Rover KV6 Engine
Encyclopedia
The KV6 automotive engine
is a 24 valve, quad cam V6 engine, available in 2.5 litre or 2.0 litre, built by Powertrain Ltd
which is a sister company to MG Rover. It is derived from their four-cylinder K-Series
engine.
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.
s (first generation), also used the KV6 engine.
Kia Sedona (first generation), otherwise known as Kia Carnival outside the UK and North America, was offered with their own slightly modified version of the KV6 engine in some markets.
Gibbs Aquada
, a high speed amphibious vehicle.
Naza
Ria, a rebadge Kia Carnival in Malaysia.
In its Rover setup, the unit delivers peak engine power of 175 PS (129 kW) at 6,500 rpm, and maximum torque of 240 newton metre 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.
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 early model (2000 -> 2003) Kia Carnivals sold in Australia
required a new engine— some 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.
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
is a 24 valve, quad cam V6 engine, available in 2.5 litre or 2.0 litre, built by Powertrain Ltd
Powertrain Ltd
Powertrain Ltd was a British company based in Birmingham which designed, manufactured and marketed car engines and transmissions. It was a subsidiary of Phoenix Venture Holdings and a sister company to MG Rover...
which is a sister company to MG Rover. It is derived from their four-cylinder K-Series
Rover K 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....
engine.
History
First introduced into the Rover 800Rover 800
The Rover 800 series is an executive car introduced by the Austin Rover Group in 1986 and also marketed as the Sterling in the United States. Co-developed with Honda, it was a close relative to the Honda Legend and the successor to the Rover SD1....
series with the 1996 facelift, including the flagship Rover Sterling Saloon and Coupe models, it has since also powered the Rover 75
Rover 75
The Rover 75 is an executive car produced initially by the Rover Group at Cowley, Oxfordshire, UK, and later by MG Rover at their Longbridge site in Birmingham, UK...
and its sister car, the MG ZT
MG ZT
The MG ZT is a high-performance MG-branded version of the Rover 75 executive car, produced by MG Rover at their Longbridge plant in Birmingham from 2001 to 2005. An estate version, the MG ZT-T, was also available. Styling is similar to the 75, although uprated springs and chassis modifications make...
, as well as the Rover 45 and the MG ZS
MG ZS
The MG ZS is a sports family car. The ZS is essentially a badge engineered Rover 45 . The 45 in turn is a facelifted version of the Rover 400 which was launched in hatchback form in 1995 and saloon form in 1996. The Rover 400 had much in common with the Honda Civic of 1995-1999...
.
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
Rover 75
The Rover 75 is an executive car produced initially by the Rover Group at Cowley, Oxfordshire, UK, and later by MG Rover at their Longbridge site in Birmingham, UK...
's bonnet, although performance remained similar.
In 1994 the engine was licenced to Kia Motors
Kia Motors
Kia Motors , headquartered in Seoul, is South Korea's second-largest automobile manufacturer, following the Hyundai Motor Company, with sales of over 1.4 million vehicles in 2010...
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
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
shortly followed its use by Rover in the Sterling.
Other customers
Land Rover FreelanderLand Rover Freelander
The Land Rover Freelander is a compact crossover SUV made by Land Rover.The current generation is sold as the LR2 in North America and as the Freelander 2 in Europe...
s (first generation), also used the KV6 engine.
Kia Sedona (first generation), otherwise known as Kia Carnival outside the UK and North America, was offered with their own slightly modified version of the KV6 engine in some markets.
Gibbs Aquada
Gibbs Aquada
The Gibbs Aquada is a high speed amphibious vehicle developed by Gibbs Technologies, an Alan Gibbs company. It is capable of speeds over 160 km/h on land and 50 km/h on water...
, a high speed amphibious vehicle.
Naza
Naza
Naza Group of Companies is a Malaysian business conglomerate associated with motor trading, automotive franchises and property development, which began operations in 1974...
Ria, a rebadge Kia Carnival in Malaysia.
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 newton metre 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
Rover Group
The Rover Group plc was the name given in 1986 to the British state-owned vehicle manufacturer previously known as British Leyland or BL. Owned by British Aerospace from 1988 to 1994, when it was sold to BMW, the Group was broken up in 2000 with the Rover and MG marques being acquired by the MG...
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.
Problems
A number of early units were seen off by head gasket failure brought about by poorly maintained production tolerances. This caused the height of the cylinder liners to vary resulting in over compression or under compression of the head gaskets. However, the redesign of the engine and its production facility, prior to the introduction of the Rover 75, cured this problem and it became one of the company's most reliable units. Problems remaining through until the end of production were largely confined to the inlet manifold mechanism (particularly the VIS valve motors) and leaking thermostat housings.A Kia manufactured variant of the engine was also fitted to the Kia Carnival
Kia Carnival
The Kia Carnival is a minivan manufactured by Kia Motors, introduced in September 1998, now in its second generation and marketed globally under various nameplates – prominently as the Kia Sedona....
(people mover) with some problems on early model engines. A large percentage of early model (2000 -> 2003) Kia Carnivals sold in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
required a new engine— some 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.
External links
- Owning and Maintaining a Rover 800 825 KV6 Sterling Coupe! Visit Rover-800.co.uk for more information on the Rover KV6 engine as fitted to a 1999 Rover 800 825 KV6 Auto Coupe. Includes KV6 Head Gasket Failure & Replacement
- Rover 800 Enthusiasts forum