BMW 530d swap kit

A few months ago, I saw somewhere that did a kit for fitting the bmw M57 (330/530d) engine into a Defender.
Kit had mounts and gearbox salter plates etc.

Cant remember the life of me who it was though so wondering does anybody know on here?


Thinking of going for a 535d swap on my new Defender rather than sticking with the TD5 so looking into anything that can make the job easier

Was considering cummins but the bmw engine would just be so much nicer to live with everyday and more or less the same potential as isn't too hard to get upto 400bhp and 900nm from them anyway without a huge amount to work.

Does it come with twin ships anchors to help it stop and a Porsche suspension conversion kit so it will go round corners.

Planning on putting 6pots on it and air suspension.

Thwtes plenty Cummins Defenders that have 400bhp and they don't kill the drivers.

The M57 is a light engine too, possibly lighter than the TD5 so technically should stop and handle better once you don't drive like a complete idiot.

The cummins Defenders though are far heavier so would need better brakes and suspension far more even if not driven hard

That'd be a great conversion. I'd do it if my td5 was beyond economical repair. Watching this with interest

Have a look here: https://forums.lr4x4.com/topic/94550-fitting-bmw-530d-m57-engine-into-defender-110-ex-200tdi/

Tacr2man is your guy. He used to be on here...

yup, I know he did it but there's a company that did a kit with mounts etc to fit straight in recently. They had an adapter plate too so can't remember if they were using a different box or not

1988smithy said:

That'd be a great conversion. I'd do it if my td5 was beyond economical repair. Watching this with interest

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My TD5 is doing about 200-210bhp and its a fully rebuilt engine but I still wouldn't mind abit more from it really and a M57 would be alot nicer to live with everyday. I have one in my X5 and even as standard, it still preforms better than a heavily tuned TD5

I've had TD5s for about 5 years now and pretty much done as much as you can with them so wouldn't mí D trying something new with the new build.

Will be getting a new galvanised chassis so looking into mounts and things before I buy anything.

One of the advantages of the bmw swap is that my current performance intercooler and alloy radiator can also be used with the M57 so will be able to make use of some of the more expensive mods I already have.

DaveM-sport said:

My TD5 is doing about 200-210bhp and its a fully rebuilt engine but I still wouldn't mind abit more from it really and a M57 would be alot nicer to live with everyday. I have one in my X5 and even as standard, it still preforms better than a heavily tuned TD5

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You're a very lucky blokey if you can swap out a perfectly good rebuilt, tuned td5, dare i say, on a whim! I'm guessing you'd sell the td5 on or use it in something else? Unless it's beyond its useable life?

I wonder would the bmw powerplant perform as good as in your x5 when it's in a defender? Surely it'll have more work to do powering the defender drivetrain than the x5s?
I've been reading a few threads on this conversion since you posted and I'm surprised it isn't more common. Being a bmw owner id love the combination in a defender. Not sure it would be worth doing in a disco 2 given the difference in values to a defender....anyway im thinking aloud again

I'm just abit tired of the TD5 as I want more power and refinement from it.
If I go with a different engine, I can just leave my current Defender intact too and sell it on more or less as it is once the new one is built and just use the few little bits from it.

The Defender running gear will have more losses obviously with larger wheels but my X5 is more or less the same weight as the Defender to start with and that's as quick if mot quicker than the the strongest TD5s or possibly even most Cummins Defenders and it's still a fairly standard engine with just a remap.

A 535d engine in a Defender has the potential of 400bhp and 800-900Nm so don't think performance will be an issue

While those figures sound brilliant the standard drive train simply cannot take that much torque. You'll need a new gearbox, tx box, diffs, drive shafts, CVs, flanges and probably props @800nm. That or fit Patrol axles

800Nm fukin ell.

that would destroy the drivetrain!

funrover said:

800Nm fukin ell.

that would destroy the drivetrain!

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Exactly what I thought !

I don’t no how they managed to make the td5 so complicated to be fair, is the bmw engine any better in terms of reliability?

Discodevon said:

I don’t no how they managed to make the td5 so complicated to be fair, is the bmw engine any better in terms of reliability?

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TBH I dont hink any engine is, which is kind of weird as they have all had plenty of practice!
If you look back over land rovers history every model of diesel has had its teething troubles right back to the original 2.0 diesel.

Discodevon said:

I don’t no how they managed to make the td5 so complicated to be fair, is the bmw engine any better in terms of reliability?

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But is it? I don't think the TD5 is at all complicated, pretty standard set of senors to take the various engine readings, fairly simple fuel system really: single in tank pump with low/high pressure heads, fuel pressure regulator, fuel gallery in head, unit injectors sit "though" fuel gallery which are mechanically struck with a whopping great cam shaft lobe, electronic spill valve and that's about it.

If the sensors are OK and the fuel system is OK (none of the parts are particularly expensive) then really it is just the heads and seals and washers that let these engines down which isn't complicated. The ECU oil loom issue is just a bad design which can be fixed.

I'd have a TD5 happily, I would just make sure that it is in good fettle and the fuel system is well maintained.

Will be using bmw 6 speed gearbox. LT230 transfer and see whats the best option with axles.

There's plenty Cummins on LR axles about too and there's plenty people with just 300tdis breaking stuff too so depends alot on the way you drive it i think.

The TD5 is a great engine, I'm just kinda bored of it.

Best of luck Dave with the project when will you make a start?

DaveM-sport said:

...so depends a lot on the way you drive it i think.

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Indeed, a friend of mine once went out in a Cummins powered 90 when its owner offered to take him for a spin in it (he would not let him drive it), the owner drove it like it was made of glass in the first few gears then once in higher gears opened it up a little, he said he was guaranteed broken bits if he put it in first or second or even third and gave it any sort of heavy right foot. I think having to drive like this would be a pain in the neck for a daily driver, but for fun at the weekends I think it could be good.

To me thats just not worth it! Unless I can put my foot down in every gear it isnt really worth driving, as a standard Fender would probably out run you till you hit 4th...