Just bought 109". Advice and guidance please

[CNorman]

Hi there,
Have just got hold of a series 3 109" hard top.

The vehicle has the 2.25 petrol engine however at somepoint has had a series 2 box fitted without syncro on 1st and 2nd.

Could some one more knowledgeable answer the following questions,

1). Where is the best place to obtain a syncro series 3 box prefereblly with an overdrive for a good price?

2). The brakes work but need a huge amount of stomping to bite. It is non servo. Is there anything i can do to improve this and is fitting servo assistance hard.

Thanks

Chris

[Jim-Willy]

Series 3 boxes are ten a penny, tbh i would live with what you have.........  I'm sure someone will pop up on here and offer one soon tho'.  O/D are worth a lot of money and go for daft prices on Ebay.........  Some series had servo brakes and the parts are available but am told they are quite rare, mine hasn't got one either.

[Rich_P]

Are you sure it's a 2A gearbox and not a 3 gearbox that's got knackered first and second syncros?  Series 3 syncros don't tend to last all that well or long.

The brakes need adjustment, or even bleeding perhaps if you have to pump them.  Fitting a Servo is not straight forward, as it involves replacing the whole brake master cylinder system (including the pedal box).

[Jim-Willy]

We want piccys of the beast anall........... :)

[Les Henson]

My first two L/R's were 109's. I fitted servo brakes to it and a 2.5 N/A engine. Good ol' buses the 109's - wish I still had one really.


Les.

[Bob Ajob]

As said above, brake bleeding on a 109 is notorious for being done badly, some garages can't even manage it! The problem lays within the design, having two wheel cylinders on the front brakes rather than just one makes for more difficult bleeding of the whole system. There is a method to doing it right, have seen it posted before (either here or Series2club).

Gearboxes come and go quite frequently, keep an eye out for people breaking vehicles in the for sale section of this forum (and others) also keep an eye out in the 4 LR mags - £40-50?

Overdrive, you're looking at an average price of £250 (secondhand of course, or approx £900 new), and condition is never guaranteed, especially from online auctions with no viewing - ALWAYS view something you can't afford to be kna''ered.