Land Rover Defender M57 Conversion Kit 6HP

Land Rover Defender M57 Conversion Kit 6HP

This is the 6HP version of our Defender conversion: a BMW M57 turbo diesel, a manual or BMW 6HP automatic transmission package, and the transfer case adapter assembly, bolt in mounting, wiring and ECU work already solved. It suits a Defender 90, 110 or 130 that is driven rather than shown, and it ships with a Stage 1 ECU tune.

Fitting the M57 to a Defender 90, 110 or 130

Nothing about a BMW inline six wants to go into a Defender. It does not sit on the original mounting points, it does not line up with the LT230, and its engine management expects a car that is not there. Most people solve that three times over: mounts get fabricated, a loom gets cut into and spliced, and the transfer case join gets improvised. Each of those is a place where a conversion quietly becomes a one off that nobody else can work on.

What this kit does is turn all three into parts. The engine mounting is bolt in, the transfer case adapter assembly is machined for the job, and the loom, ECU and dash controller arrive as a set rather than as a wiring diagram and an evening. The Stage 1 tune is applied before despatch.

6HP or 8HP

We build the same Defender conversion around two gearboxes and the difference is worth ten minutes of thought before you order. This page is the 6HP, and it is the kit that offers a manual as well as an automatic package, which is the reason most people land here. The 8HP kit is a different specification again: it ships with the M57 to 8HP adapter kit, torque converter and flexplate, a separate transmission control unit, and its own transmission wiring harness alongside the engine one.

If the vehicle will spend its life towing or covering motorway distance, read the 8HP page. If you want the option of a manual, stay here. Either way, talk to us first.

Transmission Options

The same Defender engine conversion is built around two transmissions, and choosing between them is a decision about how the vehicle gets used rather than about the M57 in front of it.

6HP Manual Transmission Option

For the owner who wants the Defender to still feel like a Defender from the driver’s seat.

Benefits include:

• Greater driver engagement
• Direct control on and off road
• Proven simplicity and durability
• Lower maintenance costs

6HP Automatic Transmission Option

For the owner who would rather hand the gear changes over on a long day.

Benefits include:

• Smooth and responsive gear changes
• Improved highway cruising
• Enhanced towing performance
• Modern driving characteristics

Kit Contents

• BMW M57 engine
• Manual or automatic transmission package
• Bolt in engine mounting system (No welding)
• Transmission mounting system
• Transfer case adapter assembly
• Wiring harness
• ECU package
• Dash controller
• Transmission oil cooler kit
• Electronic throttle pedal
• Upgraded cooling system components
• Intercooler pipework
• Gear selector assembly
• Transmission control components
• Conversion hardware and fasteners
• Installation support
• Stage 1 ECU tune

How to read that list

Treat it as exhaustive. If a part of your build is not named above, plan on sourcing it yourself: exhaust behind the engine, propshafts, fuel tank and lines, brakes, and anything to do with the body. The transfer case adapter assembly is in the kit but the transfer case is not, because the vehicle keeps its own.

The one thing we cannot supply is a sound vehicle underneath it. If the chassis is marginal, deal with it now rather than halfway through.

Vehicle Compatibility

Compatible with:

• Land Rover Defender 90
• Land Rover Defender 110
• Land Rover Defender 130

If the original chassis is past saving, the kit can be supplied built onto a brand new chassis for + 2500€.

A step by step installation video is supplied with the kit. It follows a complete conversion in order: engine fitment, 6HP gearbox installation, wiring and dash integration, then final setup.

Before you order

Have four things ready when you get in touch: which Defender it is and what year, what engine and gearbox are in it now, whether you want the manual or the automatic package, and an honest assessment of the chassis. That last one changes the quote more often than anything else.

We also sell the galvanised Defender chassis on its own if you would rather start from bare metal, and the M57 Defender engine mounts separately if you already have an engine and a gearbox plan and only need the mounting solved.

Or have us do the whole conversion here: book a drive in, drive out build, 12.000€

Purchase a brand new M57N2 engine

Land Rover Defender M57 8HP Conversion Kit