BMW M57 to R380 Conversion Kit

BMW M57 to R380 gearbox conversion kit

This kit puts a BMW M57 3.0L turbo diesel in front of the R380 gearbox a Land Rover already has. It is specified for 300TDI based platforms, and the point of it is what stays in the vehicle: the R380 manual, the LT230 transfer case, and the propshafts and mounting behind them. You get the M57’s power, its reliability and its fuel consumption without rebuilding the transmission to reach them.

The engine mounting is bolt in on a 300TDI, so there is no welding anywhere in the installation. The kit is built around one specific engine code; the note on sourcing further down says which donor vehicles are worth looking at and why you should have the code confirmed before you pay for anything.

The kit that changes the least

Every other conversion we sell replaces the gearbox as well as the engine. This one does not, and that is its entire point. The R380 stays, the LT230 stays, the gear lever stays where your hand expects it, and the propshafts stay.

A conversion that keeps the transmission is a smaller and cheaper job. It is the kit for a 300TDI based Defender that is basically sound and wants more engine rather than a different vehicle.

The 500 Nm limit, and who should ignore this kit

The clutch in this kit is warranted to 500 Nm. It is the specification that decides whether this is your kit, and we would rather you read it here than discover it later.

It means this is a kit for a fast road setup: around 200 bhp and 500 Nm, in a vehicle on sensible tyres, driven with mechanical sympathy. It is not a kit for large off road tyres, for very aggressive driving, or for a build aiming at 300 to 400 bhp. If that is the project, the honest recommendation is to go automatic, which means the Defender M57 8HP kit, the N57 kit, or the M57N2 to 8HP swap kit if you are assembling a build yourself.

Sourcing the engine

No engine comes with this kit. The two donors we point people at are the Range Rover L322 TD6 and the X5 E53, pre 2004 models in the case of the X5.

Whatever you find, confirm the engine code before you pay for it. This kit is built for a specific code, and an M57 is a family rather than a part number. Send us the code and the donor vehicle and we will confirm it in writing. If you would rather not deal with donor cars at all, we supply brand new M57 engines, though again, check the code against this kit with us first.

What’s Included

Adapter & Drivetrain System

• CNC billet aluminium M57 R380 gearbox adapter
• Dust backing plate/shield
• Complete adapter fixing hardware

Clutch System

• Dual mass flywheel
• Flywheel bolt kit
• Starter ring gear
• Heavy duty clutch cover
• Clutch friction plate
• Release bearing
• Pivot ball
• Spigot bush
• Clutch bolts and fitting hardware

Engine Mounting System

• Bolt in engine mounting brackets
• Defender chassis mounting system
• Engine mounting hardware
• No welding required bolts directly to the original Land Rover mounting points

Electrical & Engine Management

• Stand alone ECU
• Stand alone body wiring harness
• ECU mounting bracket

Cooling & Intake System

• Boost pipe kit
• Designed for use with TD5/TDCi radiator and intercooler assembly
• Universal coolant temperature sender kit
• Inline temperature sender adapter

Steering System

• Power steering pipe kit

Fuel System

• Inline electric fuel pump
• Fuel system connection components

Before you order

Confirm three things with us: that your vehicle is a 300TDI based platform with an R380 and an LT230, which engine code you are buying, and that you have read the 500 Nm clutch note above and it matches how the vehicle will be used. The engine mounting is included here, so you do not also need the M57 Defender engine mounts.

Note the cooling section: the kit is designed around a TD5 or TDCi radiator and intercooler assembly, so work out where yours is coming from before the engine is in the vehicle.

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