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Lj80
Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 9:42 pm
by simo toyo
Hi there quick q? how tricky is it to replace the engine and running gear in an Lj80 to sierra gear or is there a better option to upgrade? who does work like this?
Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 8:11 am
by offroader-rama
i have had a 4k corrola 5sp in one it would sit at 110ks all day no problem and great off road i still have an adaptor to do this if your interested i also had a a15 dato moto in one with a 32/36 weber extractors etc... went heaps harder than corrola motor but it was 4sp, 5sp are available but hard to find and dear all the morris minor guys got them.
may have access to 4k and 5sp too
i have diff centers, disc brakes, lockers, axels, lifted springs, ajustable koni shocks and i dont what else for these
and I'll never use them again.
pm me if your interested or need any more advise.
i have had three lj80s love them but to small for a familly af four or id still have one
Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 7:30 pm
by simo toyo
I currently run a yota fj40 with a 350 chev etc. It's very costly on the fuel front. I was thinking of going something smaller. I love Lj80 too but they're gutless really I just wanted to find out if it was very tricky to wind them up a bit. If it was worth it really.
Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 8:17 pm
by Jock
Stick a 1 litre in their ( get rid of the 800cc if they have it) do some head work, fit a 1.3 dizzy ( electronic ignition) goes straight in no mods, fit some 1 litre diff gears, 4.555 Lj80 to 4.111 sierra so you get better highway speed and that will do.
Hey its suzuki. Why destroy it with yota parts or datsun parts.
A12 A14 A15 conversion you have to do some nasty stuff to the steering so you will get 100kph but it will be scary.
Strolla conversion leaves a jackshaft that is about 20mm and no engine fan
1.3 sierra conversion is really bad as the lj has centred diffs front and rear and the sierra transfer case is set up for offset diffs.
Also with the centred diff and these big heavy horrible cast iron outdated motors you loose all your travel in the front due to the pumpkin hitting the sump.
Can I suggest buying a swift? I did. $28 gets me 400kms

Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 8:46 pm
by offroader-rama
jock i moved the radiator foward for the corrola and a thermo problem fixed as for the datto there where no changes to the steering??
i still reconmend the 4k corrola 5sp cheap easy and go well i raced a fj40 with a 400chev and beat him to 130ks he then found fourth and slowly pulled away to about 140ks but he had his tail between his legs and head down.
something to consider full nt 1.3 5sp sierra running gear diffs and all jock arent lj80 stockmans(with a 1ltr) the same width as a narrow track diff reguardless of punkin? if so go narrow track diffs 1.3ltr,5sp, 1ltr transfer i have all this spare if your interested
Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 9:39 pm
by Gwagensteve
Jock wrote:Stick a 1 litre in their ( get rid of the 800cc if they have it) do some head work, fit a 1.3 dizzy ( electronic ignition) goes straight in no mods, fit some 1 litre diff gears, 4.555 Lj80 to 4.111 sierra so you get better highway speed and that will do.
Hey its suzuki. Why destroy it with yota parts or datsun parts.
A12 A14 A15 conversion you have to do some nasty stuff to the steering so you will get 100kph but it will be scary.
Strolla conversion leaves a jackshaft that is about 20mm and no engine fan
1.3 sierra conversion is really bad as the lj has centred diffs front and rear and the sierra transfer case is set up for offset diffs.
Also with the centred diff and these big heavy horrible cast iron outdated motors you loose all your travel in the front due to the pumpkin hitting the sump.
Can I suggest buying a swift? I did. $28 gets me 400kms

I agree with pretty much all of this Jock, except that 1.3's are a bad conversion - they are just plenty of work - I have seen an LJ where the 1.3 transfer case was used but clocked so the outputs were directly below the input. Seemed to wrk quite well.
I agree though, A 1.0 is a good swap.
A 660 turbo would be even better, except for the emissions issue.
Steve.
PS tell me more about the 1.3 dizzy into 1.0 thing- I have a 1.0 with very unstable timing ATM.
Steve.
Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:10 pm
by Jock
offroader-rama wrote:
something to consider full nt 1.3 5sp sierra running gear diffs and all jock arent lj80 stockmans(with a 1ltr) the same width as a narrow track diff reguardless of punkin? if so go narrow track diffs 1.3ltr,5sp, 1ltr transfer i have all this spare if your interested
Yes they are the same width BUT the LJ80 diff centre is in the middle in the front and rear and the 1 lire/NT diffs are off set to the right hand side.
The tunnel is the main issue sierra transfer case. My LJ50 HAD a A12 in it and now I have gone for the F-6A with the 5 speed :-)
The A12 conversion the steering had to be lowered and this created some issues. But it was a LJ50 and they don't have the same bonnet as the LJ80. You can fit the motor higher in the LJ80.
Another option is teh 5 speed behind a litre. The 5 speed from a F-6A will bolt straight in. Buy a half cut 660 for $1200, sell the front diff with 5,125 diff gears for 150, sell the transfer case for $250, sell the A/C for $200 sell the F-6A motor for $500 to a ricer for his mighty boyand you end up with a 5 speed for $100 :-) To buy the boxes you would normally pay up to $1000. These boxes have the 4:1 first gear too.
And the 1.3 electronic ignition into a 1 litre/800 is pretty simple. Undo dizzy, pull ot, throw at neighbours annoying children, slide 1.3 in and wire up. :-)
More info and pics can be found at LJ10.com in the forums. Just do a search.
Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 7:28 am
by Gwagensteve
Thanks Jock- I'll have a search for the sierra dizzy thing.
One issue though - Maybe not all f6a's have the same bolt pattern? The Cappuccino motored car I put together does not have a 1.0 bolt pattern.
We oriniganlly built it with a modified cap gearbox, then melted it, so amongst other things tried a 1.0 box - no fit.
This car now has a sierra 660 gearbox behind the cap motor, which was a straight bolt up.
From memory, NO bolts lined up between the F6A and the 1.0 gearbox, even though they looked identical.
PS I have had both boxs apart side by side and the gearsets are not interchangeable either so you can't bolt the 5th gear extension onto the 1.0 box. the bigger 1st gear (4:1) means that the idler is offset about 2mm more away from the mainshaft.
Apparently the way to build a 5 speed for a 1.0 is with a carry van gearbox.
Steve.
Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 7:38 pm
by Jock
Gwagensteve wrote:
Apparently the way to build a 5 speed for a 1.0 is with a carry van gearbox.
Steve.
or another way is to get a 4 speed maruti box, and a 5th gear from a 1.3 box and get the 5th gear machined down and slide it straight into the 4 speed box :-)
This is what I heard form someone who did this once before. Or just get the 5 speed from a maruti.
Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 7:57 pm
by offroader-rama
jock out of curiosity how much for a set of lj diffs thinking of building a mini moon buggy for the kids. and are 1ltr nt centers the same front and rear as lj's
Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 9:19 am
by Gwagensteve
Jock wrote: Or just get the 5 speed from a maruti.
I have never heard of a 5 speed Maruti (and these don't have a 1.0 block bolt pattern either)
Arrgh! More Maruti myths.... does anyone out there have a factory 5speed maruti!!!!
Steve.
Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 9:44 am
by Jaffa
I believe, but havn't actually seen with my own eyes that there were some 1.3 5 speed maruti's. Is that what you are refering to Jock?
Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 5:31 am
by Jock
Gwagensteve wrote:Jock wrote: Or just get the 5 speed from a maruti.
I have never heard of a 5 speed Maruti (and these don't have a 1.0 block bolt pattern either).
I have seen a maruti engine in a LJ80. Bolts straight in to the lj box..... LJ had 800cc f-8a and f 10a factory fitted. This particular Lj had the 800cc then 2, 1 litres (f-10a)and now runs a maruti engine (1 litre). all on the same box.
Gwagensteve wrote:Arrgh! More Maruti myths.... does anyone out there have a factory 5speed maruti!!!!
Steve.
Okay this does need more research for my peace of mind but I am sure you will be right :-(
about the 4 speed maruti box conversion conversion to 5 speed
on another forum
on another forum wrote:Hey Jimbo.
I did the 5sp conversion to my 1 litre. You will need a 4sp gearbox from the maruti ( 1990-2000 model suzuki ute). You will also need a 5th gear out of a 1.3L sierra gearbox. Also the selector. then you will need to take it to a gearbox shop and have them mill out the gearbox case so it can accept a 1.3 L main shaft bearing, at the end of your 4sp mainshft. ( the mainshaft in a maruti box is actually the same as a 5sp 1.3L mainshaft, which begs the question......why didn't they just put a 5th gear in? :evil: )
It would be wise to change the bearings in the gearbox at the same time ( read: rebuild the gearbox), so after all this, asuming you already have a maruti gearbox, it will cost you over $500 to get your box converted to a 5sp.
You need to get some quotes from good gearbox shops, and wiegh that up against the cost of a 1.3L NT zook.
JMO
Pete