Sherpa gearbox - which one for 1980?
Discussion
Nice old bus BV.
I can confirm gearboxes on these make a decent bang when they explode.
Sherpa minibus, circa 1983/4, full load of school football team somewhere near Canterbury en route to an away match.
Cruising along at probly 50 or 60 when the PE teacher/driver dropped it down a cog to overtake.
BOOOOOM.
Match forfeited.
I can confirm gearboxes on these make a decent bang when they explode.
Sherpa minibus, circa 1983/4, full load of school football team somewhere near Canterbury en route to an away match.
Cruising along at probly 50 or 60 when the PE teacher/driver dropped it down a cog to overtake.
BOOOOOM.
Match forfeited.
Here are two not very good pics from the bike's eBay ad, taken by the seller standing too close to the bike. It is more elegant in real life than it looks in these pics.
I will post some better ones later when I have overcome some TECHNOFEAR issues.
Period accessories v good - I have things such as a proper 70s leather car coat (you wore that on cold spring and autumn mornings because the heater would not be warm enough by the time you got to the station, and you then left the coat in the car for the evening drive home, as you would not need a coat during the warmer bit of the day). Also old shades, and sometimes even packs of Rothmans and JPS (I don't smoke).
I will post some better ones later when I have overcome some TECHNOFEAR issues.
Period accessories v good - I have things such as a proper 70s leather car coat (you wore that on cold spring and autumn mornings because the heater would not be warm enough by the time you got to the station, and you then left the coat in the car for the evening drive home, as you would not need a coat during the warmer bit of the day). Also old shades, and sometimes even packs of Rothmans and JPS (I don't smoke).
Trabi601 said:
838HNK said:
I guess the "Light Steering" Sherpa was heavily loaded at the rear and the "Heavy Steering" had the stuff up the front .... and/or some big variances on tyre pressures ...
Or possibly someone hadn't greased the nipples on their trunnions.I'm loving the cg ,many many years ago i transplanted the barrel ,head,piston and carb from one of those on to a cb100n
problem was the cb100 had a higher rev limit than the cg and i ragged the nuts off of it untill the piston decided it was time to become a ashtray.
i did proper poop myself when the back wheel locked up on the isle of wight motorway
problem was the cb100 had a higher rev limit than the cg and i ragged the nuts off of it untill the piston decided it was time to become a ashtray.
i did proper poop myself when the back wheel locked up on the isle of wight motorway
The bike rides reet tidy, too. It's a1998 bike, registered in 2001. 124cc four stroke OHV single, carb, drum brakes, one up, four down, modern lights and electrics (lights always on as you ride), uprated loud hooter, side and centre stands. Speedo in Km/H (marked for 30, 50 and 50 mph), tacho, turn signal light. It seems to want to stay on half choke for longer than I would expect, but that may because of the ambient temperature and whatnot.
Breadvan72 said:
PS: This whole thread is just WRONG. The van is not from 1980 - it was registered on 9 October 1981 (the day after I started at university).
hmm, Freight Rover was created in 1981, so it was a Morris but when it was sold, the company selling it was Freight roverSteve Miller Band's the Joker "some people call me Mo-reees (woot woo)" was predicting the chaos in the BL nomenclature as early as 1973
I have had my Sherpa up to an indicated 70 on the M4, and it passes lorries going uphill with ease, without changing down. It feels like it has more in it, but I do not want to push it, for fear that I will end up pushing it. The single-carbed O Series seems to me a good engine - reasonably smooth and responsive, and third and fourth gears are long and pully. I have been offered a five speed gearbox from a later O Series engined van. A Laycock overdrive would be more period, but could add one more thing to go wrong. The Laycock overdrive on my Dolomite Sprint works very well, but the one on my old Triumph Vitesse never worked properly.
This one is for sale and is the actual MGB van - B Series engine.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/leyland-sherpa-classic-c...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/leyland-sherpa-classic-c...
Since the threads been resurrected...
I lived in East End London as a student in the early 90's. One day I heard a police siren and a V8 working hard, unusual for the time and place, unless you were watching the Sweeny. I looked about, assuming I was about to see a chase in progress.
Eventually a faded and battered red Sherpa, complete with ladders and window cleaners' sign writing, blue lights (on dashboard?), siren and V8 came rattling past. Engine working hard without going especially fast. Seemed a strange thing to do as I would have thought it would quickly have become well known by the criminal fraternity.
Police vehicles were often comically driven at that time. Because of Roadcraft they were not allowed to change gear unless going in a straight line so they would enter roundabout in first gear, having had to stop, then go all the way round, siren blaring, at about 6000rpm and 18mph.
I lived in East End London as a student in the early 90's. One day I heard a police siren and a V8 working hard, unusual for the time and place, unless you were watching the Sweeny. I looked about, assuming I was about to see a chase in progress.
Eventually a faded and battered red Sherpa, complete with ladders and window cleaners' sign writing, blue lights (on dashboard?), siren and V8 came rattling past. Engine working hard without going especially fast. Seemed a strange thing to do as I would have thought it would quickly have become well known by the criminal fraternity.
Police vehicles were often comically driven at that time. Because of Roadcraft they were not allowed to change gear unless going in a straight line so they would enter roundabout in first gear, having had to stop, then go all the way round, siren blaring, at about 6000rpm and 18mph.
I know it's an old thread, and the gearbox has probably been sorted, but for anyone coming later to find the info, a few points:
Firstly, if it's got a 4 speed box, the overdrive version will fit. The Later freight rovers,. and the Leyland DAF with that engine, but a 5 speed box had a different prop shaft and different centre bearing mount so It becomes a biggish welding job not just a bolt on.
The 2.0 O-Series Petrol is a good engine, long lasting reliable and pretty economical for it's era. You can of course get the twin carbs off an SD1 O series, or the electronic injection and if it'll fit the turbo of the later Montego, but personally I reckon it's good as it is, especially with the extra legs of the overdrive.
The only engine swap I'd consider is to the O-series Diesel (AKA the Rover MDi, Perkins Prima & Volvo MD22 marine engine) which is a great engine, but a big job, as you have to swap the starter (flip back plate, cut chunk out of bell housing) and exhaust (then back across to avoid the water tank) sides and run a fuel return. Anyhow it may be the wrong time to be switching to Diesel (I did so I could run off chip oil).
You can fit the V8 but have to cut up the bulkhead as the later vans had a wider indentation, and as well as eating fuel, it's pretty useless unless you're going to fit Fat tyres: the only one I've heard of in use still wheel spins if you accelerate when already doing 50.
The only Sherpa I'd consider putting it in is one of the, rare as hell, but occasionally found 4x4 versions Freight Rover made for a short while. Splice the camper onto one of those and you'd really be going places.
Sherpa steering only requires the kingpins and steering box/linkages to be maintained, and if you see a dead LDV Pilot, you can exchange the entire front axle (I did it springs and all) which gives you the later roller bearing kingpins and disc brakes.
It's also worth keeping the water tank at least half full, as the van still has springs for being loaded as a work van, so tends to be a bit bouncy.
Assuming you still have the lever arm shocks, check for any leakage, what my MOT man used to advise was a "light misting of oil" and if found, get on ebay, as there have been a few new old stock ones recently which I found made an improvement I didn't realise I needed.
The reason your 1980 Morris Van was registered in 1981 is because Autosleeper used to buy them in batches and take a while to convert them before sending them out for sale; My '78 Sherpa was made in '77, but the DVLA although accepting it was a '77 van pointed out that the Camper was '78 so no I couldn't go tax exempt a year early unless I went back to being a Van.
Lovely van, exactly what I was looking for, as it's the old style body and hopefully interior, but with the O-series engine fitted as original. If you ever sell it, please let me know.
Firstly, if it's got a 4 speed box, the overdrive version will fit. The Later freight rovers,. and the Leyland DAF with that engine, but a 5 speed box had a different prop shaft and different centre bearing mount so It becomes a biggish welding job not just a bolt on.
The 2.0 O-Series Petrol is a good engine, long lasting reliable and pretty economical for it's era. You can of course get the twin carbs off an SD1 O series, or the electronic injection and if it'll fit the turbo of the later Montego, but personally I reckon it's good as it is, especially with the extra legs of the overdrive.
The only engine swap I'd consider is to the O-series Diesel (AKA the Rover MDi, Perkins Prima & Volvo MD22 marine engine) which is a great engine, but a big job, as you have to swap the starter (flip back plate, cut chunk out of bell housing) and exhaust (then back across to avoid the water tank) sides and run a fuel return. Anyhow it may be the wrong time to be switching to Diesel (I did so I could run off chip oil).
You can fit the V8 but have to cut up the bulkhead as the later vans had a wider indentation, and as well as eating fuel, it's pretty useless unless you're going to fit Fat tyres: the only one I've heard of in use still wheel spins if you accelerate when already doing 50.
The only Sherpa I'd consider putting it in is one of the, rare as hell, but occasionally found 4x4 versions Freight Rover made for a short while. Splice the camper onto one of those and you'd really be going places.
Sherpa steering only requires the kingpins and steering box/linkages to be maintained, and if you see a dead LDV Pilot, you can exchange the entire front axle (I did it springs and all) which gives you the later roller bearing kingpins and disc brakes.
It's also worth keeping the water tank at least half full, as the van still has springs for being loaded as a work van, so tends to be a bit bouncy.
Assuming you still have the lever arm shocks, check for any leakage, what my MOT man used to advise was a "light misting of oil" and if found, get on ebay, as there have been a few new old stock ones recently which I found made an improvement I didn't realise I needed.
The reason your 1980 Morris Van was registered in 1981 is because Autosleeper used to buy them in batches and take a while to convert them before sending them out for sale; My '78 Sherpa was made in '77, but the DVLA although accepting it was a '77 van pointed out that the Camper was '78 so no I couldn't go tax exempt a year early unless I went back to being a Van.
Lovely van, exactly what I was looking for, as it's the old style body and hopefully interior, but with the O-series engine fitted as original. If you ever sell it, please let me know.
p.s. Your one not only has the more useful engine than the blue 4 grand one, but it was a much better buy.
The blue one has lost it's side seams, which may just mean filler, or may be plated over, and that's where the floor joins the side panel and the bottom box section, so you have no idea what's been done to the structure when they "repaired" it. The skirts have also been cut away rather than repaired at the front and back, front and back bumpers have been bodged, and the door mounted spare means the undermounted one has probably rotted away: It's had serious rust problems.
The blue one has lost it's side seams, which may just mean filler, or may be plated over, and that's where the floor joins the side panel and the bottom box section, so you have no idea what's been done to the structure when they "repaired" it. The skirts have also been cut away rather than repaired at the front and back, front and back bumpers have been bodged, and the door mounted spare means the undermounted one has probably rotted away: It's had serious rust problems.
Edited by SherpaSam on Monday 13th November 01:38
Thanks for all that useful info. The OD gearbox is still in my shed where it has been since July. It might get fitted over the winter. The water tank idea is a good one.
The Sherpa went to Ireland on hols. had a fifty Euro points and condenser fix in a rural location, and came back home. It has barely moved for the last month or so.
The Sherpa went to Ireland on hols. had a fifty Euro points and condenser fix in a rural location, and came back home. It has barely moved for the last month or so.
I used to work for a supplier to Freight Rover/LDV, so the works van was always a Sherpa.
The first one I drove was similar in size to yours, just before it was getting traded in I had borrowed it, I was working nightshift and we had a huge dump of snow.
I had great fun on the empty roads doing handbrake turns and powerslides.
The snow was heavy overnight, so we started to get calls that guys couldn't get in, so I set off and collected a few, then delivered most of the nightshift home, the earlier practice I had had came in useful.
It's replacement was a big double rear wheel one, the MD at the time was into all sorts of dodges, like a new phone system fitted by a carpet fitter....
This one had a huge box added, not a Luton, and the aerodynamics of a brick, it was terrifying when lightly loaded in crosswinds.
The MD modified it when he drove into a railway bridge and took the corners off, then someone else drove it into a petrol station canopy, that's how high it was.
Eventually it was truncated, and did good service moving stuff between factory units.
One one such trip, at 6am, I was hit by a Cavalier, a guy had taken Daddy's car without asking, Mummy and Daddy were chasing him in her car, and he took a 15mph corner about 30, the Sherpa got hit on the driver's side, hard enough to jam the drivers door, and force the radiator into the fan.
Apart from a sore pinky I was fine, the Cav was a write off at 2 months old, the Sherpa got repaired and lasted a few more years, but the front suspension was always problematic, and it went to the knackers yard, its replacement, a MK6 Transit , was like a limo in comparison...
Enjoy the Sherpa, we have an even older Autosleeper Talisman, and they are great fun! :-)
The first one I drove was similar in size to yours, just before it was getting traded in I had borrowed it, I was working nightshift and we had a huge dump of snow.
I had great fun on the empty roads doing handbrake turns and powerslides.
The snow was heavy overnight, so we started to get calls that guys couldn't get in, so I set off and collected a few, then delivered most of the nightshift home, the earlier practice I had had came in useful.
It's replacement was a big double rear wheel one, the MD at the time was into all sorts of dodges, like a new phone system fitted by a carpet fitter....
This one had a huge box added, not a Luton, and the aerodynamics of a brick, it was terrifying when lightly loaded in crosswinds.
The MD modified it when he drove into a railway bridge and took the corners off, then someone else drove it into a petrol station canopy, that's how high it was.
Eventually it was truncated, and did good service moving stuff between factory units.
One one such trip, at 6am, I was hit by a Cavalier, a guy had taken Daddy's car without asking, Mummy and Daddy were chasing him in her car, and he took a 15mph corner about 30, the Sherpa got hit on the driver's side, hard enough to jam the drivers door, and force the radiator into the fan.
Apart from a sore pinky I was fine, the Cav was a write off at 2 months old, the Sherpa got repaired and lasted a few more years, but the front suspension was always problematic, and it went to the knackers yard, its replacement, a MK6 Transit , was like a limo in comparison...
Enjoy the Sherpa, we have an even older Autosleeper Talisman, and they are great fun! :-)
Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff