Defender 90 - 6.0l LS V8 and 6l80 conversion.

[Psimpson7]

DR Viper said:

Hello from Texas. I am taking over on this same conversion and my biggest issue is the transfer case shifter linkage. Can you give me some guidance? The set up now hits the side of the transmission case . Did you use solid linkage or cable?

Brian

Hi Brian,

I got a slightly adjusted lever which fits and allows the use of the linkage. I cannot unfortunately find any pics at the moment. I will have another look this evening

Rgds
Pete

[Psimpson7]

Hi Brian,

Here is the linkage (not my car)

[Psimpson7]

also modeled this up and a mate machined it for me. This is to mount to the steering column so I can make a nicer bracket to hold the paddles and also allow me to refit the column shroud hopefully.

[Psimpson7]

AlexP88 said:

Really interesting thread, thanks for taking the time to post it all.

I built an LS3 Defender a couple years ago and it’s probably the best thing I ever did, I hope you get as much fun out of yours.

I had a similar experience with my alloy radiator, £800 for an Allisport rad with fans. First one leaked after 2 weeks, got them to recore it then started leaking almost straight away and thought to myself third time lucky... NO that was no better! Gave up with them and got an Allmakes TD Defender rad (pre TDI) traditional type rad and that’s been perfect for 20k miles.

All the best,
Alex

Very cool Alex. Would be interested to see the adaptor you used to fit the LT to the T56

[SvenOz]

Hi there

Great write up, and even better build!

Have been looking into doing similar on a 110, or 130 and would love to get some more details. Am also wanting to use the 6l80 tranny. I am looking at leaving engine stock though, not changing to LS3 heads, buckets, springs, etc, etc as you did.

I'm looking at stripping down factory GM harness instead of custom loom. Other than the ease and tidiness was there other reasons for the customer loom?

Re the programming of the TCM, was this also to deal with the low range? I understand that standard program will not work on low range if running a 2wd program. I could well be wrong, but is it possible to program for the low range etc on TCM by flashing the ECU whilst ECU, engine, TCM, transmission and harness all in vehicle with HP Tuner or similar? I thought that is how it was generally done.

Did Speartech do the VATS disable for you as well? Just wondering if eg this can be done in Oz a bit easier, eg Marks for the VATS, and if the ECU/TCM can be flashed with email file from someone who can do the programming for the low range. Personally am not wanting to max out the ECM tune, and happy to leave stock (including DOD if possible), but change some tuning on the trans, particularly for manual changes.

Also, where are you picking up VSS for the TCM? did you have GPS speedo to avoid the need, and have a way of keeping the TCM happy?

Would love to drop in and have a look/chat about it, but am in Sydney. Do come up the coast though most years at some stage.

Cheers

[Psimpson7]

SvenOz said:

Hi there

Great write up, and even better build!

Have been looking into doing similar on a 110, or 130 and would love to get some more details. Am also wanting to use the 6l80 tranny. I am looking at leaving engine stock though, not changing to LS3 heads, buckets, springs, etc, etc as you did.

I'm looking at stripping down factory GM harness instead of custom loom. Other than the ease and tidiness was there other reasons for the customer loom?

Re the programming of the TCM, was this also to deal with the low range? I understand that standard program will not work on low range if running a 2wd program. I could well be wrong, but is it possible to program for the low range etc on TCM by flashing the ECU whilst ECU, engine, TCM, transmission and harness all in vehicle with HP Tuner or similar? I thought that is how it was generally done.

Did Speartech do the VATS disable for you as well? Just wondering if eg this can be done in Oz a bit easier, eg Marks for the VATS, and if the ECU/TCM can be flashed with email file from someone who can do the programming for the low range. Personally am not wanting to max out the ECM tune, and happy to leave stock (including DOD if possible), but change some tuning on the trans, particularly for manual changes.

Also, where are you picking up VSS for the TCM? did you have GPS speedo to avoid the need, and have a way of keeping the TCM happy?

Would love to drop in and have a look/chat about it, but am in Sydney. Do come up the coast though most years at some stage.

Cheers

I didn't change the heads, just did a dod delete, and cam and springs change as part of that. The L77 / LS3 heads I believe are identical anyway.

Speartech did everything loom and programming wise for me. They did the TCM and ECU programming, tapup/down etc etc. It also does not use a BCM

The TCM isnt getting an external signal (from anything outside of the powertrain anyway) for the VSS so I believe they may have generated something based on a number of questions they asked including tyre size, diff ratios etc etc? Not certain on this aspect to be honest. I dont enjoy wiring so was happy to pay for the easiest/best result.

There is no signal to tell my 6l80 what range the LT230 is in. It makes zero difference on my setup I believe. If it was possible I would actually like one thing to be changed in low range only which is the removal of the downshift rev matching / throttle blips.

There were a few reasons re the loom. The car loom requires a BCM to tell it when its in sport to use the tap up / down functions etc (which I didnt want). The Ecu positions on the VF loom didnt suit my application at all. The loom was made to be fully emissions compliant, and based around where I had located sensors i.e inlet manifold reversal. There were others aswell such as tidyness / quality of loom etc, and everything being done by one place at one time. Speartech also seem excellent to deal with.

If you are up in SE Qld send me a message

Cheers
Pete

[eliot]

PM sent pete.

[Psimpson7]

Bit of an update on this one.

Paddles have been up and running for about a year now. Realised I never put up a picture. Here is a pic of the final mount but prior to me wiring them up.



The second griffin radiator leaked similar to the first one so I have gone all out on that

Full contraflow setup from PWR

[Krikkit]

Love the paddle bracket - beautiful machined aluminium over the grubby BL plastic part

[eliot]

Those lower (longer) fan brackets might a bit flimsy for 4x4 use - if you get mud on your fans, they vibrate like a b'stard and could vibrate against the fins. Perhaps more of a bell shape, so it's wider where it's welded to the frame.

I used the range rover classic rad, but with an extra row added (which is soldered blank from the factory) to cope with the Chevy lump - the fans are fitted via copper tubes through the core soldered in place:




Eliot.
Ps - are you still an eyeball? - i'm coming out to Bris in a couple of weeks.

Edited by eliot on Monday 29th July 13:32

[Psimpson7]

eliot said:

Ps - are you still an eyeball? - i'm coming out to Bris in a couple of weeks.

Yep sure am. I am away the weekend of Aug the 9-11th but should be about the rest of the time.

Will keep an eye on the mounts. They have been designed that way to try and ensure we dont get a large discrepency in expansion and contraction rates between the core and the tanks/frame.

Interesting re the blanked tube. Quite often top and bottom tubes get welded off to reduce the risk of leaks from the most exposed tubes

[eliot]

Pistonheads UK correspondent reporting from the Gold Coast;
Pete kindly showed me his 90 and took me out on some local 4x4 trails - it’s a very capable off-roader and certainly doesn’t hang around!!

Thanks for your time today.