mk1 transit engine and brakes upgrade

[flashgordon69]

i am in the process of buying a mk1 tax exempt 73 transit and would like to know 1st how easy is it to get spares for the v4 engine, and 2nd if i go down the route of putting in a 2.5 di how easy it and how do i do it?
all input on this would be great
thanks in advance
gordon

[FredTransit]

Welcome Flash! Will look forward to seeing pictures of this. If you go the Di route, you will either need to go back into the cab, or fit a diesel front panel and bonnet. a good person to talk to would be transitgeoff, he's got a Duratorq in his E reg!

[flashgordon69]

im not sure which route to go down yet but im a bit worried about the spares situation, can you still get plenty of service spares for the v4?

[FredTransit]

To be honest, I would say the V4 spares are getting a bit difficult to find, though those with Mk1s might correct me if I am wrong. Dis on the other hand are so plentiful, that if anything goes wrong with one of our engines, we just chuck it away and fit a new one!

[FredTransit]

Sorry, just noticed you said service spares. Depending on how big a service you were planning, I would think that you could get filters and spark plugs, maybe even points. Not too sure about bigger spares though, like pistons.

[madmark]

v4 spares are not a problem you can still get all the service parts ,apart from n/s exhaust downpipe!

[baconsdozen]

Most of the V4 stuff is obtainable,even the timing gears.If you decide to do away with it though I'm always interested in buying V4 engines abd boxes.Pistons,valves,bearings and lots of other bits are common to the V6 and Ford made a hell of a lot more of them than the 4,these are also common to cars from specialist makers from Gilbern to Reliant all of whom are better served for spare parts than Ford who made the engines in the first place.(Perhaps Ford made them a bit to well and the only way to get people to buy new is for them to stop making parts for their old ones.)

[baconsdozen]

That should read AND boxes.Greasy fingers and knackered keyboard.