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Old 01-15-2017, 11:59 AM   #1
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1966 DD Bristol Lodekka engine swap?

Hello!

Long time lurker, first time poster. Have an opportunity to purchase a 1966 Bristol Lodekka for very cheap...only huge issue, no engine/tranny. Was used stationary.

Now I love a huge project and always complete them, but I'm trying to understand a process that I can upgrade the engine/tranny without doing the Gardner overseas thing which will cost a ricidulous amount of $$.

Can anybody here give some insight what has worked, will not work etc, so I can continue my possible info gathering ?

Thanks in advance

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Old 01-15-2017, 12:04 PM   #2
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Not to discourage you but repowering a bus that old is going to be a massive undertaking.

Also since it's originally a bus that was designed and operated on the other side of the Atlantic, there's naturally going to be very few people here in the US (I'm assuming that's where you're at) that will know anything about these vehicles.
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Old 01-15-2017, 01:21 PM   #3
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First off, don't let anyone discourage you from doing this IF you have the means to. If you don't have she skills and cash to do it you are in for a disappointment.
Any engine combo could be put in this if it fits. The best thing is to get a doner rig so you can take all the mounts, linkages and even framework.
Post a bunch of pics of the bus including the engine bay.
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Old 01-15-2017, 11:22 PM   #4
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Were those things front wheel drive?

That's the only way I can think of to get the bottom floor as low as they did.
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Old 01-16-2017, 02:40 AM   #5
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It would probably be a good idea to get a donor bus with axles heavy enough to go under the Bristol bus. Finding suspension parts or wheel end parts for a Bristol bus in the US or Canada is going to be a nightmare.

Since you are going to need a donor for the engine and transmission you would be $$$ ahead purchasing a donor that has everything you need.

As far as swapping something in, finding something that will fit inside the space is going to be your first hurdle. The second is going to be mounting it in such a way that it will be safe and durable.

With enough time and $$$ just about anything is doable. Only you can decide if it is doable with the resources that you have available.
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Old 01-16-2017, 10:24 AM   #6
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I found the answer to my question...

Looks like they were rear wheel drive, but used some sort of auxiliary gearbox behind the transmission to drop the driveshaft down super low to allow for the floor to be very low.

In swapping in a new engine and transmission, it sounds like you'll either have to engineer a way to get the driveshaft lowered down like the original design did, or build a tunnel down the middle of the floor, which would be a real challenge to design the interior around.

Also, it sounds like the original drive axle is designed for an input rotation that's backwards from modern drivetrains. So like cowlitzcoach suggested, swapping out the drive axle might be a really good idea.

Check out this site... Photo Tour | Double Decker Dream Home

He's a member here also. If you can get ahold of him, he could probably provide you with some pretty good insight. His user name is karlw. Here's a thread he started sometime last year... http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/19...html#post80235
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