Another 300 TDi conversion

[DrivingDutchman]

I have finally sourced a 300 TDi from a disco. Got the complete car driving and well, just rotten body.
As some of you might know, my S2a Dormobile is a 6pot.
I would like to do the conversion without disturbing the original engine mount so I can drop the 6pot back in if I need to. I was thinking in the lines of fabricating brackets to fit between the engine and original mounts on the chassis. Has anybody done this before?

The idea is to keep the Dormobiles original gearbox etc. Just replace the diffs for the other ratio ones, I have already.

So my question would be, what to look out for? Pitfalls? Ideas?

Any help and suggestions greatly appreciated.

Michiel

[Jabbawocky]

HI Michiel

I used the Disco mounts as the 6 pots mounts are completely in the wrong place. The Disco mounts also have strengtheners that brace the engine to the gearbox and these have to be altered as they hit the front prop. As the gearbox is further back in the 6 pot, you will have access problems to the Starter motor as it is tight against the footwells. The 2a gearbox is really on the edge with the weight of a Dormobile and I really did not want to go for a 5 speed,but have gone that way because gearboxes just kept breaking. Also the 9.5" 2a clutch is just not strong enough for the 300tdi. On steep roads here and in Anglesey, the clutch would slip and burn in 1st gear instead of moving the vehicle forward. I had to use low box. I swapped to a Series 3 gearbox and disco pressure plate. The clutch was fine, but the gearboxes failed faster!!! I run 3.5 diffs.

Another issue was, with full fuel tank and full loaded at the back, she was very light on the front end. At 60+ on the motorway, the steering was ultra light and she would skip about. This was made worse by having parabolics, but I cured the spring problem with better shockers.

As you know, because of the gearbox failures, I have now fitted a 5 speed and because this means moving the engine forward 4", I fitted the Mazda, because the Tdi would have hit the radiator. I really didn't want to alter the front end.

The 5 speed has now been in two years and apart from servicing, I have not touched anything. The handling issues have vanished and I feel I have a vehicle that will do all I ask. She is a lot slower on the hills than the tdi and does do as many mile to the gallon. The engine and gearbox are pretty well matched. The power of the 300tdi comes in at higher rpm than the 200tdi and really not suited to the Series gearbox.

Just my opinion. Hope this helps.

[DrivingDutchman]

Hi Mick,

Thanks for the advice. As it happens, I am going to collect a short bell housing LT77 gearbox. Alex Bywater has done this conversion on his blue Dormobile and I'm doing more or less the same. I have .5 diffs at the ready too. Do yopu have permanent 4 wheel drive now or do you have the series transferbox with the ashcroft adapter plate?
Do you run with cv joints or uj's in the front axle?

I could get a cheap donor vehicle wiuth a good engine, hence the choice for the 300tdi.
Got the advice to modifythe transferbox from permanent 4 wheel to selectable 2 wheel drive. Any experiencce with that?

Cheers,

Michiel

[Viamphie]

LoFi of another Parish has dealt with the Ashcroft conversion for the 4 wheel drive. He sent a link over in the propshafts questions thread. That might help.