R2.8 to Ashcroft HD R380 stumpy Conversions

[Uncle Douglas]

This is way cool , Nice to see you guys finally nailing the stuff out

Its been expensive. We have had a better tune/program than most everyone else already for years now. Truck has done everything he can throw @ it from Maine to the Rubicon trail in Ca.
Some guys from a shop in Texas were begging us to reprogram their 6L80e in the KOA campground @ Ouray @ last years Natl Rally after watching the truck we built on the trails. The head of the R2.8 program @ Cummins bought a 99 D2 and installed one with a 6L80e and he too has never been able to get his where he is 100% happy with it despite all the ties he has to the community.

We got here the hard and very expensive way (2 years & around 30k ) and are going to reserve this program for our own repowers. Happy to finally have a heavy duty bulletproof automatic solution, with Chad's/QuickDraw Cummins to 6L80e rear engine cover adapter making the combination 3 inches shorter it will fit much more nicely than the Axis spacer type adapter we used on that first truck.
Nicks trans to Lt230 adapter and Bob's your uncle for an extremely clean install.
That engine is now out of warranty and is getting turned up to 380 ft lbs of torque for the trip.

 

[donb]

Its been expensive. We have had a better tune/program than most everyone else already for years now. Truck has done everything he can throw @ it from Maine to the Rubicon trail in Ca.
Some guys from a shop in Texas were begging us to reprogram their 6L80e in the KOA campground @ Ouray @ last years Natl Rally after watching the truck we built on the trails. The head of the R2.8 program @ Cummins bought a 99 D2 and installed one with a 6L80e and he too has never been able to get his where he is 100% happy with it despite all the ties he has to the community.

We got here the hard and very expensive way (2 years & around 30k ) and are going to reserve this program for our own repowers. Happy to finally have a heavy duty bulletproof automatic solution, with Chad's/QuickDraw Cummins to 6L80e rear engine cover adapter making the combination 3 inches shorter it will fit much more nicely than the Axis spacer type adapter we used on that first truck.
Nicks trans to Lt230 adapter and Bob's your uncle for an extremely clean install.
That engine is now out of warranty and is getting turned up to 380 ft lbs of torque for the trip.

That's great Doug - I know how much you guys have been working on this and the money spent.

It's pretty crazy that the Cummin's guy couldn't make any headway with how involved he is with the industry.

The new tune is going to make that vehicle a beast! Can't wait to hear how it does after the 380 tune.

 

[erover82]

That's great Doug - I know how much you guys have been working on this and the money spent.

It's pretty crazy that the Cummin's guy couldn't make any headway with how involved he is with the industry.

The new tune is going to make that vehicle a beast! Can't wait to hear how it does after the 380 tune.

What's involved beyond programming it to shift at x rpm or throttle input? I'm sure the devil's in the details, like many efforts.

With your package 3 inches shorter now , how close is it to factory early/late drivetrain lengths?

 

[acheck]

@erover82 the critical component you are missing is load. it is not a simple two axis plot.

 

[Uncle Douglas]

That's great Doug - I know how much you guys have been working on this and the money spent.

It's pretty crazy that the Cummin's guy couldn't make any headway with how involved he is with the industry.

The new tune is going to make that vehicle a beast! Can't wait to hear how it does after the 380 tune.

Don,
We've been driving a manual 110 with that engine tuner on it since late June & the difference is huge.
Have two, hopefully 3, manual conversions leaving here this weekend, two of those also have the tune. The difference is more power @ lower rpm so you actually drive the truck more gently. The drive way over on the other farm is 3/4 of a mile long gravel through an allee of trees. On a test drive,in second gear with mud terrains I broke loose all 4 tires just straight line acceleration. As Trey put it, "its all you want in a Defender".

 

[Uncle Douglas]

@erover82 the critical component you are missing is load. it is not a simple two axis plot.

Think the number is 11,000 adjustments you can make in the programing of that transmission.
When bolting one to an LS the two talk, and the programing is far more simple.
With a stand alone controler you have to develop a program to manipulate the GM computer that is inside the transmission by sending it programed language rather than the signals it would get from the LS engine it was designed to work with. Just getting it to shift @ right rpm and torque points is one thing, the other is adjust clutch pack pressures so it doesnt shift hard like old school transmissions, you want a smooth non jarring shift, these are also adjustments.
Ea time you change the programming you have to buy/spend Credits with GM to use the software to upload a change.

 

[donb]

Don,
We've been driving a manual 110 with that engine tuner on it since late June & the difference is huge.
Have two, hopefully 3, manual conversions leaving here this weekend, two of those also have the tune. The difference is more power @ lower rpm so you actually drive the truck more gently. The drive way over on the other farm is 3/4 of a mile long gravel through an allee of trees. On a test drive,in second gear with mud terrains I broke loose all 4 tires just straight line acceleration. As Trey put it, "its all you want in a Defender".

Thanks for that info - 2nd gear breaking loose sounds pretty sweet. I'm guessing that is a non-LR gearbox then? (fingers crossed that the Ashcroft HD R380 could stand up to that torque )

 

[Uncle Douglas]

Thanks for that info - 2nd gear breaking loose sounds pretty sweet. I'm guessing that is a non-LR gearbox then? (fingers crossed that the Ashcroft HD R380 could stand up to that torque )

yep, Ashcroft HD R380