Trans adapters

Mack

Well-known member
Axis is whom I worked with this summer on the adapter I have installed.

Doug, that truck is running a 6L80e, correct?

I?m concerned that a tuned r2.8 will be pushing the torque rating of the AX15 trans. Especially if mods like compound turbos, etc become available in the future for it like other cummins motors. A t56 might be a little overkill but would do the trick. Anyone know how Tophat connects the T56 to lt230? Does Rakeway UK make a bolt on adapter? I know they make a remote input shaft. Seems like a divorced setup would be too long especially for a 90.
 

Red90

Well-known member
How does the size if the t56 compare to the nv boxes?



If you were building the engine too high for the NV3550/AX15 then use the NV4500. Adapters are available already. It has a much better gear range than the T56. Both these will require a lot more work to clear everything.

Personally I don?t see the point. If you want to go to that much torque then put in a 6BT. All the parts are off the shelf to stick one in a Defender.
 

rherl

Active member
I have thought that the MT82 would be a good choice. Axis will make a one off for $5000 but obviously the price goes down the more that are ordered. I have a source for MT82 defender takeouts is anyone is interested. Seems like ?850-950 then shipping. If I go with the cummins this is the way I would like to go. I have a TDCI bulkhead and it just makes sense to me without going to auto route.
 

rherl

Active member
I'm not sure the defenders have had the problems that the mustangs had. There were some minor problems in the early years, but I don't read about many problems in the later years.
 

brdhmltn

Well-known member
Some of the early MT82 defenders had a reputation for popping out of gear under load, same issue the mustangs had. There were a couple service updates for that issue (to both vehicles), and everyone who complains now seems to be towing loads on the high end of the vehicle's rating while having heavier vehicles due to add on equipment. That's the hardest use case for the transmission. There is the same issue with dry splines not receiving proper lubrication (just like LT77) and Ashcroft has a fix for it. (http://www.ashcroft-transmissions.co.uk/mt82-output-shaft-kit.html)

I've been looking at the MT82 myself. Based on my own research I'm not sure I would use the MT82 if I were going to do seriously heavy towing with an expedition/overland rig.
 

Red90

Well-known member
I think Ashcroft said the Mt82 isn't set up for V8/Tdi over at Dsource.

They are not. This thread, though, is about fitting it to the Cummins 2.8 engine. Not really sure why anyone would go this route. If you want the wide gear range, do an NV4500. It will be more than strong enough and the adapters are all available.
 

rherl

Active member
I would go that way because my chassis is already set up for MT82. I can mount it which lines everything up for the motor to go in. Cut out the old motor mounts weld in new motor mounts and I'm done fitting the engine, transmission, and transfer case. I only have to buy one adapter. It fits with the TDCI bulkhead and dash without modifying the tunnel or seatbox. It will look stock on the inside of the vehicle. From a towing standpoint I have another vehicle to do heavy towing with, and that is not the intention of me building a defender with a 2.8L motor in it anyway. From an expedition stand point there are guys all over the world using the MT82 in TDCI defenders for expidition/overlanding. I was going to Africa next year to do a self drive safari and the company I was looking at is using one TD5 defender and the rest were TDCI defenders. The downside to me at this point is that currently it would be $5000 for the adapter plate. I'm not sure what the adapter for the NV4500 to LT230 is I'm guessing $1000-1500 and the 2.8 to NV4500 adapter is around $1300??? So it would not take many to bring the cost down on the MT82 to 2.8 adapter to make it a competitive option.
 

brdhmltn

Well-known member
If you get serious about the MT82, let me know and I may be able to be a 2nd to volunteer for that adapter. I'd prefer to stay rover transmission myself.

Most transmissions have issues, it's about what you can easily deal with. Even the nv4500 has an issue on some with the 5th gear nut backing off causing loss of 5th completely. NV4500 is super strong though.
 

brdhmltn

Well-known member
From Axis this morning (I'm sure everyone has seen it by now):
For the manual transmission option, we have decide to move away from the R380 as the option we are going to support for the defender R2.8 conversions. We are doing this for a few main reasons.

After talking to about 5 defender shops that do full restorations, they gave the feed back that the R380 is on the boarder line of being strong enough to withstand the stock 310ft-lb rating let alone the hot tune we are working on that is at 380 ft-lbs. They told us that R380 can barely withstand the stock rover engines.

With all of that knowledge we just didn't fell comfortable selling you guys a solution that could one day have issues down the road. We want to design and support a bullet proof solution for all of our kits. So our new plan is to use a dodge NV4500 (gas). As the NV4500 has a rating of 460 ft-lbs, it can well withstand the punishment of a 5-6k pound rig with this R2.8 with a tune in it .

After doing a lot of measuring and planing, it looks like this option will land the Trans shifter right where the T/C shifter used to be, and the T/C shifter will be where the old trans shifter was. Pretty much they are just going to switch locations.
We are working with a couple shops that are going to help prototype the needed parts to do the NV4500 route. Luckily we already have 90% of the work already done, as we will be using our Hemi R2.8 adapter, and our Jeep 23 spline to LT230 adapter. The only R&D we will need is just making sure our T/C sifters from the 8HP conversion will fit correctly, and the transmission/TC mount for this setup.
 

rocky

NAS-ROW Addict
QuickDraw on their FB page have announced a slimmer 6L80e adapter that is an inch smaller than previous adapters.
 
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