Holden Retirees Club

GMH/HEC Engine Design and Development

V8 Engines

L6 Engines

Family II Engines

Reflections

100,000th Emissions test at PG

A reference list of all Holden made engine types and uses (Jeff Jamieson)

 V8 Engines:

 [By Warwick Bryce]

GMH/Holden Engine Company has a proud history of engine manufacture and development. Due to the need for secrecy it is not always realized it started during the war with the manufacture of engines for Torpedos, GM 6-71 Diesel engines for boats and Gipsy Major aeroplane engines for Tiger Moths (See the War Files). With an experienced team and manufacturing facilities established it was natural that locally made engines would be used in the new Australian Holden Car.

Initially these engines were based on imported designs but as time went on more and more local input went into the design to better suit local conditions and manufacturing capabilities, as well as to improve performance with ”the factory” always being responsive to the needs of the customer and motor sport.

This is no better illustrated than with the story of the now Iconic Aussie V8.

 Unique and totally designed and developed in Australia by a passionate  team who went one step further after studying contemporary engines, it combined the best features of the day.

 Always being subject to a process of continuous development meant that the production V8 engine series spanned the 253 C.I, [4.2L] and 308 C.I. [5.0L] naturally aspirated engines and Fuel injected engines.

Enhanced versions of these V8 engines were the basis for many of Holden’s racing successes, and were also installed in many HSV special vehicles including the ultimate 5.7 L option.

The documents below capture some of the available history surrounding the design and on-going development of these fine much loved V8 engines.

L34 Torana Engine Project Kick Off and Background

For historical interest I have put together what I have been able to establish of the background that lead up to the development of the Improved Performance Holden L34 V8 engine for the LH Torana SL/R 5000. Most significant are copies of some secret 1973 papers between GMH and Repco provided to me by the late Malcolm Preston. Available here.

 Six Cylinder engines: 

The first engines were for the war effort, local manufacture of proven designs which by very nature were top secret. Engines included General Motors 6-71 Diesel marine engines, Torpedo engines of 4 cylinder radial construction and Gipsy Major Aeroplane engines, many of the latter still giving service in Tiger moths. While existing designs, much innovation was required in making them under conditions of limited resources.

The in line 6 cylinder Grey Motor for the new Holden car was an off the shelf USA design however significant Australian input went into setting up its line for mass production at Fishermens Bend. While it continued virtually unchanged over its production life it became legendary in hot rod circles with all manner of speed equipment becoming available including a variety of aftermarket heads that could more than double power.

Following was the “Red Motor” designed in America specifically for Holden and built on a new F/B transfer line. Once in production design became the responsibility of Holden Engineering and over its 20 odd years of manufacture was  subject to many changes and upgrades with displacements ranging from 2250cc to 3300cc, a new 12 port cylinder head and finally adapting to electronic fuel injection. Of course there was the legendary giant killer, the XU1, and never talked about until now, secret R &D projects involving OHC and Stratified Charge versions.

V6 assembly predominated at F/B for the last 30 years, first with the cast iron pushrod 3.8 litre. An American design but significant Australian engineering to adapt it to rear wheel drive and meet the Australian emission standards including the Supercharged version. This engine became the basis of the Formula Holden, an open wheeler racing car class.

 An aluminium overhead cam V6 engine followed.  Of GM Powertrain design it was machined and assembled in a new high tech plant. Although used in the Commodore, again a large proportion of the engines were for export.

Around this time Australian technology and expertise relevant to the automotive field was becoming recognized by GM in America leading to the establishment of Holden Innovation under the umbrella of GM R & D. Projects included a hybrid and a locally designed direct injection air assist (Orbital ) version of this engine.  

Family II four cylinder engines:

A large part of manufacturing at Fishermens Bend was the production of four cylinder Family 2 engines for export all around the world. Although the design rested with Opel a Holden Engineering team specialized in developing special variants for applications all around the world. In its heyday Holden was the largest manufacture of exported goods in the country with over 1,000 engines exported a day.

Reflections:

ENGINE POWER - Of Ponies and Incredble Horses (by Warwick Bryce)

The Philosophy of a Powertrain Designer (by Warwick Bryce)

 100,000th Emissions test at Proving Ground:

 L to R: Jeff Williams (Engineer), Don Whealands (Foreman), Gary Turner (Dyne Lab Driver), Frank Achtenbosch (Mechanic), ?, Gary Jones (Engineer), George Cammage (Mechanic), Chris Loveridge (Mechanic), Kevin Duff (Leading hand),  Hans Bauer (Instrument Lab Supervisor), Warwick Bryce (EFI Development Engineer) , Fred Chigwiggen (Emissions Garage/Maintence Foreman), Lindsay Whealand (Mechanic), Peter Donavan (Mechanic/Fabricator), Cheeliong Lee, ?, John Bilstein (Instrument Technician), and Bob Cutler (Instrument Technician).

(Please help identify all the people - send name updates to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) 

Background

Enacted in the early 1970’s, ADR 27 Vehicle Emissions Regulation required the Proving Ground to build a special facility with chassis dynamometers (rolling roads) and emission analysing equipment to allow the vehicle's exhaust emission levels to be determined under simulated driving conditions, but with the car stationary.

The Facility

 The back wheels of the car rested on rollers, built into the floor, that were connected to a dynamometer and rotating inertia weights so the engine could be operated under dynamic conditions, including acceleration, gear changing , braking and idle just as in city driving. This was sophisticated equipment, requiring continuous calibration and maintenance, with each cell only capable of about 8 tests per shift.  As emission requirements  became ever more stringent and our  models proliferated, a highly specialist team of engineers and technicians was built up.

This was one of the last facilities to operate to the very end.

The Occasion

With their 100,000^th test imminent in 1985, a celebration was arranged in recognition of their expertise and dedication. A remarkable achievement to conduct this many tests in just 15 years.

I was lucky enough to have one of my development cars, a VK 3.3l EFI Calais, selected for this special test, as I was one of their major customers and had the nicest car in the facility!

A memory to treasure .

Warwick Bryce, 

15/06/2021