Hey all,
I've been very seriously toying with the idea of doing a manual (R380) swap into my automatic '96 D1 4.0. I've got a friend of a friend with a spare R380 + pedal box laying around that he's willing to sell for $500. I haven't seen the gearbox in person yet, but this seems like a great deal, even if a new clutch and flywheel are needed. Very curious about what else I'll need to complete the swap though. I know I'll need a new ECU, center console, shifter and boot... I'd imagine I'll need a master cylinder for the the clutch, and some new lines for the gearbox fluid too. Anyone out there successfully done this swap on their truck? Any and all advice is welcome. Thanks as always.

 

I believe the flywheels are getting harder to find / pricey so try to get that as well if you can.
If you have the room to store one, you might be better off getting a whole manual trans parts truck for slightly more $ since you'll inevitably run into more parts (bolts, washers, gaskets) that you need for the detailed installs. You can also look to the parts trucj as a template for how things line up etc.

 

Yeah the absolute dream would be to have a donor truck that I could directly swap everything over from. There's a really clean manual D1 for sale in my area, but I'm afraid I don't have the space for a 2nd Disco, and the $4500 price tag is just a bit steep for me at the moment. Looks like Rovers North and Lucky8 both have the clutch + flywheel kit for around $350.

 

Let me know where you are located at! I would love to help assist in this. I am also wanting to swap my discovery over to a manual eventually. Hell, Id like to find one with an absolutely mint interior, and completely strip everything. Put one ton axles under it, a cummins 4BT, and a manual transmission. That would be the dream off road rig for me. One day when I have a lot bigger shop, and more money than brains.

 

That is the dream indeed! I'm out in Los Angeles.