Bell housing options for a 2.6 conversion and other parts

[Bezdonian]

Good evening everyone,
While I'm in the process of precuring 2.6 parts for my conversion I've ran into a couple of stumbling blocks.
One is the bell housing, according to the manuals its 556044 but will a Rover P4 bellhousing fit the gearbox?
Another question is will a S3 2.6 bellhousing fit the 2a suffix E gearbox and the clutch mechanism?


One big issue is finding the bulkhead to gearbox tunnel piece 348868, Anyone know where I could find one?

[diffwhine]

Not sure on the P4 bellhousing, but a Series 3 bellhousing will physically fit a late 2A gearbox. It will mean a different clutch slave and release bearing set up. You will also need a S3 primary pinion and matching gear for the layshaft.

How well it all matches up, I don't know as I've never tried it.

I can't help thinking that it should be relatively easy to track down your correct bellhousing though. There are a few events coming up and worth keep in shouting on various forums.

[Calum]

P4 bellhousing is rather different to the LR one so is a no go.

S3 2.6 bellhousing will fit that age of 2a box but as diffwhine says it'll mean swapping to a S3 clutch release mechanism and primary pinion/first motion gear.

[haveyoubooked]

Good evening everyone,
While I'm in the process of precuring 2.6 parts for my conversion I've ran into a couple of stumbling blocks.
One is the bell housing, according to the manuals its 556044 but will a Rover P4 bellhousing fit the gearbox?
Another question is will a S3 2.6 bellhousing fit the 2a suffix E gearbox and the clutch mechanism?


One big issue is finding the bulkhead to gearbox tunnel piece 348868, Anyone know where I could find one?

I can take a rough blueprint of mine if it helps?

[Bezdonian]

Good evening everyone,
While I'm in the process of precuring 2.6 parts for my conversion I've ran into a couple of stumbling blocks.
One is the bell housing, according to the manuals its 556044 but will a Rover P4 bellhousing fit the gearbox?
Another question is will a S3 2.6 bellhousing fit the 2a suffix E gearbox and the clutch mechanism?


One big issue is finding the bulkhead to gearbox tunnel piece 348868, Anyone know where I could find one?

I can take a rough blueprint of mine if it helps?

If it's not too much trouble, it would be greatly appreciated.

[haveyoubooked]

Good evening everyone,
While I'm in the process of precuring 2.6 parts for my conversion I've ran into a couple of stumbling blocks.
One is the bell housing, according to the manuals its 556044 but will a Rover P4 bellhousing fit the gearbox?
Another question is will a S3 2.6 bellhousing fit the 2a suffix E gearbox and the clutch mechanism?


One big issue is finding the bulkhead to gearbox tunnel piece 348868, Anyone know where I could find one?

I can take a rough blueprint of mine if it helps?

If it's not too much trouble, it would be greatly appreciated.

No problem, can it wait until weekend?

[Bezdonian]

Good evening everyone,
While I'm in the process of precuring 2.6 parts for my conversion I've ran into a couple of stumbling blocks.
One is the bell housing, according to the manuals its 556044 but will a Rover P4 bellhousing fit the gearbox?
Another question is will a S3 2.6 bellhousing fit the 2a suffix E gearbox and the clutch mechanism?


One big issue is finding the bulkhead to gearbox tunnel piece 348868, Anyone know where I could find one?

I can take a rough blueprint of mine if it helps?

If it's not too much trouble, it would be greatly appreciated.

No problem, can it wait until weekend?

Yes, of course

[angello]

Just as a heads up, I had to source a 2.6 bellhousing a couple of years ago and was taken aback by how difficult it was to find.... Every breaker and specialist I spoke to said pretty much the same thing - used to have loads of them, but there was no demand and they ended up being weighed in....
I eventually managed to find one at Leaf Sprung Landys in Poulton-Le-Fylde, but it took some doing! Given how critical that part is to the job, I'd focus on finding one of those first and then match the clutch to the bellhousing.
You may be lucky and find yourself falling over them, but my experience was that all the 6 cylinder bell housings were long gone as a result of the historic trend for replacing six cylinders with diesels / fours.

[w3526602]

Hi,

Going back about 40 or 50 years, the Rover Car Club used to have "fields full" of Rover cars (P3 and P4?). I don't know about now.

I had a 1953 Rover "60" with a 4 cylinder 1997cc IOEV engine. Later, Rover brought out the 4 cylinder "80" with an OHV 2,300cc OHV engine. In both cases, the Land Rover had a few fewer BHP. Memory says the LR engine had a lower compression ratio, to allow it to use the lower octane petrol found in Third World countries.

I know of two cases of oil dip sticks being fired out the engines, leaving interesting dents in the bonnets. In both cases, they were running on low octane (2 star) petrol ... not the high octane (4 or 5 star) petrol demanded by these engines.

Increasing the compression ratio speeds up the "flame rate", leading to "pinking", followed by burning holes in the pistons, allowing all that "banging" into the crankcases, where it can shoot the dip stick out.

Increasing the octane rating, in the case of cheapo JET petrol, by adding tetra-ethyl lead, slows the burn-rate, and turns the inside of your exhaust tail-pipe white. The Tree-Huggers protested about us filling the atmosphere with lead, so petrol is no longer priced by it's number of stars. Gone are the days when you could buy 5 gallons (25 lts) for £1. That equals £0.20 per gallon (5 litres). Nowadays, as soon as the needle hits 1/4 full, I brim the tank, but don't bother with how many miles I got from the last tank-full ... now a thing of the past ... delivery of our battery powered Hyundai Kona is imminent. Then I will have to start worrying about knights on horse-back, and flying dragons. (Reference to the TV adverts, for those not receiving UK television).

602

[Calum]

I have a 2.6 bellhousing spare if abyone needs one, but it's a S3 item.

[Bezdonian]

Would a rebuilt s2a full syncro bellhousing part no.576761 fit my non syncro Suffix E box?
Are the housings that much different from the standard 2.6 housing no.556044.

Considering how many S3 2.6 housings are out there I have to ask the question.
Is the S3 clutch mechanism better than the S2 in terms reliability and long term wear?

[Peter Holden]

The bolt pattern at the end where it bolts to the flywheel housing is different.  The pattern is the same as the 2L S1 petrol engine.

The S3 clutch mechanism is similar to  how a car works and is not as robust.

Swapping bellhousings is something I am doing later this year but I am fitting a late 2A 2.6 bellhousing and clutch mechanismto a S3 4 cylinder gearbox.  It involves swapping a pair of gears too and finding all the the bits that make up the operating mechanism - the bracket that bolts on the bell housing to the tube with holes in that connects up at the gearbox.  I am fairly sure that I have or know where all the bits are.

Peter

[diffwhine]

Pretty sure I've got it all now Peter. Don't spend any money until we discuss!

[Bezdonian]

The bolt pattern at the end where it bolts to the flywheel housing is different.  The pattern is the same as the 2L S1 petrol engine.

The S3 clutch mechanism is similar to  how a car works and is not as robust.

Swapping bellhousings is something I am doing later this year but I am fitting a late 2A 2.6 bellhousing and clutch mechanismto a S3 4 cylinder gearbox.  It involves swapping a pair of gears too and finding all the the bits that make up the operating mechanism - the bracket that bolts on the bell housing to the tube with holes in that connects up at the gearbox.  I am fairly sure that I have or know where all the bits are.

Peter

I'm a bit confused, is there a difference between the series 2a 2.6 non synchro bell housing and the full synchro bell housing. How compatible are they.
Also my 2.6 engine flywheel housing is from a series 3 if that makes any difference.

[Peter Holden]

There is no difference at the flywheel end but the end that bolts to the gearbox is different because the 2a clutch withdrawal mech bolts in at that end.

Land rover changed the layshaft size and fixing method partway through the 2a production so early 2 and late 2a bellhousings and clutch mechs are not the same so ae not interchangeable.

Theoretically you could fit a S1 petrol gearbox onto a 6 cylinder engine.

The whole bellowing issue was discussed on a thread before Christmas when I was deciding which way to go.

Peter

A Series