Broken crank with a conversion to manual transmission

glester

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2017
96
3
Seattle
Started yesterday on pulling the engine (300tdi). It's almost ready to be pulled. Today the goal is to get the auto transmission and transfer case out. The main pulley and crank have a chunk broken out of them. So the engine comes out and we'll be replacing the crank. Also the plan is to put the R380 manual transmission and LT230 transfer box from a 300tdi disco. The transfer box is about the same gearing ~1.2, but the gears look good and figure to change while we're working on the other stuff. The old transfer box will be kept in case I want to regear to 1.4.

You know you're in love with a vehicle when you go through all this work and you know you're in love with a woman when she jumped into the engine bay and under the truck to work with you.
 
Very nice Disco! U2 have a lot of work to do!
Automatic 300TDI?s came with electronic injection pump, in order to compensate for automatic box lower performance. Is this pump still there?

I see that K & N filter warning sticker in your filter holder box. As a 300TDI user I have not found that filter convenient to use . The fact that turbo pressurizes inlet air to a setup value and is always limited by "Waste Gate" means that advantage it gives to aspirated V8 engines is here not present. In the other hand, dirt that it lets in is much greater than what cellulose filter lets in. I have removed it.

Regards
 

glester

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2017
96
3
Seattle
Very nice Disco! U2 have a lot of work to do!
Automatic 300TDI?s came with electronic injection pump, in order to compensate for automatic box lower performance. Is this pump still there?

I see that K & N filter warning sticker in your filter holder box. As a 300TDI user I have not found that filter convenient to use . The fact that turbo pressurizes inlet air to a setup value and is always limited by "Waste Gate" means that advantage it gives to aspirated V8 engines is here not present. In the other hand, dirt that it lets in is much greater than what cellulose filter lets in. I have removed it.

Regards

It was obviously converted from v8. No electronic injection pump. Also, I don't see any K&N filter sticker.
 

glester

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2017
96
3
Seattle
Updating from today. All the stuff is out. In the one photo you can see the chunk out of the crank that will need to be replaced.
 

turbodave

Well-known member
Nov 26, 2008
325
3
KY
If that’s the only damage, it can be repaired easily by a completent machine shop.

Great pics though! I can’t see my Maude jumping into an engine room!
 

glester

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2017
96
3
Seattle
If that?s the only damage, it can be repaired easily by a completent machine shop.

Great pics though! I can?t see my Maude jumping into an engine room!

True and that was a consideration, but I was planning to put the manual transmission and a different transfer case in anyway. And to be honest, I wanted to dig into the engine. There was some stuff called belzona 1111 that could have been used to repair it but it was about half the cost of a reconditioned crank for the stuff. So there's that.
 

glester

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2017
96
3
Seattle
What's the story on that motor?

That's a general question, so I'll assume you are asking if I know the history of this specific motor. This truck started as a V8 and a diesel conversation to this 300tdi was done by the owner previous to the one I bought it from. The guy I bought it from replaced the head with a performance head from Turner engineering. The engine with the V8 auto was a bit of a mess and always wanting to downshift, while sucking the power out of what is already not a very powerful motor.

I have some more updates on the work and it's been a bit slower going that I would have hoped but plan to be done in the next few days.
 

glester

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2017
96
3
Seattle
Cleaned the heck out of it and painted the block. Put a replacement crank in only to find it had a similar issue and the key was wearing on the crank. So out it came and pulled another crank out of another 300tdi that was in stock for parts. Got her in and should have the engine, transmission and transfer case all ready by end of tomorrow to put into the truck.
 

glester

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2017
96
3
Seattle
The pedal assembly that we had was from a UK truck so it's backwards and the pedals are not bent to the right like they are on the NAS. I am assuming the NAS pedals are bent to account for the fact that the clutch is up against the side kick plate on the LHD vs having more space on the RHD. In any event, the NAS pedal box is NLA and I'm praying that there is somebody in Salt Lake City area that could grab one off a pick-n-pull truck there or that there will be one available somehow online. I also need a replacement center console or a way to convert from the center console with the auto shifter cutout to the one that has a space for a manual shifter. Also I ordered an upper lever for the shifter and the boot and knob which I was also missing. The project is on pause right now until I can figure out some parts and have more time to devote to it. Hoping to be back at in in a couple weeks.
 

glester

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2017
96
3
Seattle
The pedal assembly that we had was from a UK truck so it's backwards and the pedals are not bent to the right like they are on the NAS. I am assuming the NAS pedals are bent to account for the fact that the clutch is up against the side kick plate on the LHD vs having more space on the RHD. In any event, the NAS pedal box is NLA and I'm praying that there is somebody in Salt Lake City area that could grab one off a pick-n-pull truck there or that there will be one available somehow online. I also need a replacement center console or a way to convert from the center console with the auto shifter cutout to the one that has a space for a manual shifter. Also I ordered an upper lever for the shifter and the boot and knob which I was also missing. The project is on pause right now until I can figure out some parts and have more time to devote to it. Hoping to be back at in in a couple weeks.

Big shout out to Great Basin Rovers out in SLC. I was desperate to find somebody to head to the pick n pull location and grab some items (including the pedal assembly). It turns out that he had a pedal assembly at his shop. Not only that, but he hooked me up with somebody at his shop that was willing to go to pick n pull to grab other assorted parts that I wanted that were manual transmission specific (center console, levers, etc). Of course I'm compensating them for all this, but I am super happy that they were able to help me out.

So...the project starts up again (hopefully) this weekend.

Included photos of the cleaned, painted and ready to install 300tdi and transmission/transfer box.
 

jymmiejamz

Well-known member
Dec 5, 2004
6,008
361
35
Los Angeles, Ca
Is your crank pulley cracked? I just took apart my 300 Tdi and found the pulley cracked right at the keyway. No damage to the keyway, but I am wondering if this could be the root cause of your issue. There were two others at the shop with cracked pulleys.

 

glester

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2017
96
3
Seattle
Is your crank pulley cracked? I just took apart my 300 Tdi and found the pulley cracked right at the keyway. No damage to the keyway, but I am wondering if this could be the root cause of your issue. There were two others at the shop with cracked pulleys.


No crack in the crank pulley that I saw. Fortunately for you, a replacement pulley is much better than a bad crank. :)
 

glester

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2017
96
3
Seattle
First 2 items off the list have been done. Hoping that another couple full days and we'll have it all done. I'm sure there is more detail to do than on the list, but this is the big stuff.
 

jymmiejamz

Well-known member
Dec 5, 2004
6,008
361
35
Los Angeles, Ca
Shiny gear lever it looks very good!
Typical pulley replacement in 300TDI?s is recommended when rubber part is worn. If not replaced, crankshaft can break in the first bend, behind oil gear. But after a lot of kilometers traveled...

Regards

The rubber on mine is fine, it is just cracked. I'm going to replace it anyway.