MG-Rover.org Forums banner

A two word summation the KV6 engine: Frustrated disappointment

11K views 25 replies 13 participants last post by  stormbind  
#1 ·
We replaced our Rover 600 with a 2 litre V6 75 almost 3 months ago - and until today I'd loved it - OK it had its' foibles: The usual rattly plenum chamber nonsense, combined with a knackered thermostat.

Over the last month, I've amassed the required parts, and this morning I bit the proverbial bullet. To begin with, all went well: the plenum chamber was off in well under an hour, but after that, things just got more and more difficult.

At the moment, I'm reduced to two rhetorical questions:

Firstly, IMHO, the person who designed (I used the term in its' loosest possible sense) ought to be put up against a wall to face a firing squad ! How the hell can any engineer worth his / her salt even contemplate designing a cooling system where replacement of the thermostat requires removal of parts almost to the point where you can begin removing one of the cylinder heads ?... I'm a civil engineer, and if I'd put so little thought into any design of mine, I'd be out of a job.

Secondly, how the hell can any engineer worth his / her salt even contemplate designing an ancillary belt that requires removal of an engine mount to facilitate belt replacement ?... :cus::***:

I'm beginning to wonder if my love of the Rover 75 V6 is to be a mere flash in the pan !
 
#6 ·
the job has just frustrated you, i can understand that. but the thermostat job is really easy(when you know how). shortcuts can halve the time it takes to do. the black inlet manifold can be removed in about 10 minutes.. (again when you know how), and the silver inlet manifolds do not have to be removed... i have done the job several times on different 75s and zts and in under 1 hour..
As i said the job has frustrated you, thats all. im sure once the job is complete you will be very proud and happy with it again..
 
#8 ·
Thanks for all the replies.

You're right Keith, it has frustrated me. The final insult was that the bolt holding the thermostat and coolant pipe in was rusted into the cylinder block - hence the need to get the rear manifold out, as I couldn't get on it properly otherwise. The bolt came out in the end, but not before the shoulders were all but completely gone from the head. Am going to replace it with a stainless stud and nut.

Thank you for the reassurance.

Best Regards,

Dave.
 
#11 ·
Must admit I too am amazed but not suprised that the design of cars has gone down the path of requiring dis assembling half the cars engines to get to things that were once easy to replace BUT think about it,it stops a vast amont of home mechanics doing jobs that should be able to done as regular servicing and makes you go and see either the manufacturers authorised service centre (MONEY) or a local mechanic (MONEY)
As is with the ECU, we all now require the specialist services with the specialist equipment to fix the car.
Couple that with jamming more and more equipment in car and we get to the situation were all in.
I was doing some work on my old 2000 Toyota Hilux ute the other day, decided to do the oil and change a belt, climbed under the car (no jacking) drained the oil,opened the bonnet,unsrewed the oil filter,changed it,slackened of the alternator and changed the belt - all done in 20 minutes!!!!
Does that Hilux run any worse than a modern car,not in your life !!! lasts longer as I can look after it!!!
 
#14 ·
Its a total myth spread around by people who are scared of electronics and plastic covers that new cars are hard to work on.

Everything there has a purpose, everything has a procedure for assembly.
Bolts are corrosion resistant and cars dont rust like they used to.
New cars are easier to keep on the road from that point of view.
 
#15 ·
Totally agree with the improvement in body work,new technology makes the cars last longer BUT thus more maintanence is required as they live longer.
Even have to say the actual engines built now also last alot longer in most cases but not so sure about the mechanical access side though.
Where theres been a drop in quality is the bolt on bits (water pumps,etc) unfortunately thats what requires you to dis assemble the engine to get to !!
 
#17 · (Edited)
I wouldn't make a statement as sweeping as "Modern cars are more difficult to work on" full stop. I think there are swings and roundabouts: They're certainly more difficult in some respects, but easier in others.

Also, I've never yet seen a car where there was a part that didn't have a purpose, or a procedure for assembly; and as for bolts, I'm going to replace the thermostat retaining bolt with a stainless steel stud, because the original had rusted itself into the top of the cylinder block - hence the need to remove the rear inlet manifold.

IMHO, the biggest single obstacle to keeping modern cars on the road is the cost of replacing vital electronics in relation to the residual value of the vehicle; all too often, good cars are sent for scrap due to faulty electronics - and I hate seeing a good piece of engineering go for scrap.

I've never yet scrapped or dismantled a car.

When my hand was in (back in the mid 90s), I could change the timing belt on a Peugeot diesel in an hour... and they were a pain ! ;-)
 
#18 ·
IMHO, the biggest single obstacle to keeping modern cars on the road is the cost of replacing vital electronics in relation to the residual value of the vehicle; all too often, good cars are sent for scrap due to faulty electronics - and I hate seeing a good piece of engineering go for scrap.
Electronics are usually not that big an issue. There are many companies out there repairing electronics for quite reasonable prices and car electronics are often pretty reliable.

Most cars do not get scrapped because of electronics in my experience but because of mechanical issues or MOT failures which cost too much in labour and parts in relation to the cost of the car.

For example, many Rover 75/ZT's get scrapped because of needing a new clutch and/or slave/master cylinder or even the aforementioned thermostat.

What used to be (relatively) simple jobs now book at 6-7 hours labour and with the typical garage charing ÂŁ50-ÂŁ60 per hour plus parts you can easily end up with ÂŁ500-ÂŁ750 jobs on sub-ÂŁ1k cars which people just cut their losses on.