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-   -   Mahindra Classic 4x4. 2.5 Liter Diesel. Back on the road! (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-vehicles/42675-mahindra-classic-4x4-2-5-liter-diesel-back-road-11.html)

@GTO You need a tyre upgrade, considering the terrain you are doing!!
Do you have this planned in the near future. A nice AT or MT tread should do nicely.

Navin, he is already using an all-terrain tyre. That is Michelin LTX A/T tyre, almost 7 years old and still holding, if I am not mistaken.

Dear GTO - it is indeed nice to know that one year has passed since you fitted the new engine in your classic. This once again proves that there is only one way to do a job and that is the perfect way. I would like to take this forum to once again request all off roading Team BHPians to please not take shortcuts in equipping your vehicles. I wish you many many more years of off-roading with your CL340 classic vehicle.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

As Samurai mentioned, I'm running Michelin A/Ts which are pretty good off the road. However, will be changing them to a larger size soon (as a part of the ground clearance wishlist).

5

Words of wisdom. Thanks

GTO,

I'm in the process of installing a XD3P engine on my Mahindra Classic, in fact just now the engine has been put on to the Jeep's engine bay.

I'm having an issue while trying to connect the clutch cable.

With the older XDP engine, we had a clutch yoke under the driver seat area on the chassis to operate the clutch, so it is on the right hand side.

Now with the XD3P, the bell house is having provision for clutch on the left side due to the right side starter motor assy. Also there is not yoke setup in the MM550 and the clutch cable is directly routed to clutch assy.

The yoke or holder kind of setup above the gearbox which routes the clutch cable is unable to be installed because in the MM550 width of the platform is wider than CJ3B and the clamp was easily accommodated.

How did you over come this problem?

Currently I was given two solution

1. To fabricate a clamp to suite the CJ3B body profile, so that all the XD3P engine/clutch components could be used.

2. Install the bell house of Peugeot XDP 4.9 with old ply wheel and starter motor so the cable can still work like older model

Any light on this ?

Fantastic thread! Really demonstrates what is really meant by a labour of love.

Btw, what was the reason for M & M to discontinue making and selling the Classic?

Cheers,
Vikram

Dear trammway - I presume that you have the clutch operating cross shaft mounted between the chassis and the transmission. As far as my memory goes, we had bell housings for XD3 suitable for the cross shaft. The vehicle was the MM775 export 8 seater (actually a commander hard top) where the clutch cable was connected to the suspended pedal but it actuated the cross shaft. This was one iteration before the Armada NGCS introduced in December 1997. See if you can get hold of this bell housing. YOU SHOULD NOT USE XDP4.90 FLYWHEEL ON XD3 UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. YOU WILL RUIN THE ENGINE. IN WORST CASE, YOU WILL BREAK THE CRANKSHAFT.

If I may add, you should have studied all this before starting the conversion. Now that you have started, in the worst case, you will have to rework the bell housing which is again going to reduce reliability because it will be a garage job. Please be clear and careful in whatever you do.

Some photographs of your vehicle will help me in guiding you further. Please do post some photographs.

GTO's vehicle was done in a workshop having access to OE parts network as per BOM and parts catalogue.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

Sir,

I appreciate and accept all the information you have given here. Even before taking this transplantation I was pretty sure not to use the XDP 4.9 bell housing.

The only mistake I did was to assume the Y clamp that was fitted above gear box in MM550 will be a straight fit in to my Classic.

I'm referring the below part as Y clamp, since the space between the gearbox and body tub was very minimal I'm unable to install it in the classic. As of now I'm fabricating a miniature Y clamp for this purpose. (Infact two of them are getting fabricated one for backup purpose.)



I'm glad there was a suitable bell housing existed for cross shaft setup. Anyway I'm still open to buy anything that can help me make the Classic without much modification.

I would have been happy to get the job done at Mahindra Dealership but I was surprised even minimalistic information is not available with Mahindra service center at Guindy (India Garage), I spoke to the service manager too but I have to explain Classic Jeep and 4WD etc to the service personal who was attending me. So, I opted to do the exercise myself. The truth is that MPL, India Garage all of them are having access to the OE parts network but none of them shown interest in taking up project like this, unless and until I get a person who is passionate doing this from dealer network all of my dreams will stand as dream only.

We are really cursed in this side of country even the basic parts for JEEP (forgetting Classic but even the normal jeeps) are not supported by Mahindra Dealerships. I know my words may sound hurting (I feel sorry about it) but that is the truth.

Here is an example,

I inquired with a scrap vendor here for converting one of my friend's manual break system to booster assisted disc breaks and the scrap vendor quoted for the 2nd hand parts for Rs. 15K, so I gave up.

After a long long long waiting (7 months) today I got a positive response from ML auto that the parts for converting disc break including rotor, caliper assy, pipe lines, TVS booster kit with mas cylinder for Rs. 15K only.

You know why the scrap vendor selling stuffs for Rs.15K? the only reason people like hardcore jeep lovers are finding hard to get any OE parts from any source.

Once again sorry to bring this issue under this thread.

Now coming back to my engine transplantation, I would be happy if you can show me a pointer where can I get suitable bell housing and complete wiring kit for my Mahindra Classic.

And the picture of my jeep under restoration is also here for your review. Please visit my blog (Excuse me mods for posting an external link here) and you can see the whole restoration of my jeep right from the day when I picked it up as a wreck conditioned jeep.

Mahindra Classic

Dear Dhabhar Behram/ GTO,
Please advise whether the post dated 2/9/09 in the classifieds relating the vehicle 1990 Orignal Mahindra Classic CJ340 (Four Wheel Drive) is actually the mahindra classic. maybe I'm confused as the Bull bars are missing. I am unable to get a proper view of the side profile also. But the post clearly mentions it to be a original 1999 mahindra classic.

Dwindling sales. How many people would buy a SWB two seater impractical Jeep?

The Classic wasn't available until the mid-nineties. What you see is a regular 340.

Thanks GTO for your reply.

Lovely Jeep GTO

Is it a speed or 5 Speed. if you come across a similar 1 for sale let us know buddy

Cheers:D

love all those classics! sent PM to few of you around. want to be a proud owner like you guys here. hope to recieve messages from you!

^^ It's running the factory 4 speed gearbox, but overhauled at the time of 2.5 install. Fixing the 5 speed in the Classic is not a simple task due to its small size.

Yeah, the M&M dealerships up here in H.P. echo the same attitude. They do not want the work, they are not interested and they will lie right in your face about all manner of points of fact of sales and service. It is no small wonder that the Japanese have taken a large chunk of M&M turf over the years.