ls6 into Land Rover Defender!
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3
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ls6 into Land Rover Defender! Hi,
I am new here
and have a question.
I would like to fit a new ls6 engine into a new Land Rover Defender 90. I need to look into adapting the engine to fit the Rover r380 gearbox. Is there anywhere you can get drawings of the back of the GM engine from?
Thanks in advance.
Peter (in England)
I am new here
and have a question.I would like to fit a new ls6 engine into a new Land Rover Defender 90. I need to look into adapting the engine to fit the Rover r380 gearbox. Is there anywhere you can get drawings of the back of the GM engine from?
Thanks in advance.
Peter (in England)
Staging Lane
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
From: Stockholm, Sweden
The R380 was design to handle 380nm of torque so it will probably love 395lb-ft (530nm) that a ls6 puts down 
. If your haven't uppgraded the axles it may survive as they will act like fuses. You need to uppgrade the whole drivetrain if you want a reliable truck. I would put a 4l80e or nv5600 and a atlas or stak transfercase behind the ls6 to be on the safe side. I would also uppgrade the axles to GM 1ton axles or Volvo/Unimog portals.
. If your haven't uppgraded the axles it may survive as they will act like fuses. You need to uppgrade the whole drivetrain if you want a reliable truck. I would put a 4l80e or nv5600 and a atlas or stak transfercase behind the ls6 to be on the safe side. I would also uppgrade the axles to GM 1ton axles or Volvo/Unimog portals. Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3
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Jim,
I am toying with the idea of leaving it standard at first and then uprating it afterwards if need be. There is a race version of the R380 available with a huge torque capacity but it costs a bl00dy fortune!
JBT,
Portal axles are a huge no no for me I am afraid!! Would fit uprated shafts and CV's, and 4 pin diffs to strengthen the standard ones. I will look at those gearbox options. Teh standard Land Rover stuff isnt that weak I dont think. I have a challenge spec tuned 2001 td5 defender 90 running with ARB diff locks on standard axles (shafts and cv's) and I havent broken anything ever!
Pete
I am toying with the idea of leaving it standard at first and then uprating it afterwards if need be. There is a race version of the R380 available with a huge torque capacity but it costs a bl00dy fortune!
JBT,
Portal axles are a huge no no for me I am afraid!! Would fit uprated shafts and CV's, and 4 pin diffs to strengthen the standard ones. I will look at those gearbox options. Teh standard Land Rover stuff isnt that weak I dont think. I have a challenge spec tuned 2001 td5 defender 90 running with ARB diff locks on standard axles (shafts and cv's) and I havent broken anything ever!
Pete
Staging Lane
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
From: Stockholm, Sweden
Originally Posted by Psimpson7
Jim,
I am toying with the idea of leaving it standard at first and then uprating it afterwards if need be. There is a race version of the R380 available with a huge torque capacity but it costs a bl00dy fortune!
JBT,
Portal axles are a huge no no for me I am afraid!! Would fit uprated shafts and CV's, and 4 pin diffs to strengthen the standard ones. I will look at those gearbox options. Teh standard Land Rover stuff isnt that weak I dont think. I have a challenge spec tuned 2001 td5 defender 90 running with ARB diff locks on standard axles (shafts and cv's) and I havent broken anything ever!
Pete
I am toying with the idea of leaving it standard at first and then uprating it afterwards if need be. There is a race version of the R380 available with a huge torque capacity but it costs a bl00dy fortune!
JBT,
Portal axles are a huge no no for me I am afraid!! Would fit uprated shafts and CV's, and 4 pin diffs to strengthen the standard ones. I will look at those gearbox options. Teh standard Land Rover stuff isnt that weak I dont think. I have a challenge spec tuned 2001 td5 defender 90 running with ARB diff locks on standard axles (shafts and cv's) and I havent broken anything ever!
Pete
I have a friend with a 2001 defender 110 with maxidrive lockers, MD uppgraded shafts cv's and 35" swampers and last time we where out he busted a HD cv joint. He has also twisted stock rear shafts.
I have two friends with defender 130's and one have split his R380 in to two pieces with a stock td5 and the other have busted his rear R&P.
So my opinion is that the standard land rover stuff is barely strong enogh for a stock truck and certainly not strong enough for a truck with a ls6.
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I would put some '93-97 style LandCruiser/LX450 axles under it with factory electronically locking differentials as a budgetable upgrade. The rear gears are 9" I think and the fronts are 8" however are still very very strong. As mentioned some chromo Longfield axles (replacement 300M Birfields) would make the front pretty damn strong. These axles are pretty stout from the factory as LandCruisers are 6,000lbs for those years.
In your lighter Defender they should work out nicely.
Is this a truck you drive on the street or mainly off road? The NV4500 isn't too street friendly but has an incredibly deep 1st gear where most are 5.67 (I believe). The 4L80E is probably overkill plus has a less desirable 1st gear ratio. The 4L60E should suffice and has a better 1st gear. If you get a transfer case with 4:1 gearing you should be set with any transmission you choose.
In your lighter Defender they should work out nicely.
Is this a truck you drive on the street or mainly off road? The NV4500 isn't too street friendly but has an incredibly deep 1st gear where most are 5.67 (I believe). The 4L80E is probably overkill plus has a less desirable 1st gear ratio. The 4L60E should suffice and has a better 1st gear. If you get a transfer case with 4:1 gearing you should be set with any transmission you choose.
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