Thread: SD V6 in Defender

Originally Posted by Slunnie

Because you are asking about legalities, I would highly recommend reading the NSW and the DOTARS guidelines yourself. It will explain what it allowed, what is engineerable and what wont get on the road. You will hear many comments on what is and isn't legal, and they will conflict and a little bit of it will agree with the guidelines.

Asked the question because I thought it was outside of what is legal....but thanks for pointing me in the correct direction.
Chilly

Originally Posted by frantic

If it was close to me it would be hard to resist giving them a ring to see if the def 50th was still there and having driving around to have a look and maybe find out a conversion price/issues!

I have this morning made contact with the workshop in the image, and they have said they will ask the owner to contact me!....We'll see if we can get him on the forum,..apparently the Defender is a 6 sp auto, but it does NOT utilise the original dash.
Pickles.

Originally Posted by Pickles2

I have this morning made contact with the workshop in the image, and they have said they will ask the owner to contact me!....We'll see if we can get him on the forum,..apparently the Defender is a 6 sp auto, but it does NOT utilise the original dash. Pickles.

I await with anticipation.

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Let me just say... I used to know the rules for engineering a motor vehicle. 5 years ago. Engine capacity was directly related to weight of vehicle. If transplanting an engine you have to make sure the engine still complies with the adr's the year it came out. So no changes to me memcal other then what was specified for that engine that year or years after. Has to have catalytic converter. Braking has to be comparable to the donor vehicle. Heater demister on windscreen. Two speed wipers. A torsion test on the complete car. Has to pass a noise test.
So castle electrics or someone will do a harness to fit a ls1-3 into practically any car. You won't need the cluster out of the donor vehicle because you would use the lt230 transfer case which already has a speed sensor. I think the dash in that defer shown has programmable speedo. Simple. Add less or cut outs for engine or whatever. If my td5 dies I will be doing this conversion. Cost wise I think... ls3 7k engine and box, 1k adapter, 1.5k loom, 2k exhaust, 1.5k engineers. Still got prop shafts to change, rebuild transfer, upgrade diffs, mod radiator and thermo fan..... it's a long list. Oh and for me fit a column auto. Kids love to sit in the front!!

Originally Posted by Chilly

Asked the question because I thought it was outside of what is legal....but thanks for pointing me in the correct direction.
Chilly

I suspect it is/was also, but over the last 10 years the only consistency in the rules is that they keep changing.

I would look at:

RMS VSI sheets
Vehicle Standards Information sheets (VSI) - Vehicle standards - Safety & rules - Roads - Roads and Maritime Services

Specifically VSI06
http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/...ifications.pdf


DOTARS VSB14
https://infrastructure.gov.au/roads/.../vsb_ncop.aspx

in particular NCOP03
https://infrastructure.gov.au/roads/...jan2011_v3.pdf

But also look at the others for implications - ie axle weight and a cast iron Chev V8 diesel.

Trac control abs is still an issue, they are not stand alone units.

Here is a response I got from UK
Quote-
The main Defender CAN system connects 4 components : Instrument pack, Engine ECU, ABS unit, diagnostic socket. The ABS unit includes the traction control/stability unit.

There is an additional separate CAN system on cars with the Dynamic Stability Control system which connects the ABS unit with a yaw sensor and a steering angle sensor, but this area is not in itself a concern.

On earlier cars the ABS would still have a basic anti-lock function even if the CAN system was not communicating with it, so it was possible to build a car with no CAN system and still get some anti-lock response. As we have been using ECUs which do communicate on the CAN, recently, I do not know if that is still the case.

There are CAN specialists who could produce a unit to ‘translate’ between the CAN input/output of the GM ECU and the Defender system, but I do not have direct experience of using something like that.

If the ECU for the GM engine is really some sort of motorsport ECU rather than a special version of the standard unit from a Camaro (or something), you would have the option of converting to an aftermarket/motorsport ECU which has CAN and which can be programmed to communicate with the Defender system. This is what we do for our petrol engine conversions.

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Originally Posted by manofaus

Let me just say... I used to know the rules for engineering a motor vehicle. 5 years ago. Engine capacity was directly related to weight of vehicle.....

That's still the case in QLD, according to the Light Vehicle Modification rules here you are permitted an engine capacity of a maximum of 3 times the vehicle Tare weight. For a 110, I believe this is 1975kg, so a maximum engine capacity of 5925cc. So a 6.2l LS3 wouldn't be permitted under QLD rules (I believe Queensland adopted all the NCOP rules except part LA - engine).

Originally Posted by sheerluck

For a 110, I believe this is 1975kg, so a maximum engine cagpacity of 5925cc. So a 6.2l LS3 wouldn't be permitted under QLD rules

Good reason to buy a 130. Advertised tare for a 130 is +/- 2075kg so just sneaks in. My preference would be the cummins 5L V8 diesel but at considerable expense over an LS3 conversion.

MLD