Nice, youre on a roll! Lot of projects lately. Seen that on youtube how to install all complete parts.

 

I'm having a nice '03 delivered and will be doing the same swap from my '99. My understanding is that only the front "nose" section of the t-case needs to be swapped. Pretty sure it can be done with the everything still in the truck but I'm not certain on that part -- it might help that you have to take the centre console out and open up the floor to mount the new lever since that will give you better access to he top side of the case.
Any necessary wires should already be in place but I believe that they only serve to operate the warnings on the dash rather than performing anything like a lockout function.

Edit: see this thread on the wiring that needs to be done: https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...7-c0681-86397/

 

I was looking to do this myself and was told by several on this forum that the "Nose Swap" was not a good idea. Is there any settled science on this issue?

 

Anything you can point to that says it's not the best approach? I have been doing my research and haven't seen that mentioned. The only real difficulty seems to be accessing some of the bolts but since you have to open up the top side to install the new lever anyway, that minimises the issue because then you can get to them.

 

Swapping the nose on a tcase thats already installed is a pain in the ****. The swap is as simple as installing the new case and getting either D1 linkage or 04 linkage to activate it. Only wiring involved is if you want the light on the dash to illuminate.

 

 

I wouldn't swap the nose! There is a crucial bearing pre-load set on the center diff, and if you simply swap them you are very likely to throw it off. as much as 0.1mm is enough to grenade, or seriously shorten the life on your t-case. But for a quick fix, and if you don't really care about the reliability, go for it... if it passes 500 miles you are probably OK

Full rebuild or a full swap is the way to go.

99 will swap into an 03 without any issues. The 03 might not have a temp sensor, so swap the sensor or plug it, depending on the vehicle harness

 

I did the front output housing swap for my 2003. It really is not that difficult in the vehicle, not very fun but not that bad. I chose this route as I knew what I had with the case currently installed and knew nothing about the donor. Since the only difference between the locking 04 and the non locking 03 was a few parts in the output housing I chose that route. You do not touch anything past the front housing so it is basically a swap. There is a good write up on the Land Rover Club VI website. But for me it was an unbolt drive shaft, remove, clean/seal and install the new housing. You need to obviously make some room with the wye pipe and T case mount but in a nutshell that is it.

There are some advantages to replacing the entire case and one would be getting to that seal where the case and the transmission mate up. That seal has a propensity to seep in time and requires a pull of the entire case.

https://landroverclubvi.weebly.com/2003cdlinstall.html

Paul Grant, Abran and several others I cannot recall provided some input on this route. We all need to make the decision based on what our specific needs are but my Disco is in Baja right now after my delivery trip in May so I feel the output housing swap is a good option if you go that route. This all reminds me that I need to do a "post build" thank you to the forum, the vast majority of the folks here are more than helpful.

Good luck.

 

My 2003 was installed with CDL by a LR independent repair shop 5 years ago. They only swapped the front output housing swap. Keeping fingers crossed, no issues so far and I have done quite a bit of off-roading.

I like Grammin's video which he made earlier in the year on the front housing swap. He is the one who also figured out the wiring of the CDL sensor lights.