Yeah, it would be nice to have a reliable engine in these things...then all you'd have to worry about...would be everything else that moves, doesn't move, could move, shouldn't move or wants to move...lol.

But, seriously...this is a good alternative. Looking forward to swap kit being available.

​​​​​​​ Brian.

 

Thank you all for the kind words. I am looking forward to seeing more LS Discos!

While I was working with the electronics this weekend, I found a method that simplifies the microcontroller and wiring at the expense of one feature: torque management. While I originally was planning to incorporate torque management, I'm starting to think it's unnecessary. Torque management is part of the communication between the engine and the transmission. Basically, when the transmission wants to shift in a high rpm situation, it sends a signal over CAN to the ECU. The ECU then temporary retards the timing on the engine slightly to reduce the torque. The transmission then shifts. The point of this is to make the shifts smoother when the engine is at high power. The program that the prototype is running now does not account for torque management, and I have not noticed any differences in the shifts.

A lot of cars don't have torque management. It became more common when cars started having electrical transmissions in the late 90s. I'm virtually positive the Discovery 1 did not have it. A lot of people with GM vehicles tune it out completely. In the Discovery 2, it appears that the system does not adjust the torque that much in normal operation. It also appears the Ashcroft controller for the ZF 4HP22/24 does not incorporate it either.

The current circuitry could be greatly simplified if I did not implement torque management, which would make the install quicker, and the lead time on the microcontrollers would be less. So I am wondering if I should go ahead a get rid of the torque management. I am leaning toward getting rid of it. Any thoughts?

After talking to a few people that are very knowledgeable about transmissions and the 4HP24, I am not concerned about the longevity of the transmission behind the LS, especially a stock LS. I am working with a group now to see about beefing it up to take more power (turbo or 6.0 option) with a custom torque converter and some internal improvements.

 

 

 

Will your kit work with a LS GEN 3 5.7 engine?

Love your work btw.

 

Thank you! Yes, the 5.7 LS1 and LS6 should work. Just keep in mind that both those engines are above the factory torque limit on the transmission. You would probably want to add an extra transmission cooler.

 

I'll reiterate that I am more than just interested in a kit. Currently getting a new well in and a new shop built, so my time frame is not today, but I have zero doubt that I will be buying a reasonably priced kit.

 

Thanks. There's a company here in Oz that sells an adapter kit to fit a GM 6L80E to a LT230 transfer case. So, I'm thinking that might be better than the ZF with a 5.7l LS.

 

Just a word of caution, I do not believe that a Gen 3 LS will work with a 6L80E; a 4L80E will work however. The 6L80E will bolt up to the LS1/6 but I'm fairly certain the electrical requires Gen 4 engines or above.

Our swap here really isn't intended to turn the truck into a speed demon, more so just offer a solid engine in place of the original V8 (with a nice power boost). The swap gets vastly more expensive when you start to use Gen 4 / 5 engines because the electrical gets signficantly more complicated, so we are focusing on Gen 3 for now. I do think that with a new torque converter and some better cooling, the ZF could handle some more power. Turbo and supercharged BMW V12s have used the ZF and had > 500 hp and > 500 ft-lbs.

Our electrical setup should also be able to interface without the ZF as well and keep the Rover ABS/TC/HDC, check engine, and gauges working.

Glad to hear! I really appreciate everyone's kind words and interest. Things are moving along. We just bought another Discovery that we are going to use as a model budget build with a 4.8 and 4HP22.

 

Thanks for the reply,

I can't find find any 4.8 or 5.3 LS engines here in Australia. However, 5.7 LS1 Gen 3 are very common (and cheap) and I was worried about the ZF handling the power.

After reading your reply though, I think it's worth a shot with the ZF. Plus I want to keep the cost down as much as possible.

Looking forward to further updates and finding out when your kit is available.