Holden motor
Encyclopedia
The Holden straight-six motor is a straight-six engine produced by General Motors–Holden's
Holden
GM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931...

 in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 between 1948 and 1986. Initially dubbed the Grey motor alluding to the colour of the cylinder block
Cylinder block
A cylinder block is an integrated structure comprising the cylinder of a reciprocating engine and often some or all of their associated surrounding structures...

, later iterations came in the form of a Red, Blue, Black and the four-cylinder Starfire engine. These engines were fitted to all Australian-designed Holdens of the same years, and the four-cylinder Starfire notably found its way into the Toyota Corona (XT130). The grey motor is a different engine to the latter ones. The Red, Blue, Black and even the Starfire are all inter-related with many common parts and castings.

Grey

The Grey motor built between 1948 and 1962, earned its name as the engine block was painted grey
Grey
Grey or gray is an achromatic or neutral color.Complementary colors are defined to mix to grey, either additively or subtractively, and many color models place complements opposite each other in a color wheel. To produce grey in RGB displays, the R, G, and B primary light sources are combined in...

. This overhead valve
Overhead valve
An overhead valve engine, also informally called pushrod engine or I-head engine, is a type of piston engine that places the camshaft within the cylinder block , and uses pushrods or rods to actuate rocker arms above the cylinder...

 engine was first fitted to the Holden 48-215
Holden 48-215
The Holden 48-215, also known unofficially as the Holden FX is a mid-size, six-cylinder sedan which was produced by the Australian automaker, General Motors–Holden's Ltd between November 1948 and October 1953....

 and mated to a three-speed manual transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...

. A three-speed GM Roto-Hydramatic 240 automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...

 was optionally fitted in the latter EK
Holden EK
The Holden EK series is a motor vehicle that was produced by General Motors-Holden's in Australia from 1961 to 1962. Introduced on 2 May 1961, the EK series was a facelifted version of the Holden FB, which it replaced.- Model range :...

 and EJ series
Holden EJ
The Holden EJ is a motor vehicle that was produced by General Motors-Holden's in Australia from 1962 to 1963. Introduced in July 1962, the EJ replaced the Holden EK series.-Model range:...

. The engine was based on a Buick
Buick
Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...

 pre-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 design, and saw only minor changes throughout its 15-year life.

It displaced 132.5 cubic inches (2.2 l) in its original form, and was bored out to 138 cubic inches (2.3 l) when the FB series
Holden FB
The Holden FB series is a range of motor vehicles that was produced by General Motors-Holden's in Australia from 1960 to 1961. Introduced on 14 January 1960, the FB series replaced the Holden FC range.- Model range :...

 was introduced in 1960. It made 60 bhp at 5000 rpm, providing superior performance than competing four-cylinder Austin
Austin Motor Company
The Austin Motor Company was a British manufacturer of automobiles. The company was founded in 1905 and merged in 1952 into the British Motor Corporation Ltd. The marque Austin was used until 1987...

, Morris
Morris Motor Company
The Morris Motor Company was a British car manufacturing company. After the incorporation of the company into larger corporations, the Morris name remained in use as a marque until 1984 when British Leyland's Austin Rover Group decided to concentrate on the more popular Austin marque...

, Vauxhall
Vauxhall Motors
Vauxhall Motors is a British automotive company owned by General Motors and headquartered in Luton. It was founded in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer, began manufacturing cars in 1903 and was acquired by GM in 1925. It has been the second-largest selling car brand in the UK for...

 and Ford of Britain
Ford of Britain
Ford of Britain is a British wholly owned subsidiary of Ford of Europe, a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company. Its business started in 1909 and has its registered office in Brentwood, Essex...

 vehicles. Due to the low compression ratio
Compression ratio
The 'compression ratio' of an internal-combustion engine or external combustion engine is a value that represents the ratio of the volume of its combustion chamber from its largest capacity to its smallest capacity...

 (7.5:1) they were able to revolve quite fast and effortlessly. Due to their sheer ubiquity, they were popular for racing, and were fitted to many open-wheelers, as well as racing Holdens. With the motors' low-end torque
Torque
Torque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....

, they also found their way into boats and machinery such as forklift trucks.

This engine ran a seven-port non-crossflow cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...

 cylinder head. There were three siamese (shared) inlet ports for cylinders 1-2, 3-4 and 5-6, two individual exhaust ports for cylinders 1 and 6, and two siamese exhaust ports for cylinders 2-3 and 4-5 in a layout on one side of the head casting. The inlets were fed by a single barrel Stromberg carburettor in common and fitted with a traditional points distributor and ignition coil
Ignition coil
An ignition coil is an induction coil in an automobile's ignition system which transforms the battery's 12 volts to the thousands of volts needed to create an electric spark in the spark plugs to ignite the fuel...

. The ignition system
Ignition system
An ignition system is a system for igniting a fuel-air mixture. Ignition systems are well known in the field of internal combustion engines such as those used in petrol engines used to power the majority of motor vehicles, but they are also used in many other applications such as in oil-fired and...

 was six volts to match the 48-215 and FJ's six volt negative ground system, as was the starter engine
Automobile self starter
A starter motor is an electric motor for rotating an internal-combustion engine so as to initiate the engine's operation under its own power.- History :...

. The earliest grey motors (approximately 100,000) were fitted with Delco-Remy
Remy Electric
Remy International, Inc. headquartered in Pendleton, Indiana is a manufacturer, remanufacturer, and distributor of light duty starters, alternators, hybrid power technology, and Delco Remy brand heavy duty systems...

 accessories, although Lucas
Lucas Industries plc
Lucas Industries plc was a famous British manufacturer of components for the motor industry and aerospace industry. It was based in Birmingham. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index...

 and Bosch
Robert Bosch GmbH
Robert Bosch GmbH is a multinational engineering and electronics company headquartered in Gerlingen, near Stuttgart, Germany. It is the world's largest supplier of automotive components...

 equivalents throughout the motor’s lifetime replaced these.

The very first production grey motor (1948) was number 1001, and they continued in a single sequence until July 1956, when the prefix "L" was introduced. The change affected all engines numbered L283373 and above, signifying the 12 volt negative ground engines as fitted to the all new FE model. The prefix "U" was introduced for motors with the original electricals as fitted to the run-on FJ utility and panel van models, which ended in February and May of 1957 respectively. The change was effective from engine U283384. The prefix "B" was introduced and the number sequence reset with the introduction of the 138 cubic inches (2.3 l) displacement engine, and ultimately this was replaced by a "J" prefix for motors fitted to EJ
Holden EJ
The Holden EJ is a motor vehicle that was produced by General Motors-Holden's in Australia from 1962 to 1963. Introduced in July 1962, the EJ replaced the Holden EK series.-Model range:...

 vehicles in 1962.

Applications

  • 1948–1953 Holden FX
    Holden 48-215
    The Holden 48-215, also known unofficially as the Holden FX is a mid-size, six-cylinder sedan which was produced by the Australian automaker, General Motors–Holden's Ltd between November 1948 and October 1953....

    • 1948–1953 Holden 48-215
      Holden 48-215
      The Holden 48-215, also known unofficially as the Holden FX is a mid-size, six-cylinder sedan which was produced by the Australian automaker, General Motors–Holden's Ltd between November 1948 and October 1953....

       (sedan)
    • 1951–1953 50-2106
      Holden 48-215
      The Holden 48-215, also known unofficially as the Holden FX is a mid-size, six-cylinder sedan which was produced by the Australian automaker, General Motors–Holden's Ltd between November 1948 and October 1953....

       (coupé utility)
    • 1953 48-215-257
      Holden 48-215
      The Holden 48-215, also known unofficially as the Holden FX is a mid-size, six-cylinder sedan which was produced by the Australian automaker, General Motors–Holden's Ltd between November 1948 and October 1953....

       (Business/Taxi sedan, sometimes abbreviated to 48-217)
  • 1953–1956 Holden FJ
    Holden FJ
    The Holden FJ series is a range of motor vehicles which was produced in Australia by General Motors-Holden’s from 1953 to 1957. The FJ was the second model of an "all Australian car" manufactured by Holden and was based upon the established 48-215 series, commonly referred to as the “FX”...

  • 1956–1958 Holden FE
    Holden FE
    The Holden FE is an automobile which was produced by General Motors–Holden's in Australia from 1956 to 1958.-Changes:The FE models were built on a longer wheelbase than the FJ series Holdens which they replaced and they featured totally different styling, the FJ models having used a body shape...

  • 1958–1960 Holden FC
    Holden FC
    The Holden FC series is a range of motor vehicles which was produced by General Motors–Holden's in Australia from 1958 to 1960. Introduced on 6 May 1958, the FC is a facelifted and improved version of the Holden FE series, which it replaced.- Model range :...

  • 1960–1961 Holden FB
    Holden FB
    The Holden FB series is a range of motor vehicles that was produced by General Motors-Holden's in Australia from 1960 to 1961. Introduced on 14 January 1960, the FB series replaced the Holden FC range.- Model range :...

  • 1961–1962 Holden EK
    Holden EK
    The Holden EK series is a motor vehicle that was produced by General Motors-Holden's in Australia from 1961 to 1962. Introduced on 2 May 1961, the EK series was a facelifted version of the Holden FB, which it replaced.- Model range :...

  • 1962–1963 Holden EJ
    Holden EJ
    The Holden EJ is a motor vehicle that was produced by General Motors-Holden's in Australia from 1962 to 1963. Introduced in July 1962, the EJ replaced the Holden EK series.-Model range:...


Red

Holden Red motor (1971–1974 HQ series)
Engine Displacement Compression Power Torque
bhp kW ft·lb
Foot-pound force
The foot-pound force, or simply foot-pound is a unit of work or energy in the Engineering and Gravitational Systems in United States customary and Imperial units of measure. It is the energy transferred on applying a force of 1 pound-force through a displacement of 1 foot...

N·m
Newton metre
A newton metre is a unit of torque in the SI system. The symbolic form is N m or N·m, and sometimes hyphenated newton-metre...

2.84 L Red I6
Straight-6
The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...

173 cu in Low 112 bhp 160 lb·ft
High 118 bhp 168 lb·ft
3.3 L Red I6
Straight-6
The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...

202 cu in Low 129 bhp 190 lb·ft
High 135 bhp 194 lb·ft


Superseding the Grey motor, the Red motor was manufactured between 1963 and 1980. Denoted by the cylinder block
Cylinder block
A cylinder block is an integrated structure comprising the cylinder of a reciprocating engine and often some or all of their associated surrounding structures...

 painted red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...

, the engine debuted in the Holden EH
Holden EH
The Holden EH is an automobile which was produced by General Motors-Holden's in Australia from 1963 to 1965.The EH was released in August 1963 replacing the Holden EJ series and was the first Holden to incorporate the new "Red" motor. This new "Red" motor featured 7 main bearings as opposed to 4...

 in capacities of 149 cubic inches (2.4 l) and 179 cubic inches (2.9 l) (or HP) producing 100 bhp and 115 bhp respectively. This was a power increase of 33 per cent and 53 per cent over the previous motor.

Red six-cylinder engines manufactured after October 1964 had the cubic inch capacity of the engine cast in raised numbers on the side of the block behind the generator/alternator location. Red engines manufactured prior to October 1964 had either no numbers cast (meaning that it was a 149 cubic inch engine) or the letters "HP" cast (meaning that it was a 179 cubic inch engine). All Red engines manufactured prior to April 1967 (including 149, 179, 161 and 186 engines) had forged steel crankshafts.

Holden Standard, Special, Premier (1963–1968)

  • 1963–1965 Holden EH
    Holden EH
    The Holden EH is an automobile which was produced by General Motors-Holden's in Australia from 1963 to 1965.The EH was released in August 1963 replacing the Holden EJ series and was the first Holden to incorporate the new "Red" motor. This new "Red" motor featured 7 main bearings as opposed to 4...

  • 1965–1966 Holden HD
    Holden HD
    The Holden HD series is a range of automobiles which was produced by General Motors-Holden's in Australia from 1965 to 1966.-Introduction:The Holden HD sedans and station wagons were released in February 1965 with coupe utility and panel van body styles following in July of that year. The HD range...

  • 1966–1968 Holden HR
    Holden HR
    The Holden HR is an automobile that was produced by General Motors-Holden's in Australia from 1966 to 1968.-Introduction:The Holden HR range was released in April 1966, replacing the Holden HD series which had been in production since 1965...


Holden Belmont, Kingswood, Premier (1968–1980)

  • 1968–1969 Holden HK
    Holden HK
    The Holden HK series is an automobile which was produced by General Motors-Holden's in Australia from 1968 to 1969. Introduced in January 1968, the HK range progressively replaced the Holden HR series which had been in production since 1966...

  • 1969–1970 Holden HT
    Holden HT
    The Holden HT series is a range of automobiles which was produced by General Motors Holden’s in Australia between 1969 and 1970.-Introduction:Holden HT Belmont, Kingswood and Premier models were introduced in May 1969,...

  • 1970–1971 Holden HG
    Holden HG
    The Holden HG is an automobile which was produced by General Motors Holden’s in Australia between 1970 and 1971. It was marketed under Belmont, Kingswood, Premier, Brougham and Monaro model names.-Introduction:...

  • 1971–1974 Holden HQ
    Holden HQ
    The Holden HQ series is a range of automobiles that was produced by General Motors-Holden’s in Australia from 1971 to 1974. The HQ was released on 15 July 1971, replacing the Holden HG series...

  • 1974–1976 Holden HJ
    Holden HJ
    The Holden HJ is a series of automobiles which were produced by General Motors-Holden’s in Australia from 1974 to 1976. The HJ series was released on 4 October 1974 and was an improved and facelifted version of the superseded Holden HQ series which had been in production since 1971.- Model range...

  • 1976–1977 Holden HX
    Holden HX
    The Holden HX is a range of automobiles which was produced by General Motors-Holden’s in Australia from 1976 to 1977.-Changes:The HX series was released in July 1976 and featured a range of models developed from those in the superseded Holden HJ range, which had been in production since 1974. The...

  • 1977–1980 Holden HZ
    Holden HZ
    Holden HZ is an automobile which was produced between 1977 and 1980 by General Motors-Holden's Ltd.The Holden HZ received minor updates to the exterior over the HX series, and saw the introduction of what Holden termed "Radial Tuned Suspension" on all models...


Holden Torana (1969–1979)

  • 1969-1971 Holden LC Torana
  • 1972-1974 Holden LJ Torana
  • 1974-1975 Holden LH Torana
  • 1976-1978 Holden LX Torana
  • 1978-1979 Holden UC Torana

Blue

The Blue specification debuted in the 1980 VC Commodore.

The blue motor was a development of the earlier red engine, and incorporated several improvements. The biggest of these changes was the complete redesign of the cylinder head; this was now a 12 port design with individual ports for each cylinder. The crankshaft for the 3.3-litre engine now had counterweights on each throw, and stronger connecting rods were used. A two-barrel Varajet carburetor was standard, as was a dual outlet exhaust manifold and a Bosch HEI distributor. It was made in 3.3- and 2.85-litre versions.

Applications

  • 1980–1985 Holden WB
    Holden WB
    The Holden WB series is an automobile which was produced by General Motors-Holden's in Australia from 1980 to 1984. It is a facelifted version of the Holden HZ series, which it replaced. Unlike the HZ and every other full size Holden series before it, the Holden WB was only offered in commercial...

  • 1980–1981 Holden VC Commodore
  • 1981–1984 Holden VH Commodore
    Holden VH Commodore
    The Holden VH Commodore, an evolution of the previous Holden Commodore VC model, was released in October 1981. The frontal appearance was mildly facelifted with a new horizontal-slat grille and new lighting components designed to give a lower, wider look, and for interest of aerodynamics...


Black

The Black specification was introduced in the 1984 VK Commodore
Holden VK Commodore
The Holden VK Commodore was introduced in 1984 and replaced the VH. It was the first Commodore to have plastic bumpers and introduced rear quarter windows for a six-window design as opposed to the four-window design on previous Commodore models...

. In the VL
Holden VL Commodore
The Holden VL Commodore and Calais were a range of mid-sized cars manufactured between 1986 and 1988 by the General Motors Australian arm, Holden...

 series of 1986, Holden ceased the tradition of employing Australian-made and designed six-cylinder engines, instead opting for the Nissan
Nissan Motors
, usually shortened to Nissan , is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn ....

 RB30 engine. This came because pending emission standards and the requirement for unleaded fuel made it difficult to re-engineer the engine.

The black engine was produced in 3.3-litre form only, and in carbureted and fuel-injected versions. The carbureted engine was almost identical to the previous blue engine, the main difference being in the use of computer controlled spark timing (EST) The ports are slightly wider spaced meaning the manifolds will not simply interchange. The Bosch-injected version used a long-runner intake manifold and a conventional HEI ignition. It also had slightly different cylinder head intake ports for improved breathing.

Starfire

This 1.9-litre (1,892 cc) powerplant, known as the Starfire engine, was effectively Holden's existing 2.85-litre 173 cu in straight-six with two cylinders removed.. Designed and built in Australia to satisfy local content rules, it first appeared in 1978 during the UC Sunbird's production run, replacing the Opel 1.9L cam-in-head unit used in LH, LX and earlier UC Torana/Sunbird 4-cylinder models.

Peak power output for the Starfire was 58 kW, with a 17.5 second acceleration time from 0-100 kilometres (0–62 mi) in the VC Commodore. This variant's performance meant the need to push the engine hard leading to fuel consumption
Fuel economy in automobiles
Fuel usage in automobiles refers to the fuel efficiency relationship between distance traveled by an automobile and the amount of fuel consumed....

 similar to the straight-sixes. Due to this, it was often nicknamed as Misfire or Backfire. This engine was replaced in the Australian market by the Camira
Holden Camira
The Holden Camira was a mid-size car produced by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors between 1982 and 1989. It was Holden's version of GM's J-body family of cars—GM's third "global" car platform....

's OHC Camtech unit, however it continued until 1986 in New Zealand, where it was used to power 4-cylinder versions of the VK Commodore
Holden VK Commodore
The Holden VK Commodore was introduced in 1984 and replaced the VH. It was the first Commodore to have plastic bumpers and introduced rear quarter windows for a six-window design as opposed to the four-window design on previous Commodore models...

.

Applications

  • 1978–1980 Holden UC Sunbird
  • 1980–1981 Holden VC Commodore
  • 1981–1984 Holden VH Commodore
    Holden VH Commodore
    The Holden VH Commodore, an evolution of the previous Holden Commodore VC model, was released in October 1981. The frontal appearance was mildly facelifted with a new horizontal-slat grille and new lighting components designed to give a lower, wider look, and for interest of aerodynamics...

  • 1984–1986 Holden VK Commodore
    Holden VK Commodore
    The Holden VK Commodore was introduced in 1984 and replaced the VH. It was the first Commodore to have plastic bumpers and introduced rear quarter windows for a six-window design as opposed to the four-window design on previous Commodore models...

     (New Zealand
    New Zealand
    New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

    )
  • 1979–1982 Toyota Corona (XT130)
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