 | Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Steering wheel move (RHS to LHS) with engine swap. Question? |
 
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| Grenadier Member Since: 23 Jul 2014 Location: The foot of Mont Blanc... Posts: 5804   
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Bonjour,
For a while I’ve been considering an engine swap. Due to the car now being registered in France it will only ever be a M57 Auto conversion, no sexy V8. However, given the amount of effort removing a 2.4 and replacing it with a M57 + Ancils, would a steering swap be relatively easily achieved at the same time? Just occurred to me that with an empty engine bay and with a considerable number of interchangeable parts, it might be an option. M57 and ancils could be bought and fitted with a LHD variant in mind. No idea whether this would be allowed or not under French regs, but it would be mightily useful given I doubt I’ll ever make the move back to the UK. Monsieur Le Grenadier I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list..... 2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey |
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27th Oct 2021 7:02am |
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| Hufflepuff Member Since: 25 Oct 2014 Location: Hampshire Posts: 727  
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If I recall from watching the Canadian-Yorkshireman Mike on Britannica Restorations on YouTube - it's a more involved change than I would have expected, with changes needed to Windscreen wipers, lights, steering, pedal boxes... But still perfectly achievable with the right budget. 2005 Td5 90 XS
1989 V8 110 CSW |
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27th Oct 2021 8:36am |
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| Race.it Member Since: 27 Aug 2019 Location: Algeciras Posts: 809  
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in spain its not allowed, so ensure that your local inspection centre won't pick up on in (I guess France is as strict as Spain) Searching for my first Defender...and started just as Covid hit, so talk about timing.
5 months after starting the search I found it, and here is the details |
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27th Oct 2021 8:50am |
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| jpboost Member Since: 13 Apr 2021 Location: Gatwick Posts: 375  
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If it's allowable within your local regs, then I'd definitely take the opportunity.
Given the amount of stuff you'll be taking off during the engine swap, the access to the parts you need to get to will be greatly improved. Can you do the M57 swap in France? I have some family in France, and from conversations with them over the years, I've come to assume that 'big' modifications were hugely difficult over there. |
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27th Oct 2021 8:54am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17307 
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I think that converting from RHD to LHD (or vice versa) is more involved and more expensive than you might expect, but it would be interesting to scope out the job and figure out what you would actually need.
Things that come to mind which would, I think, need replacing with the opposite-handed equivalent include:
Wiper system Dash panel (instrument pod can be swapped over, but it will leave a big hole in the dash panel) Steering box Dash wiring harnesses (possibly)? I'm not sure what is involved in moving the braking system from one side to the other. I suspect that there will be a surprising number of other differences which would only come to light as the work progressed. Has anyone on here done this conversion on a Puma? |
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27th Oct 2021 10:31am |
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| Mo Murphy Member Since: 01 Jun 2008 Location: Letchworth Garden City, Herts Posts: 2211 
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If you're going to do it then the easiest and probably cheapest way to do it is to swap the bulkhead assembly complete for a LHD version and sell your RHD variant over here to recoup costs. Don't forget you'll need a LHD steering box as well.
It really isn't a case of swapping a few bits over to the other side ! The tricky bit will be finding a fully dressed LHD bulkhead. HTH Mo The Land Rover 90 - Many are called, few are chosen. 50 Shades of Pennine Grey |
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27th Oct 2021 10:33am |
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| Grenadier Member Since: 23 Jul 2014 Location: The foot of Mont Blanc... Posts: 5804
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You’re quite right, very strict. But there are exceptions made, including for engine upgrades as long as they stay within fuel type. No V8 swap unfortunately. But diesel to diesel is possible, you just have to have it rehomologated. I’d certainly check with the homologation centre before doing so. But I know our local indie has swapped his 2.4 to a 3.0, so I hope I could do the same… As for making the steering wheel swap, that’s something I’m not sure they’d allow. This is all hypothetical at the moment, something I will delve into in more detail next year. Monsieur Le Grenadier I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list..... 2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey |
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27th Oct 2021 12:30pm |
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| jpboost Member Since: 13 Apr 2021 Location: Gatwick Posts: 375
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Ahh, that makes some sense.
I just remember ( as a young adult), swapping engines and all sorts in most of the cars I owned. Then when I'd see my cousin's I'd get a resounding 'you wouldn't be allowed to do that here'. But there were a fair few swaps of engine type, and other serious modifications so that would explain a lot of it. Good luck with it! |
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27th Oct 2021 3:07pm |
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