Ford Essex V6 engine (UK)
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- See also Ford Essex V6 engine (Canadian)
The Ford Essex V6 engine was a 60° V6 engine built between 1967 and 1988 by the Ford Motor Company in the United Kingdom at their engine plant in Essex, hence the name. It was produced in two main capacities, 2.5 L and 3.0 L, and was fitted to a wide range of vehicles, from Ford Transit vans to sports cars. A 3.1 L version was produced for the 1973 Ford Capri RS 3100, but only 248 examples of this model were built. The Essex V6 also formed the base for the 3.4 L Cosworth GAA which, with the benefit of DOHC heads and fuel injection, generated well over 400 bhp. This engine was used in the racing version of the Capri RS 3100, competing in the European Touring Car Championship, as well as in Formula 5000 single-seaters.
Unusually, the Essex V6 was built so that the same block could serve in both Diesel and petrol applications, although the Diesel version never reached production. Traces of its Diesel design lie in the necessity for dished piston heads to reduce the compression, and the very solid construction. The Essex V6 is a heavy engine, weighing significantly more than the Rover V8, for example.
The 2.5 L and 3.0 L engines share the same block and 93.66 mm bore, differing only in crank throw and pistons.
In South Africa, the engine continued in production up to 1995 for use in the Sapphire Saloon and Sierra vehicles. Late in its production life it was fitted with Lucas controlled EFi designed by SAMCOR (South African Motor Corporation - now Ford SA)in co-operation with the University of Pretoria's engineering department. This conversion resulted in a power increase (from 110KW of the standard 3.0 version) to 119KW and a useful boost to fuel economy. Only about 1600 of the EFi variants were produced, however.
[edit] Vehicles using the Essex V6
The Essex V6 was fitted to a wide variety of cars, both from Ford and from smaller specialist manufacturers that used Ford engines. Among these were the following:
- AC 3000 ME
- Ford Capri
- Ford Granada
- Ford Transit
- Ford Zephyr
- Ford Zodiac
- Marcos (various models)
- Reliant Scimitar
- TVR 3000M - 3.0 L
- TVR 3000S/Taimar Turbo - turbo 3.0 L
IN SOUTH AFRICA
- Sapphire Saloon (Sierra Saloon)
- Sierra
- Sapphire Ghia (Efi engined Sapphire)
- Sierra RSi (EFi engined Sierra produced to use up the last EFi engines at run-out of model)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Musselwhite, B. Tuning the Essex V6. Classic Ford Magazine, reproduced at The MkIV Zephyr & Zodiac.
