VZ Commodore: Inside Holden's new V6 engine
BY MARTON PETTENDY | 14th Jul 2004
Banishing cast-iron, pushrods and just two valves per cylinder to history, the new engine also goes one better than that offered by its most direct rival Falcon by being all-aluminium, and also betters Magna by featuring twin overhead camshafts.
Fuel consumption figures will not be available until launch, but it is believed the Alloytec V6 will also bring fuel economy advantages over both Falcon (11.5L/100km combined ADR 81/01) and the outgoing Ecotec V6 (11.3), while virtually matching the class-leading inline six for peak power.
But neither the base Alloytec or the premium Alloytec 190 version of Holden’s higher-revving Global V6 can match the long-stroke Falcon engine’s benchmark 380Nm torque peak.
With cylinder dimensions of 94 x 85.6mm (Falcon: 92 x 99mm), the 60-degree, 3.564-litre 24-valve DOHC Alloytec V6 features variable inlet valve timing to deliver 175kW at 6000rpm (Falcon: 182kW at 5000rpm) and 320Nm of torque from just 2800rpm (Falcon: 380Nm at 3250rpm).
That’s 14 per cent more peak power than the outgoing Ecotec V6 and a specific output of 48.6kW per litre.
Alloytec produces 90 per cent of its torque between 1600 and 5400rpm.
Benefitting from the addition of variable valve timing for all four camshafts and a two-stage inlet manifold, Alloytec 190 produces peaks of 190kW at 6500rpm and 340Nm at 3200rpm – bettering Falcon for power but not torque.
While Alloytec 190 produces 90 per cent of its torque between 1570 and 5870rpm (a 59 per cent increase over the supercharged Ecotec V6 it replaces), it also delivers 11 per cent more power than the SV6.
Both engines feature roller finger followers in their valvetrains, plus hydraulic valve lash adjusters, three-chain/two-stage roller chain camshaft drive, 103mm bore centres and compression of 10.2:1.
Alloytec has initial intake valve timing of 126 degrees ATDC with 50 degrees of crankshaft advance authority, while Alloytec 190 has 132 degrees and adds exhaust valve timing of 111 degrees BTDC initially, with 50 degrees of crankshaft retard authority. Idle for both engines is 600rpm without air-conditioning, but while Alloytec revs to 6100rpm, Alloytec 190 is limited 6700rpm.
A 32-bit Bosch Motronic ME 9.0 engine management system supplies the returnless sequential-port fuel-injection system via an electronically controlled 68mm single-bore throttle, while individual coil-on-plug technology (with dual platinum-electrode sparkplugs with a service life of 120,000km) is used and each cylinder also gets individual knock control.
The new engines both run on regular 91 RON unleaded, but Holden says PULP may deliver small performance and economy improvements
There is also a dual-mass flywheel and Teflon-coated crankshaft seal for "lifetime leak-free performance".
Further differentiated only by their intake manifolds (Alloytec employs a dual-plenum design with equal lengths and "tuned plenum communication orifice", while Alloytec 190 adds dual-stage variable volume control and resonance tuning), the new engines both run on regular 91 RON unleaded, but Holden says PULP may deliver small performance and economy improvements.
Alloytec’s engine block, (12kg) cylinder head, pistons, intake manifold and oil pan are all aluminium, with the block being sand-cast and featuring cast-in-place iron cylinder liners.
The exhaust manifold is cast-iron, the 20kg crank and (sinter-forged) conrods are forged steel and the pistons are polymer-coated. Main bearing caps are six-bolt and the oil pan holds 6.5 litres, while major service intervals are 15,000km or every nine months. Total engine weight is 168kg.
Alloytec and Alloytec 190 comply with Euro II emissions standards and feature an Auto Start function that makes it unnecessary to turn and hold the key during starting. It also requires the clutch to be depressed in manual transmission variants before start-up.
Replacing the GM five-speed manual on Executive sedan, S sedan, base Ute and S Ute variants, the new GM D173 six-speed manual transmission has a final drive ratio of 2.87 – the same as the new 5L40 five-speed automatic (with “Active Select” sequential manual override function) that will feature on high-series VZ Commodores and WL Statesmans.
While the German-designed, GM-built 5L40 auto also appears in Cadillac CTS, STS and SRX models – plus BMW’s 3 Series and X5 and Range Rover diesels – Holden says it underwent an extensive, three-year development program, including hot testing in Western Australia and cold testing in Sweden.
While entry variants continue with a recalibrated iteration (said to improve shift feel and shift-to-shift variation) of GM’s 4L60 four-speed with a final drive ratio of 3.08 and one-to-one third gear, fourth is 1:1 in the five-speed auto and fifth is 1:1 in the (V6’s) six-speed manual.
Four-speed auto variants also receive a new torque converter, while V6 manuals gain a 14mm larger clutch and a new shift pattern – reverse is now next to first gear, the opposite side to the (also six-speed) V8 manual.
Holdens says sixth gear is about nine per cent taller than fifth in the current V6 manual, equating to around 1800rpm at 100km/h, while towing capacity is 1600kg – up 30 per cent on Ecotec V6 manual.
GLOBAL V6 VERSUS RIVALS
POWER:Alloytec (3.6): 175kW @ 6000rpm
Alloytec 190 (3.6): 190kW @ 6500rpm
Ectotec V6 (3.8): 152kW @ 5200rpm
Falcon (4.0): 182kW @ 5000rpm
Magna (3.5): 155kW @ 5250rpm
Avalon (3.0): 145kW @ 5200rpm
Camry (3.0): 141kW @ 5200rpm TORQUE:
Alloytec: 320Nm @ 2800rpm
Alloytec 190: 340Nm @ 3200rpm
Ecotec: 305Nm @ 3600rpm
Falcon: 380Nm @ 3250rpm
Magna: 316Nm @ 4000rpm
Avalon: 284Nm @ 4400rpm
Camry: 279Nm @ 4400rpm
Global V6 just the beginning
GLOBAL V6 has been a long time coming, but it’s just the beginning of a new era in both domestic and export engine production for Holden.The product of a $400 million investment program that will see up to 240,000 Global V6 variants built at Fishermens Bend for consumption in General Motors products worldwide including Cadillac, Saab and Alfa Romeo models, Global V6 is part of a $2 billion, five-year capital expenditure program to raise production from 750 to 820 vehicles per day before the all-new VE Commodore in 2006.
Underlining the importance within the Asia-Pacific region of Port Melbourne – the only factory outside GM’s St Catherines plant in Canada to produce the Global V6 - Holden engineers were involved in the project since the development of specifications and design began in 1999.
But even with the help of computer-aided analysis, Holden says the development and localisation of Alloytec and its variants took more than 200,000 hours, 143 experimental engines and 60 specific tests. Each engine takes about 3.5 hours to build.
Holden, however, is quick to point out that engines displacing 2.8 and 3.2 litres are also part of the Global V6 family, and that as a result direct-injection spark-ignition (SIDI) equipped versions of the V6 in these capacities are further potential variants.
Officially, other possibilities include turbocharged versions of both the 2.8 and 3.2, but Holden says Alloytec is also suitable for transverse, front-wheel drive applications as well as Commodore’s longitudinal, rear-drive layout – and all-wheel drive in either front or rear-drive.
This means Holden V6s will eventually power everything from the rear-drive VE Commodore to Alfa’s next generation AWD Spider coupe-convertible and Holden’s next generation Adventra cross-overs.
LOCAL HOLDEN SIXES AT A GLANCE
Grey Engine, from late 1948:2.15-litre 43kW, Holden 48-215 Red Engine, June 1963-1980:
2.45-litre ‘149’, EH Holden
2.95-litre ‘179’, EH Holden
3.05-litre ‘186S’ 109kW, 1967 HR
3.30-litre ‘202’, 1971 HQ
2.84-litre ‘173’, 1971 HQ Blue Engine, 1980-1986:
2.85-litre, VC Commodore
3.3-litre, VC Commodore
3.3-litre EFI, 1984 VK Ecotec V6, 1988-2004:
3.8-litre EFI 127kW, VN Commodore
3.8-litre Ecotec II 147kW, 1995 VS Commodore
3.8-litre supercharged 165kW, 1996 VSII Commodore
3.8-litre supercharged 171kW, 1997 VT Commodore
3.8-litre Ecotec II 152kW, 2000 VX Commodore Global V6, June 2004:
3.6-litre Alloytec 175kW, 2004 VZ Commodore
3.6-litre Alloytec 190 190kW, 2004 VZ Commodore