Rover’s Project Merlin

As there’s a feature about Rover KV6 timing belts in this edition (p.44), I’d be interested to hear if anybody comes across a ‘changed belt’ engine only to discover just one of the three belts – the easiest one between the cams – has been changed, while the other two are original. Certainly, I have seen this once or twice.

Project Merlin as I recall was the engineering programme to replace one of the finest engines to ever feature in a Rover car. Honda’s 2.7 was bomb-proof, spirited and looked great with red HT leads.

Sadly, this engine had to give way due to cost and emissions to an in-house

Rover design. Total reliability went in favour of total failure, sadly. They all blew both their head gaskets when fitted to an 800-series. It was a dismal time.

While the KV6 was marginally smoother and definitely stronger in the power curve compared to the Honda unit, it was no match in reliability or ease of maintenance. Mind you, I recall a technician balancing a 20p piece on a 2.7 Honda unit while it was running, so it was hardly rough.

I once asked a Rover engineer how they got it so wrong regarding reliability. I was told it was designed by one team who then

‘Eventually Cosworth was brought in to sort the lump out’

lobbed the blue prints ‘over the wall’ to manufacturing. There was no interaction between the opposing teams of engineers. Those examples in the 800-series were hand-built, so it was a design flaw.

Eventually Cosworth was brought in to sort the lump ready for the Rover 75 and mass production. The redesigned block was both shorter in length and in height, so rectifying it could hardly have been an easy task. They aren’t interchangeable either.

Good luck renewing the timing belts. Apparently the easiest application for this job is the Rover 45 – who’d have thought? Still, changing the (sole) Honda belt is by comparison, straight-forward.