Help With Gearbox Please!

[buddabeast]

Hi everyone, hopefully I can get some feedback on this one.

My gearbox has blown and I think I have found a replacement.

My current broken one says L5 NMCA on the bellhousing with no other numbers that I can find. (It's in my 85 LD28 Laurel)

The one I am looking to buy says L3 NMCA on the bellhousing with #3 on the tailshaft housing. (It was used in a Bedford CF van with an LD28 also).

Both boxes are 800mm long.

Does anyone know if both these boxes are the 71B's? And whether they will be interchangable?

Thanks!

[buddabeast]

So apparently my original box has the L6 bellhousing but is a 71C.. kinda rare.. and will be hard to find.

[asavage]

I have not seen the tailshaft housing that your Laurel's has. All the SD and LDs here that I've seen have the housing like your Bedford one there.

That said, you can mix-n-match the FS5W71x parts. You'll need an L front case half, and your Laurel's rear housing. Get the front bearings replaced to match your front case, and then use the rest of the guts from pretty much any good gearbox you can find.

That's the approach I'd take, were I in your position.