Approach
September 20, 2024 Reading time: 2 minutes

I might describe myself as a competent amateur mechanic. I am fortunate to have a well kitted out workshop and have been completing all the maintenance on my cars for a while now. I have built engines from scratch and have a good understanding of what is needed to make a machine run reliably and well.

As part of the project, I have looked at some of the organisations that do professional engine conversions for Defenders. Whilst these companies may have more skills and experience, those attributes certainly come at a cost and given the popularity of these conversions at the moment, I suspect the process may not be any faster. The main problem though is that as an end-to-end service; they are just too expensive for my budget.

Time will tell as this process develops, but I think the way to tackle this challenge is to aim to get a fully reconditioned M57 engine running on a stand in the workshop start with. That should minimise the risk of a non running vehicle and whilst I am not dependent on the Defender on a daily basis, I would prefer to keep it running for as long as possible whilst at least the core of the new engine is built.

I have pretty much decided to keep the Defenders MT82 gearbox and transfer box if possible. There is lots of discussion on the internet around replacing or upgrading the transmission components to deal with increased power and torque, but I need to be mindful of the scope of the project - I also believe that just because increased power is available, the Defender doesn't need to be driven hard and the power can be fed in gradually. If further transmission upgrades are required in the future, they can be completed later.

Outside of actually building an engine that runs in the workshop, on my list of things to think about at this stage are:

  • Which engine model (there are lots of M57 variants).
  • Gearbox to engine adapters.
  • Engine (and gearbox) mounts.
  • Air conditioning - a luxury that seems worthwhile given the overall scale of the project.
  • Engine management systems and integration of the electrics.
  • Upgraded brakes.

I am sure there will be more.....

Intro
September 20, 2024 Reading time: 2 minutes

I am fortunate to own a 2007 Defender TDCi 2.4 with 110,000 miles on the clock. The 2.4 TDCi engine was originally designed by Ford for the transit van and whilst capable, the Defender deserves better. Having had a disastrous trip to Europe this summer where we experienced lots of black smoke from the exhaust a very long way from home, I have decided that the engine needs either an overhaul or upgrade.

Having completed quite a bit of internet reading and watching, it is clear that this is a well trodden path and has already been completed by many people for various reasons, including getting away from the 2.2 and 2.4 TDCi engines.

These pages are intended to document progress on this project both to serve as a simple place to store all the useful and valuable information that will undoubtedly be needed and also to help anyone else that might be considering something similar.

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