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The V6 engine. Is there such a thing as a good one?


warren t claim

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Vectra GSi.

 

Next...

 

I obviously prefer the same basic engine in an omega turned around 90 degrees.

 

One of the mentalists on www.mk2cav.com got hold of a 2.5 V6 mk3 cavalier engine, and rebuilt the ancillaries around a 3.2 MV6 Omega engine which was intended on going into a mk2 cavalier.  All I can say is that one man's hobby is another man's mental illness.

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Omega 3.0 V6 is a cracker, 210 bhp, 150 mph and can do 300k + 

 

 I'm happy enough with the 3.2 and it's 218 bhp but NEVER will I attempt 150 MPH - I usually like to limit myself to less than half that.

 

I have 2 new cam cover gaskets going on over the weekend and 2 new coil packs (If I can be arsed) which will solve the oil leak and should make it smoother too.

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The V6 petrol used in Mercs from around 1996 inwards is a superb unit, virtually unbreakable. Alfa V6 is another good one.

 

What this man said about the Mercedes V6..... That was going to be my suggestion also. Never had a V6 Alfa.

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What's wrong with the Ford Duratec V6, or its close relative the Jaguar AJ-V6 then, out of interest? All those thousands of terminally rusty X-Types still seem to run OK. For some reason, presumably police abuse, my Mondeo 3.0 Ghia X had a new engine at 10,000 miles but the replacement is still fine 133k later. According to the MOT man it's leaking a bit of oil from the rear rocker cover but not enough that I can be bothered to sort it. At the weekend it dragged the large car and 5 large people 785 miles across northern Europe, with the trip computer at one point showing 33mpg and 66mph average.

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The Mercedes OM421 was always a decent, reliable engine. Although it did have a reputation for spontaneously combusting when dumped in the back of the Dennis Falcon V.

 

attachicon.gif6612648987_0fcfae6df0_b.jpg

Superb! The bus of my childhood right down to the livery, and from the background I suspect the depot too (Bolton)

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Amongst Jaguar XJ X350 folks the V6 petrol one is considered the most reliable option and reasonable on fuel. 

 

The PRV was finally sorted in the 1988-91 variant of the Volvo 760. They formed an oil bath for the cams in the head so that lube worked even if the little jets in the rocker arms fails. Peugeot and Renault never used this variant. 

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I like these, 2 stroke so they sound good with the exhausts off

 

post-366-0-00660900-1501791114_thumb.jpg

 

They're fitted to Kronenberg MAC 11 as an Aux unit to drive the fire pump, the main engine is a V8

 

post-366-0-97027800-1501791205_thumb.jpg

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Superb! The bus of my childhood right down to the livery, and from the background I suspect the depot too (Bolton)

Me too, though it would have been the 216 between Ashton Under Lyne and Manchester.

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Superb! The bus of my childhood right down to the livery, and from the background I suspect the depot too (Bolton)

 

 

I remember them well - especially with the slightly earlier Greater Manchester transport logo, but the same colours. I used a Crosville myself, from Altrincham. Amazingly, photos of the actual busses are out there on the Internet - I've just had a look!

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Me too, though it would have been the 216 between Ashton Under Lyne and Manchester.

 

That's the bus (route) of my childhood. ALX400s and Enviros aren't at all interesting though.

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200ish bhp, the R32 is 230ish.

 

The VR6 isn't a true V6 with separate cylinder banks anyway, more like a staggered in-line 6.

Mine is not standard. Not by a long way, hence 230ish bhp.

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Can't remember if anyone's,mentioned these - the GM 6v-71 as used in this:-

 

And used in Ireland in the, now legendary, KD class Bombardier double deckers.

https://youtu.be/UOA7KPzi2ac

 

If you're a fan of the sounds of a 6V71 give this a watch with your headphones turned up.

 

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There are two really outstandingly good V6 engines. The Cologne and the Buick 3.8.

Everything else is forgettable rubbish lacking two cylinders.

 

The Buick 3.8 seems to have many similarities with the PRV.  They were both 90 degree V6s which later moved to a split pin crank, so that the early ones are "odd fire" and later ones "even fire".

 

I would be interested to hear how the GM 3800 oddfire did ignition.  The PRV came in two forms:-

Volvo went with electronic ignition and a dissy cap with uneven spacing.

Peugeot went with a dissy which has two contact breakers, two king leads and two coils.  Effectively it is two separate three cylinder engines joined together (from an ignition point of view).

 

The PRV gained a reputation of being unreliable due to the camshafts going, mostly in American market Volvos.  I suspect that this was really only partially true. The rocker arms are a weakness but they are cheap and not that hard to change.  The problem is that people ignored the rattling rocker arms and this would eventually take the cam with it making it significantly harder to fix.

 

I did hear of a permanent "fix" from someone on an Australian forum (some kind of head modification) but I never managed to get anyone to say what this fix is.  The bottom end of the PRV is very tough, which some people turbo charging them without trouble.  The Renault Alpine guys seem happy with them.

 

Peugeot seemed to give up on the PRV with the 505.  Many of them were 2.2 GTIs which were considered quick enough in their day and then there was the 2.2 turbo, and then finally all large French cars went turbo diesel.  The 505 2.5 litre intercooled turbo diesel had something like 120bhp (LHD only) and so was probably as quick as the PRV whilst using about half the amount of fuel.

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The V6 in my Golf is rather nice. Smooth, quiet, grunty. 230ish bhp from an NA 2.8.

Only issue with them is the timing chains can rattle a bit after a few hundred thousand miles. Engine out to sort as the chain in gearbox end.

I've run a couple of the VADGE 2.8 VR6s and they are lovely lumps. Cheaper than a few rounds in most shitty wine bars as well.

Junkman needs to shout a bit louder, as I still can't hear him. ;)

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Suzuki's V6, as fitted to the Vitara, was a terrible engine. I test drove one once, and it made a Simca with loose tappets sound smooth and refined. Just had no joyous V6 noise about it at all.

 

Alfa Romeo V6 certainly sounds lovely, but PSA's later ES9 V6 isn't far off.

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Slightly off topic ,  

When i were a lad , the boss had a V4 mk1 Transit .My job every morning ,"check the oil and water boy"..

I understand now that engine was a "V6 with 2 cylinders sawn off" and had an awful reputation... We didn't have any trouble and it pulled like a bloody train. The Eight track in it was terrible..

Over square. I.e. pistons were larger in diameter than their stroke length.

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Alfa Romeo V6 certainly sounds lovely, but PSA's later ES9 V6 isn't far off.

I never understood why Renault went to so much effort to mute the ES9 (L7X in Renault speak) in the Laguna II v6. Removing the intake silencer box made it not only sound good when driving hard, it was still quiet at sub 3k.

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I've always coveted the Skoda Superb 2.8 V6. However, it's 5v per cylinder configuration makes me rather frightened. Also 195hp isn't that much to shout about, although I imagine the lazy creamy smoothness is the intent behind the engine in a car like that.

 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

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