Rover Engines
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Rover V8 engine History
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| Manufacturer | General Motors Rover Land Rover MG TVR |
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| Also called | Buick 215 V8 |
| Production | 1960–2006 |
| Predecessor | Rover 3-litre straight-six |
| Successor | Jaguar AJ-V8 TVR AJP8 |
The Rover V8 engine is a compact V8 internal combustion engine with aluminium cylinder heads and cylinder block, originally designed by General Motors and later re-designed and produced by Rover in the United Kingdom. It has been used in a wide range of vehicles from Rover and other manufacturers since its British debut in 1967.
History
The Rover V8 began life as the Buick 215, an all-aluminium engine introduced in 1960 for the 1961 US model year. The compact engine was light, at just 144 kg (318 lb), and capable of high power outputs: the most powerful Buick version of this engine rated 149 kW (200 hp), and the very similar Oldsmobile "Jetfire" turbocharged version made 215 hp (both numbers SAE gross). Based on sales volume and press reports, the engine was a success. Buick produced 376,799 cars with this engine in just three years. A comparable number of Oldsmobile 215 engines were produced. In addition, some Pontiac models were fitted with the Buick 215, leading to the nickname "BOP 215" for the engine (BOP standing for Buick/Oldsmobile/Pontiac). The aluminium engine was relatively expensive to produce, however, and it suffered problems with oil and coolant sealing, as well as with radiator clogging from use of antifreeze incompatible with aluminium. As a result, GM ceased production of the all-aluminium engine after 1963, although Buick retained a similar iron engine (1964–1980), as well as a V6 derivative (1962–2008) which proved to have a very long and successful life.
In January 1964 Rover gave American operations head J. Bruce McWilliams permission to investigate the possible purchase of an American V8 engine for Rover cars. It is usually said that McWilliams first saw the Buick V8 at the works of Mercury Marine, where he was discussing the sale of Rover gas turbines and diesel engines to the company (Mercury did indeed use the Land Rover 2.25 litre diesel engine in marinised form). However, it is likely that McWilliams was aware of the Buick engine before this. In any case, McWilliams realised that the lightweight Buick V8 would be ideal for smaller British cars (indeed, it weighed less than many straight-4 engines it would replace). McWilliams and William Martin-Hurst began an aggressive campaign to convince GM to sell the tooling, which they finally agreed to do in January 1965. Retiring Buick engineer Joe Turlay moved to the UK to act as a consultant.
The Rover V8 has long been a relatively common engine for kit car and hot rod use in Britain, much as the Chevrolet small-block V8 is for American builders (though many British hot rods have traditionally used four cylinder engines, like the Ford Pinto and Crossflow units). Even in the US there is a strong contingent of builders who select the Buick or Rover aluminium V8 engine for use in small sporty cars like the MGB and the Chevy Vega. Note also that the 1964 Buick iron-block 4,920 cc (300 cu in) engine had aluminium cylinder heads and a longer stroke crankshaft, which with minor modifications can be used with the Buick 215 or Rover engine blocks to produce a high-output, very light weight V8 with displacement of up to about 300 cubic inches. The 300 crank in the 215 block yields 4,260 cc (260 cu in).
The British made engines were run on two SU carburettors (14 years), then two Stromberg carburettors (2–3 years), Bosch L-Jetronic (7–8 years, aka Lucas 4CU Flapper), then Hitachi Hotwire (5 years, aka Lucas 14CUX), then the GEMS system (many years) and finally Bosch Motronics for 2 years. The engine is still cast now (2011), in an improved version, by Coscast in Birmingham, UK.
As well as appearing in Rover cars, the engine was widely sold by Rover to small car builders, and has appeared in a wide variety of vehicles. Rover V8s feature in some models from Morgan, TVR, Triumph, Land Rover and MG, among many others.
The demise of the MG Rover Group in 2005 led to a halt in production of the famed name "Rover V8" after 40 years. The last Rover to have a real Rover V8 was the Rover SD1 Vitesse which was replaced by the Rover 827 Vitesse with a 2.7 litre Honda V6 unit, The Rover V8 remained with Land Rover when it was sold to Ford by BMW. Although Land Rover has switched to the Jaguar AJ-V8 engine for new applications, they wanted production of the engine to continue, and they arranged for production to restart in Weston-super-Mare under MCT, an engineering and manufacturing company. MCT will continue limited production of the engine for the foreseeable future, supplying engines for aftermarket and replacement use.
It is also interesting to note that the Rover V8 based on the Buick design was not the first V8 produced by Rover. When the Rover Company was having engineering differences of opinion regarding the development of the Whittle turbine engine, the Wilks brothers did a deal with Rolls-Royce to swap technologies. The turbine engine project went to Rolls-Royce and Rover Co took over the V12 Meteor production used in the Centurion Tank. From this a V8 variant was developed. The Rover Meteorite, also known as Rolls-Royce Meteorite, was a V8 petrol engine of 18.01 L (1,099 cu in) capacity. In essence it was two-thirds of a V12 Meteor, and it shared the Meteor's 60° bank angle. Meteorites were built for vehicles, for marine use and as stationary power units: it powered the Thornycroft Antar or Mighty Antar Tank Transporter – and as such was used to transport Meteor-engined tanks – and also heavy transport on the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme in Australia.
Racing
As the aluminium block made this engine one of the lightest stock V8s built, it was an obvious choice for use in racing. Mickey Thompson entered a car powered by this engine in the 1962 Indianapolis 500. From 1946 to 1962 there had not been a single stock-block car entered in this famous race. In 1962 the Buick 215 was the only non-Offenhauser powered entry in the field of 33 cars. Rookie driver Dan Gurney qualified eighth and raced well for 92 laps before retiring with transmission problems.
The Rover version of this engine was extensively developed and used for rally racing, especially in Triumph TR8 sports cars.
The Australian Repco V8 F1 engine being based on Buick 215 block is a common misconception, as the Rover/Buick V8 had 5 cylinder-head-studs per cylinder configuration that cannot accommodate the 6 stud Repco RB620 heads. The Repco V8 was based on Oldsmobile 215 block of the same era, which was quite similar in appearance, size and material, but with 6 cylinder-head-studs per cylinder. The difference in block design originated in Oldsmobile's intention to produce the higher power, turbo-charged Jetfire version of the small/light V8, however, the public/press tended not to be aware of the internal difference.
3.5 L
The initial Rover version of the engine had a displacement of 3,528 cc (215.3 cu in). The bore was 88.9 mm (3.50 in) and the stroke was 71.0 mm (2.80 in). It used a sand-cast block with pressed-in iron cylinder liners, and a new intake manifold with two SU carburettors. The Rover engine was heavier but stronger than the Buick engine, with a dry weight of about 170 kg (375 lb). It was first offered in the 1967 Rover P5B saloon, initially making 160 PS (118 kW; 158 hp) at 5,200 rpm and 210 lb·ft (280 N·m) of torque at 2,600 rpm on 10.5:1 compression. With the introduction of the Rover SD1 in 1975, the engine was dramatically improved with the 'rope' oil seals replaced with poly items and the spark plug dimensions changed.
Applications:
- 1967–1973 Rover P5B
- 1968–1976 Rover P6
- 1968–1990 Morgan Plus 8
- 1970–1989 Land Rover Range Rover
- 1973–1976 MGB GT V8
- 1972–1978 Land Rover 101 Forward Control military vehicle
- 1979–1981/2 Triumph TR8
- 1978–1985 Land Rover Series III "Stage One"
- 1976–1987 Rover SD1
- 1976–1990 Argyll
- 1980–1990 TVR 350i
- 1989–2004 Land Rover Discovery
- 1983–1994 Land Rover 90/110/Defender
- 1986–1991 Sisu NA-140 BT all-terrain transport vehicle
Project Iceberg
In the late 1970s, British Leyland became aware of the increasing importance of diesel engined cars to the British, European and (especially) North American markets in the wake of the 1979 energy crisis. It was decided that a new series of diesel engines powerful, refined and economical enough for use in BL cars was needed. However, with development funding tight, it was necessary to use existing BL petrol engines as a base. This included a diesel version of the 3.5-litre V8, the development project for which was code-named 'Iceberg'. BL collaborated with Perkins Engines of Peterborough to develop the engine. Both naturally aspirated and turbocharged versions were produced, both using a Stanadyne rotary mechanical fuel injection system. Power outputs of around 100 (naturally aspirated) and 150 (turbocharged) horsepower were achieved. The Iceberg engine was slated for fitment in the Range Rover, Rover SD1 and the Jaguar XJ but the project encountered problems with failure of the alloy cylinder heads and internal cooling. They were limited by the need to use the same basic block casting as the petrol engine to allow the Iceberg engine to be produced on the same production line to reduce costs. Whilst these problems could have been overcome, the project ran into financial and logistical problems caused by the reorganisation of BL and specifically the splitting of Land Rover and Rover into separate divisions. Land Rover took over production of the V8 engine in 1982, moving it from the main BL engine plant at Acock's Green into a new, much lower-capacity production line in the Solihull works, where it was built alongside the other Land Rover engines. This meant that there was no spare capacity to build diesel versions of the engine. Coupled to this, it was clear that the market for large diesel engined cars in North America had not developed as expected. BL finally pulled out of the project in 1983. Perkins initially decided to pursue the project alone, and even produced advertising brochures for the engine as an industrial power unit, but BL withdrew all technical support and Project Iceberg was wrapped up in late 1983. BL's other collaboration with Perkins (producing a diesel version of the O-Series engine) produced the highly successful 'Prima' unit. BL (and its Rover Group successor) bought in 2.5-litre 4-cylinder turbodiesel units from VM Motori to use in the SD1 and Range Rover.
3.9/4.0
Land Rover used a 3,946 cc (240.8 cu in) version of the Rover V8 through the 1990s. Bore was increased to 94.0 mm (3.70 in) and stroke remained the same at 71.0 mm (2.80 in). The engine was revised in 1995 (and thereafter referred to as a 4.0 to differentiate it from the earlier version, although displacement remained the same at 3,946 cc) with a new intake and exhaust system, extra block ribbing, revised pistons, and larger cross-bolted main-bearings. The 1995 4.0 produced 190 hp (142 kW) and 236 lb·ft (320 N·m) .
Production of the 4.0 ended in 2003. The final version of the engine, used in the 2003 Land Rover Discovery, produced 188 hp (140 kW) at 4,750 rpm and 250 lb·ft (340 N·m) at 2,600 rpm.
Applications:
- 1990–2004 Morgan Plus 8
- 1991–1995 Ginetta G33
- 1992–1996 MG RV8
- 1986–1993 TVR S Series
- 1989–1995 Land Rover Range Rover (known as a 3.9 in this application)
- 1992–2001 TVR Chimaera
- 1992–2000 TVR Griffith
- 1995–2003 Land Rover Range Rover in SE trim
- 1994–1998 Land Rover Defender (only used as standard on USA-spec vehicles- available only to special order in other markets.)
- 1986–1991 Sisu NA-140 BT all-terrain transport vehicle
- 1991–2009 Westfield SEight
- 1998 Land Rover Defender 50th Anniversary Limited Edition
- 1996-2002 Land Rover Discovery Series I,II
In the early 1980s TVR approached Andy Rouse with a view to using his race-developed 3.9L variant of the V8 in their Rover-powered 350i 'wedge'; Rouse had successfully campaigned a Rover SD1 with a modified V8 on the track. For a number of reasons (primarily cost) Rouse's version was not used, but the concept was passed to alternative engineering firms which resulted in a rare variant of the 3.9. This unit has 93.5mm cylinder bores (instead of Rover's own 94mm that was introduced some years later) and thus has a capacity of 3,905cc. Flat-topped pistons and high-lift camshaft gave a compression ratio of 10.5:1. TVR claimed 275 bhp as the output and whilst this is generally disregarded by aficionados, a healthy 3,905 cc engine will produce in excess of 240 bhp. Once a reproducible specification had been determined, the bulk of engine production was undertaken by North Coventry Kawasaki (NCK), which company was subsequently purchased by TVR to become their in-house engine division known as TVR Power. About 100 cars were built with the 3,905 cc engine; TVR's later '400' offering being based on the then-current Range Rover 4L of 3,946 cc.
Applications:
- 1986–1989 TVR 390SE
4.2
Land Rover extended the 3,946 cc engine for the top LSEspecification of the Classic Range Rover. The 4.2 L engine had a displacement of 4,275 cc (260.9 cu in), and used the crankshaft castings from the failed "Iceberg" diesel engine project Bore remained the same at 94.0 mm (3.70 in), while stroke increased to 77.0 mm (3.03 in).
Applications:
- 1992–1995 Land Rover Range Rover
4.3
For the Griffith and Chimaera, TVR Power, a Coventry-based subsidiary of sportscar maker TVR, built a Rover V8-version with a 4,280 cc (261 cu in) displacement using the 77 mm (3.0 in) stroke crankshaft as per the Land Rover 4.2 engine, but with a 94 mm (3.7 in) bore size. The so-called 'pre-cat' versions of the Griffith predominantly used this engine, although a 4.0 litre version was also available. The Chimaera was introduced with choice of 4.0 and 4.3 litre engines. A small number of 'Big Valve' versions, sporting modified cylinder heads with 43 mm (1.7 in) intake and 37 mm (1.5 in) exhaust valves and a more radical camshaft profile, found their way to early Griffiths and Chimaeras.
Around 1993, a number of Westfield SEight models were equipped with a John Eales-built 4.3 litre engine.
Applications:
- 1992–1993 TVR Griffith
- 1993–1994 TVR Chimaera
- 1993–2009 Westfield SEight
4.4
Leyland of Australia produced a special 4,416 cc (269.5 cu in) version of the aluminium V8 for their Australia-only 1973 Leyland P76. The bore was 88.9 mm (3.50 in) and the stroke was 88.9 mm (3.50 in), making it a square engine. The block deck height was extended and longer conrods were fitted 158.75 mm (6.250 in) between centres. This rare engine produced 200 hp (149 kW) and 280 ft•lbf (380 N•m) and although export (to the UK) versions were planned, the closure by British Leyland of their Australian operations in 1975 precluded the widespread application of this engine.
Applications:
- 1973–1975 Leyland P76
- Leyland Terrier truck
4.5
Not to be confused with the later 4.6 litre engine which TVR badged as a '4.5' for the Chimaera, there also existed a version with an 80 mm (3.1 in) crank and 94 mm (3.7 in) bore giving 4,444 cc (271.2 cu in) capacity, which was used by TVR in the low-volume special 450 SEAC, the race version thereof and the subsequent Tuscan Challenge racers. A tiny number of Griffith and Chimaera road cars were built with a version of this engine, known as the '450 BV' (Big Valve).
4.6
In 1996, Land Rover enlarged the Rover V8 to 4,552 cc (277.8 cu in). The bore remained the same size as the previous 4.0 at 94.0 mm (3.70 in), but the engine was stroked by 10.9 mm (0.43 in) giving 82 mm (3.2 in) in total. Output was 225 hp (168 kW) and 280 ft•lbf (380 N•m).
Production of the 4.6 ended at Solihull, UK, in 2002. The final version, used in the Range Rover, produced 222 hp (166 kW) at 4,750 rpm and 300 ft•lbf (407 N•m) at 2,600 rpm.
The last mass-produced application of the Rover V8 was the Land Rover Discovery, up until the vehicle was redesigned in 2005. It is still used by some hand-built sports cars built by some independent manufacturers.
Applications:
- 1995–2002 Land Rover Range Rover in the HSE trim
- 2003–2004 Land Rover Discovery
- 1996–2002 TVR Chimaera
5.0
A 5 litre 4,997 cc (304.9 cu in) variant of the Rover V8 was used in two models by British sportscar manufacturer TVR. The bore was 94.0 mm (3.70 in) and the stroke was 90.0 mm (3.54 in). These models, the Griffith and Chimaera used the 5 litre unit in their top-end specifications. The factory quotes up to 340 bhp (254 kW) and 350 lbf·ft (470 N·m) of torque.
Applications:
- 1990-1995 Lichfield Land Rovers
- 1992–2001 TVR Chimaera
- 1992–2000 TVR Griffith
- 2002–2006 Bowler Wildcat- this used a hybrid 5.0-litre V8 with Land Rover cylinder heads and a TVR block and piston assembly.
Moreover, in the mid-1980s, hot rodders discovered the 215 could be stretched to as much as 5 l (305 cu in), using the Buick 300 crankshaft, new cylinder sleeves, and an assortment of non-Buick parts.It could also be fitted with high-compression cylinder heads from the Morgan +8. Using the 5 liter Rover block and crankshaft, a maximum displacement of 5,208 cc (317.8 cu in) is possible and used primarily in racing applications.
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Rover T-Series engine
The Rover T16 engine was a 1994 cc fuel injected DOHC inline-four petrol engine produced by Rover from 1992 to 1999. It has a bore of 84.45 mm (3.325 in) and a stroke of 89 mm (3.5 in). It is a development of the M-Series (M16), which was in turn a development of the O-Series, which dated back to the BMC B-Series engine as found in the MG B and many others.
Several variants were produced for various models, but all had the same displacement. The naturally aspirated type produced 136 horsepower (101 kW), and turbocharged types were available with 180 and 200 hp (150 kW).
While the engine itself is capable of a great deal of power, its limiting factor was the PG1 Powertrain Ltd gearbox it was coupled with which could not handle the torque. Due to this the engine is electronically limited to a lower torque output than it is easily capable of, giving the engine a very 'flat' overall torque curve.
Applications
The Rover 620ti Turbo, 220 turbo coupé and 820 Vitesse all utilised the engine. The T-Series engine also found its way into limited-run Rover 220 3-door hatchbacks in GTi and later GSi trims and the 420 GSI turbo and GSI Sport turbo. The turbo versions now appear in the mg zr via custom conversions running 200bhp to 350bhp after forged internals.
The non-turbo engine also found its way into the short-lived and generally underpowered Land Rover Discovery 2.0i. Land Rover also fitted the same engine to a special batch of Defenders built for the Italian Carabinieri, which operated an exclusively petrol-powered vehicle fleet. A development vehicle was also built using a turbocharged version of the engine which far out performed the V8 production cars, but no room could be found for it in Land Rover's vehicle strategy.
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Rover L-Series engine
The L-Series engine commenced production in January 1995 and was the first Rover designed and manufactured direct injection diesel for use in Rover Cars applications and derived from the established Rover MDi / Perkins Prima engine used in the Austin Montego, Austin Maestro, and Leyland Sherpa van sold by 'Freight Rover' in the '80s, later by LDV.
The L series is extremely versatile and has been fitted in the Land Rover Freelander, Rover 200 Mk3, Rover 400 Mk2, Rover 600, and European versions of the Honda Accord and Honda Civic. It has been successfully tuned to produce much higher power than standard. A development of the L series engine (The G-Series) featuring a modern common-rail fuel injection system was underway when MG-Rover ceased production, but the company's closure prevented it from being fully developed and released.
Technology
There are several forms of this engine.
The first is a non intercooled, mechanically controlled fuel injection system. This version is available in Rover 200 and Rover 400 models and the model designation ends in "D", i.e. SD, SLD etc., etc.
The second is intercooled and has an electronically controlled fuel injection system. This version is available in Rover 200, Rover 400 and Rover 600 models. The model designation ends in "Di", i.e. SDi, SLDi etc., etc.
The last and most recent engine is intercooled and also has an electronically controlled injection system which is slightly more advanced and produces more torque but the same power output as earlier intercooled models. This is the version that is used in the Rover 25, Rover 45, MG ZR, and MG ZS.
All versions use Bosch fuel injection equipment of various designs.
The engine is extremely environmentally friendly in terms of its emissions. It is quiet in operation owing to its two stage fuel injection & ECU controlling fuel for most models and timing for them all. The engine currently satisfies ECD IIl derogated Diesel emissions legislation when installed with an appropriate specified oxidation catalyst.
Sensors around the engine consistently give feedback to the ECU regarding injection timing, engine speed, load, fuel and coolant temperature, boost pressure etc. to ensure that optimum running conditions are maintained.
The basic engine is a conventional 4-cylinder with 2 valves per cylinder operated by a single overhead camshaft and hydraulic tappets.
The block is made of cast iron with aluminum alloy head and sump. An Allied Signal GT15 turbo charger supplies boosted air. A fully modulated, either air- or water-cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system is incorporated into the intake/exhaust system.
All accessories (PAS, aircon, water pump, vacuum pump, alternator) are all driven off a single poly-vee-belt drive with autotensioner. Camshaft and injection pump drives are via two multi-toothed belts with either automatic or manual tensioners.
Related Development
The Land Rover Td5 engine, a 2.5-litre, 5-cylinder turbodiesel used in the Discovery and the Defender had the same bore/stroke dimensions as the L-Series and used the same pistons, connecting rods and crankshaft dimensions. However, the Td5 was not simply a 5-cylinder L-Series. It used Lucas Electronic Unit Injection, instead of the L-Series' direct injection system, as well as a through-flow cylinder head and a very different ancillary equipment layout. The Td5 had been developed by the Rover Group under the codename 'Project Storm', which was originally to develop a replacement range of turbodiesels to replace the L-Series, with 4-, 5- and 6-cylinder engines of 2-, 2.5- and 3-litres respectively. When the Rover Group was taken over by BMW, they brought their own range of diesels which rendered the 2-litre and 3-litre Storm engines unnecessary. Only the Td5 entered production.
Specifications
The L-series engine has been availabable in 3 specifications.
84 bhp (63 kW) Turbo/Non-intercooled (ceased production in 2000) 104 bhp (78 kW) Turbo/intercooled (Torque: 210 Nm at 2000 rpm.) 111 bhp (83 kW) Turbo/intercooled
General Bore - 84.5 mm (3.33") Stroke - 88.9 mm (3.5") Displacement - 1994 cc Firing order - 1-3-4-2 Compression ratio - 19.5:1 Boost pressure - 14 psi
Fuel pressure - 20,500 psi maxv
The L-Series engine is an automotive diesel engine built by Powertrain Ltd, a sister company of MG Rover.
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Rover KV6 engine
The KV6 automotive petrol engine has a 24-valve quad-cam V6 configuration, and a pressurising variable intake system (VIS) to add hot spots throughout the rev range. Variants exist in 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre capacities. These were built initially by Rover Group, then by Powertrain Ltd (a sister company to MG Rover). KIA manufactured KV6 in Korea under license. Manufacturing moved from the UK to China in 2005, and the product re-designated NV6.
History
First introduced into the Rover 800 series with the 1996 facelift, including the flagship Rover Sterling Saloon and Coupe models, it has since also powered the Rover 75 and its sister car, the MG ZT, as well as the Rover 45 and the MG ZS.
The engine was designed and developed by Rover at Longbridge to replace the Honda 2.7l V6 engine which was about to become non-compliant with tightening emissions legislation. The original unit was designed for low volume production but was later redesigned to fit into the smaller Rover 75's bonnet, although performance remained similar.
In 1994 the engine was licenced to Kia Motors who invested in a new plant at the Asan Bay complex to build the engine. This engine was used in several Kia vehicles. Its introduction in Korea shortly followed its use by Rover in the Sterling.
Technology
At introduction, the engine enjoyed considerable technological advancement compared with its competition, most notably being the lightest and shortest v6 in its class. It has fully automatically tensioned drive belts and adaptive Siemens EMS2000 engine management. The fuelling and ignition timing are constantly varied to match the load on the engine to improve refinement. The engine boasts Variable Geometry Induction, whereby air induction pipe lengths vary to optimise engine torque in response to different engine and road speeds, aiding refinement and efficiency. Although it bears the name of K Series, the engine has almost no components in common with the 4-cylinder version.
In its Rover setup, the unit delivers peak engine power of 175 PS (129 kW) at 6,500 rpm, and maximum torque of 240 N·m (177 lb·ft) at 4000 rpm, prompting the late 1990s 'most powerful in its class' sales tag used to sell Rover 800 V6 models. The automatic gearbox in V6 800s is also able to communicate with the engine, briefly easing torque to allow smoother changes.
One of the most immediately noticeable features of the first V form engine to be designed by Rover for decades is its distinctive, quietly growling engine note.
Cam Drive
The V6 engine is fitted with four overhead camshafts driven by synchronous tooth belts. It has a single, long, serpentine belt at the front driving the inlet cams and also the coolant pump. The exhaust cams are driven by short link belts driven from the ends of the inlet cams at the rear of the engine. The system was a joint development between Dayco (belt supplier) and Rover. The rear link belts do not incorporate any tensioning device. Belt tension is maintained by very careful control of belt length and the pulley pair is pre-tensioned during fitting. The front belt drive is tensioned by a spring-loaded tensioner pulley incorporating a hydraulic damping element.
An unusual feature of this system is that it incorporates "floating" inlet cam drive pulleys that are not directly keyed to the shafts. This means that special setting tools are required to establish the cam timing before the pulley fixings are tightened. This requirement is the result of the complexity of the cam drive train. In addition to the length and thickness tolerance of the belts, the accuracy of the cam timing is also affected by the positional and diameter tolerance of each pulley and the thickness of each major engine casting. The result is that the required degree of timing accuracy could not otherwise be maintained.
Known Issues
Early hand-finished units were affected by inconsistent production tolerances (1996-1999). This caused the height of the cylinder liners to vary, which risked over-compression or under-compression of the head gaskets. The production facility was re-engineered prior to launching the Rover 75 (1999-2005). Those changes resolved all known issues and the KV6 has a positive reputation for reliability.
The 1999 redesign of the KV6 by Rover Group under BMW included replacing the original metal inlet-manifolds and butterfly valves, with plastic units manufactured in Germany. The redesign also involved replacing the metal thermostat housing with a plastic unit. A costly but uncommon side-effect to using plastic components are breakages in the butterfly valves that are mounted inside the non-serviceable inlet manifold, as well as perishing thermostat housing that can lead to loss of coolant. A third common fault is wear in the VIS motors that are mounted on the sides of the inlet manifold and control air intake. Damage to the butterfly valves and/or VIS motors is limited to causing excessive noise and/or minor loss of power.
A Kia manufactured variant of the engine was also fitted to the Kia Carnival (people mover) with some problems on early model engines. A large percentage of first generation (1999 - 2005) Kia Carnivals sold in Australia required a new enginesome multiple engines. In most cases KIA provided a reconditioned short (without transmission) engine free of charge and with no questions asked, providing the vehicle was under warranty.For those outside warranty, Kia "covered costs proportional to what should have been the full expected life of components" and charged for labour and consumables.
Applications
- Gibbs Aquada, a high speed amphibious vehicle
- Kia Sedona (UK and North America, first generation)
- Kia Carnival (outside the UK and North America)
- Land Rover Freelander (first generation)
- MG-ZS
- MG-ZT
- Naza Ria (Malaysia)
- Rover 825
- Rover 45
- Rover 75
The NV6 variant is deployed in Roewe 750 and MG-7 cars (China).
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Rover K Series engine
The K-Series engine is a series of engines built by Powertrain Ltd, a sister company of MG Rover. The engine was built in two forms: a straight-four cylinder, available with SOHC and DOHC, ranging from 1.1 L to 1.8 L; and the KV6 V6 variation.
Design history
The K-Series was introduced in 1988 by Rover Group as a powerplant for the Rover 200 car. It was revolutionary in that it was the first volume production implementation of the low pressure sand casting technique. This works by injecting liquid aluminium into an upturned sand mould from below. In this way any oxide film always remains on the surface of the casting and is not stirred into the casting structure. This production technology overcame many of the inherent problems of casting aluminium components and consequently permitted lower casting wall thickness and higher strength to weight ratios. However, the process required the use of heat treated LM25 material which gave the engines a reputation for being fragile. An engine overheat would often result in the material becoming annealed and rendering the components scrap. The aluminium engine blocks were fitted with spun cast iron cylinder liners that were initially manufactured by GKN's Sheepbridge Stokes of Chesterfield, but replaced by spun cast iron liners made by Goetze after some seminal research conducted by Charles Bernstein at Longbridge, which proved influential even to Ducati for their race engines. Unfortunately a large number of aftermarket engines, the so-called "VHPD"s" were built with the old substandard GKNs by Minister, Lotus and PTP well after the Goetze liner's introduction to the production line in 2000.
The engine was introduced initially in 1.1 L single overhead cam and 1.4 L dual overhead cam versions. The engines were held together as a sandwich of components by long through-bolts which held the engine under compression, though this construction is not unknown in early lightweight fighter engines from the First World War. It had also been used in motorcycle engines and Triumph Car's "Sabrina" race engine. As Honda stopped providing Rover with engines after the end of their relationship, but well before the BMW takeover, an enlargement of the K Series design to 1.6 and 1.8 litres was carried out. This was done by using larger diameter cylinder liners and also increasing the stroke. The change required a block redesign with the removal of the cylinder block's top deck and a change from "wet" liners to "damp" liners. The plastic throttle body fitted to the engine until 2001 was manufactured by the SU Carburettor company - they also included aluminium and larger sized bodies.
The two types of head that were bolted to the common four-cylinder block were designated K8 (8 valves) and K16 (16 valves). A later head design also incorporated a Rover-designed Variable Valve Control (VVC) unit (derived from an expired AP patent). This allowed more power to be developed without compromising low-speed torque and flexibility. The VVC system constantly alters the inlet cam period, resulting in a remarkably flexible drive - the torque curve of a VVC K-series engine is virtually flat throughout the rev range and power climbs steadily with no fall-off whatsoever until the rev limiter kicks in at 7,200 rpm.
By comparison, the V6 engines are more conventional engines that do not make use of the through bolts to hold the head to the block.
Engine management
K8 engine
Early K8 engines used a single SU KIF carburetter with a manual choke and a breaker-less distributor mounted on the end of the camshaft. MEMS Single point injection became standard with the launch of the Rover 100 in 1994.
K16
K16 models used MEMS electronic engine management in either Single Point or Multi Point forms, with a single coil on the back of the engine block and a distributor cap and rotor arm on the end of the inlet camshaft. MEMS 2J was used on the VVC engine, to control the Variable Valve Control and also the distributorless ignition system, which was necessary thanks to having camshaft drive belts at both ends of the engine. With the launch of the Rover 25 and Rover 45 in 1999, MEMS 3 was introduced, with twin coils and sequential injection.
KV6
Early KV6 as used in the Rover 800 used MEMS 2J, which controlled the three wasted spark coil packs and variable intake manifold geometry. The later KV6 used Siemens EMS 2000.
Model range
1100
All 1100 engines displace 1.1 L (1,120 cc/68 cu in). Four variations were created:
- SOHC K8 8-valve, Carburettor, 60 hp (44 kW)
- SOHC K8 8-valve, SPI, 60 hp (44 kW)
- SOHC K8 8-valve, MPI, 60 hp (44 kW)
- DOHC K16 16-valve, MPI, 75 hp (55 kW)
Cars that came with the 1100:
- Rover Metro
- Rover 100
- Rover 200
- Rover 25
1400
Engine Codes: 14K2F (8V), 14K4F (16V), 14K16 (16V)?
All 1400 engines displace 1.4 L (1,396 cc/85 cu in). Six variations were created:
- SOHC K8 8-valve, Carburettor, 75 hp (55 kW)
- SOHC K8 8-valve, SPI, 75 hp (55 kW)
- SOHC K8 8-valve, MPI, 75 hp (55 kW)
- DOHC K16 16-valve, SPI, 90 hp (66 kW)
- DOHC K16 16-valve, MPI, 82 hp (61 kW)
- DOHC K16 16-valve, MPI, 103 hp (76 kW)
The K16 82 hp variant is exactly the same as the 103 hp (77 kW) version, apart from a restrictive throttle body designed to lower the car's insurance group; the 90 hp (67 kW) Spi features single-point fuel injection rather than the multi-point of the later engine.
Cars that came with the 1400:
- Rover Metro
- Rover 100
- Rover 200
- Rover 25
- Rover 400
- Rover 45
- Rover Streetwise
- MG ZR
- MG ZS - Ireland and Portugal only.
- Caterham Seven
- GTM Libra
- GTM K3
- FSO Polonez Caro/Atu
1600
Engine Code: 16K4F
All 1600 engines displace 1.6 L (1,588 cc/96 cu in). Two variations were created:
- DOHC K16 16-valve, MPI, 109 hp (80 kW)
- DOHC K16 16-valve, MPI, 111 hp (82 kW)
Cars that came with the 1600:
- Rover 200
- Rover 25
- Rover Streetwise
- Rover 400
- Rover 45
- MG ZS
- MG F
- MG TF
- Caterham Seven
1800
Engine Codes: 18K4F, 18K4K (VVC variants)
All 1800 engines displace 1.8 L (1,795 cc/109 cu in). Six variations were created:
- DOHC K16 16-valve, MPI, 117 to 120 hp (86 to 88 kW)
- DOHC K16 16-valve, MPI, 136 hp (100 kW)
- DOHC K16 16-valve, MPI, VVC, 145 hp (107 kW)
- DOHC K16 16-valve, MPI, VVC, 160 hp (118 kW)
- DOHC K16 16-valve, MPI, turbocharged, 150 to 160 hp (110 to 118 kW)
- DOHC K16 VHPD - Very High Performance Derivative 16-valve, MPI, 177 hp (130 kW) or 192 hp (142 kW) (Lotus version) (Uses VVC unique cylinder head casting (similar to VVC casting), has big valves, but with fixed cam timing - No development input was requested from Rover)
Cars that came with the 1800:
- Rover 200 (120HP, 145 HP VVC)
- Rover 25 (120HP, 145 HP VVC)
- Rover 45 (120 HP)
- Rover Streetwise (120HP)
- Rover 75 (120 HP, 150 HP Turbo)
- MG ZR (120 HP and 160 HP VVC)
- MG ZS (120 HP)
- MG ZT (120HP, 160 HP Turbo)
- MG F (120 HP, 145 HP VVC and 160 HP VVC)
- MG TF (120HP, 135 HP and 160 HP VVC)
- Ariel Atom1
- Lotus Elise
- Land Rover Freelander(120 HP)
- Caterham Seven
- GTM Libra
