set them up. The gear sets are usually swapped more as complete sets rather than bits and pieces, as there is some differences in how the lay shaft gears are retained etc. You can’t just swap the complete shafts due to the different layshaft front (smaller) bearing size on the suffix a to the later suffixes.
You need the lower 1st gear ratio with the lower transfer box high range ratio combined to gain from all of this work, but the gains are pretty small here. A lot of effort for small gains.

Any 2.25 petrol is set up where the top bolt hole on the bellhousing is at 12 o clock. Series 1 petrols have the top bolt holes at 10 and 2. You could fit the adapter plate with a series 2/2a gearbox to your series 1 to bolt in the Datsun motor, but given you have the original engine it will be worth way more original than chopped up with an engine conversion.

[Hamberger]

Ok. Thanks everyone. Food for thought. For a while there I was buying up all kinds of stuff that I came across but maybe I should just leave things stock.
Too bad there isnt aftermarket lower diff gears or T-case gears for the Series. I dont want bigger tires....I just want to go slooooower. I remember driving Kermit on our cattle tracks and skidder trails. Trying to "finesse" around a difficult part of trail was not possible. Oh well, it is what it is.