OK this is possibly something nobody's ever done, or dreamed of doing, but then so was sailing west to go to China. (i.e. Columbus) I have a thing in the back of my head and need advice.
I have been offered a very junky Range Rover, nice all-aluminium 3.9 V8 but the manual 4speed is trash.
Considering a 5speed for the car can be easily found at the local junkyard (from a scrapped Rover sedan), my pipedream was to replace the manual 2speed transfer case (Hi-Lo), which DEMANDS the vehicle to be absolutely stationary to shift between Hi/Lo, with the epicyclical 'box from an automatic transmission.
In other words: in an auto'box, the epicyclical gears are always all engaged, with belts deciding which cog freewheels and which is (more or less) stationary, hence 3fwd speeds etc. The torque converter and the hydraulic labyrinth are there because there isn't a clutch, and to change gears automatically.
BUT if I already do have a clutch and a manual gearbox, can the epicyclical gears be fitted instead of the transfer case?
Why go through so much trouble? Imagine downshifting from Hi to Mid to Lo, without having to stop-shift-restart !
This would give me 5 forward speeds, applicable to three different environments: drive-heavy towing-offroad.
So, am I crazy or is it possible?
Maurizio
PS sorry for the long post, but it's been nagging me...
and if it works for me, it'll work for anybody !
I have been offered a very junky Range Rover, nice all-aluminium 3.9 V8 but the manual 4speed is trash.
Considering a 5speed for the car can be easily found at the local junkyard (from a scrapped Rover sedan), my pipedream was to replace the manual 2speed transfer case (Hi-Lo), which DEMANDS the vehicle to be absolutely stationary to shift between Hi/Lo, with the epicyclical 'box from an automatic transmission.
In other words: in an auto'box, the epicyclical gears are always all engaged, with belts deciding which cog freewheels and which is (more or less) stationary, hence 3fwd speeds etc. The torque converter and the hydraulic labyrinth are there because there isn't a clutch, and to change gears automatically.
BUT if I already do have a clutch and a manual gearbox, can the epicyclical gears be fitted instead of the transfer case?
Why go through so much trouble? Imagine downshifting from Hi to Mid to Lo, without having to stop-shift-restart !
This would give me 5 forward speeds, applicable to three different environments: drive-heavy towing-offroad.
So, am I crazy or is it possible?
Maurizio
PS sorry for the long post, but it's been nagging me...
and if it works for me, it'll work for anybody !