X25XE
Encyclopedia
The X25XE is a Family II
, Opel
internal combustion engine
. It is a 2.5 litre V6
petrol engine
. It displaces
2498 cc, has 24 valves
and uses one timing belt
driven double overhead camshafts (DOHC). It produces a Deutsches Institut für Normung
(DIN) rated motive
power
output of 125 kW in standard form, and generates a torque
turning force of 227 newton metres (167 ft·lbf).
The breakdown of the engine name is as follows:
X - Exhaust Emissions Level: 94/12/EC, stage 2
25 - 2.5 Litre displacement
X - Compression Ratio - 10.0-11.5:1
E - Mixture System - Injection
In the early 1990s, Opel identified the need for a modern, lightweight and compact power plant to replace its ageing straight-6
engine range. This engine needed to be compact, to allow its use in front-wheel drive
applications, as well as rear-wheel drive cars
.
The first version arrived in the Opel Vectra / Vauxhall Cavalier
(both codenamed "Vectra-A") and Opel/Vauxhall Calibra
in the C25XE
form, and was later followed by the X25XE in the Opel/Vauxhall Omega
and Vectra-B, with the Omega gaining a variant with increased displacement in the form of the X30XE
.
This power plant was a modern 4 valves per cylinder
, quad cam arrangement, with an oil to water heat exchanger
mounted within the V of the engine block
. The cylinder head
s were constructed from cast
aluminium alloy
, and the block from cast iron
.
An unusual feature of the engine was its 54 degree cylinder bank
angle, as opposed to the more conventional 60 degree setup used on many V6 units, this added to the setups' compactness.
A Bosch
Motronic
engine management system is used to control the unit, with full sequential fuel injection
, knock control on each bank, distributor
less ignition system
(DIS), and closed loop lambda control.
The "X" variant of the engine had the addition of secondary air injection, and EGR to meet later and more stringent emission requirements.
The air injection blew air via a large blower into the exhaust manifold
s to ignite un-burnt fuel in the downpipes during the engine warm up phase, in order to get the catalytic converter
s up to temperature faster. The EGR setup re-cycled exhaust gases (which are in theory inert to the combustion cycle) in order to reduce the production of NOx.
around mid 1997, with the addition of larger oilways in the head machining (T-Vents), and modified valve lifters
to reduce top-end valve noise, at which point the cam belt
arrangement also changed with the lower idler moving.
Around 1998, the spin-on metal canister oil filter
was changed to a disposable paper element.
2000 saw a complete revision of the power plant in order to meet increasing emission requirements, with the 2.5 and 3.0 being replaced by lower compression 2.6 (Y26SE) and 3.2 (Y32SE) units.
These later power plants had a revised engine management system setup, which utilised quad lambda sensor control, coil per plug ignition system and drive by wire
throttles. The 3.2 also received a stronger steel crankshaft
. As a result of these changes the EGR and secondary air injection system were removed.
in England
, UK; which includes reprofiled camshaft
s, giving the engine a boost of 24 bhp. This engine appeared in two special edition Vauxhall Vectras
, first the Vectra ST200 (Not the normal SuperTouring), and then the Vectra 2.5 GSi V6.
GM Family II engine
The Family II is a straight-4 piston engine that was originally developed by Opel in the early 1970s. It was used in the Opel Ascona and Opel Kadett and their corresponding sister models the Vauxhall Cavalier and Vauxhall Astra...
, Opel
Opel
Adam Opel AG, generally shortened to Opel, is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Opel has been building automobiles since 1899, and became an Aktiengesellschaft in 1929...
internal combustion engine
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
. It is a 2.5 litre V6
V6 engine
A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft...
petrol engine
Petrol engine
A petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels....
. It displaces
Engine displacement
Engine displacement is the volume swept by all the pistons inside the cylinders of an internal combustion engine in a single movement from top dead centre to bottom dead centre . It is commonly specified in cubic centimeters , litres , or cubic inches...
2498 cc, has 24 valves
Multi-valve
In automotive engineering a multi-valve or multivalve engine is one where each cylinder has more than two valves. A multi-valve engine has better breathing and can operate at higher revolutions per minute than a two-valve engine, delivering more power.- Multi-valve rationale :A multi-valve design...
and uses one timing belt
Timing belt
A timing belt, or cam belt , is a part of an internal combustion engine that controls the timing of the engine's valves. Some engines, such as the flat-4 Volkswagen air-cooled engine, and the straight-6 Toyota F engine use timing gears...
driven double overhead camshafts (DOHC). It produces a Deutsches Institut für Normung
Deutsches Institut für Normung
is the German national organization for standardization and is that country's ISO member body. DIN is a Registered German Association headquartered in Berlin...
(DIN) rated motive
Motive power
In thermodynamics, motive power is an agency, as water or steam, used to impart motion. Generally, motive power is defined as a natural agent, as water, steam, wind, electricity, etc., used to impart motion to machinery; a motor; a mover. The term may also define something, as a locomotive or a...
power
Power (physics)
In physics, power is the rate at which energy is transferred, used, or transformed. For example, the rate at which a light bulb transforms electrical energy into heat and light is measured in watts—the more wattage, the more power, or equivalently the more electrical energy is used per unit...
output of 125 kW in standard form, and generates a 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....
turning force of 227 newton metres (167 ft·lbf).
The breakdown of the engine name is as follows:
X - Exhaust Emissions Level: 94/12/EC, stage 2
25 - 2.5 Litre displacement
X - Compression Ratio - 10.0-11.5:1
E - Mixture System - Injection
In the early 1990s, Opel identified the need for a modern, lightweight and compact power plant to replace its ageing straight-6
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...
engine range. This engine needed to be compact, to allow its use in front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
applications, as well as rear-wheel drive cars
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
.
The first version arrived in the Opel Vectra / Vauxhall Cavalier
Vauxhall Cavalier
The Vauxhall Cavalier is a large family car sold primarily in the UK by Vauxhall Motors, the British division of General Motors , from 1975 to 1995...
(both codenamed "Vectra-A") and Opel/Vauxhall Calibra
Opel Calibra
The Opel Calibra, also known as the Vauxhall Calibra in the United Kingdom, the Chevrolet Calibra in South America, and the Holden Calibra in Australia and New Zealand is a sports car engineered and produced by German automaker Opel between 1989 and 1997, but sold until 1999 in the UK...
in the C25XE
C25XE
The C25XE is a Family II, Opel internal combustion engine. It is a 2.5 litre V6 petrol engine. It displaces , has 24 valves and uses two timing belt driven double overhead camshafts...
form, and was later followed by the X25XE in the Opel/Vauxhall Omega
Opel Omega
The Opel Omega was an executive car marketed by the German automaker Opel between 1986 and 2003 in two generations, both manufactured at Opel's Rüsselsheim, Germany plant. The first generation, the Omega A , superseded the Opel Rekord, was voted European Car of the Year for 1987, and was available...
and Vectra-B, with the Omega gaining a variant with increased displacement in the form of the X30XE
X30XE
The X30XE is an Opel petrol engine. It is a 2960 cc 24 valve, DOHC V6 engine, producing, in standard form .X - Exhaust Emissions Level: 94/12/EC, stage 230 - 3.0 Litre displacementX - Compression Ratio - 10.0-11.5:1...
.
This power plant was a modern 4 valves per cylinder
Multi-valve
In automotive engineering a multi-valve or multivalve engine is one where each cylinder has more than two valves. A multi-valve engine has better breathing and can operate at higher revolutions per minute than a two-valve engine, delivering more power.- Multi-valve rationale :A multi-valve design...
, quad cam arrangement, with an oil to water heat exchanger
Heat exchanger
A heat exchanger is a piece of equipment built for efficient heat transfer from one medium to another. The media may be separated by a solid wall, so that they never mix, or they may be in direct contact...
mounted within the V of the engine 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...
. The cylinder head
Cylinder head
In an internal combustion engine, the cylinder head sits above the cylinders on top of the cylinder block. It closes in the top of the cylinder, forming the combustion chamber. This joint is sealed by a head gasket...
s were constructed from cast
Casting
In metalworking, casting involves pouring liquid metal into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowing it to cool and solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or broken out of the mold to complete the process...
aluminium alloy
Aluminium alloy
Aluminium alloys are alloys in which aluminium is the predominant metal. The typical alloying elements are copper, magnesium, manganese, silicon and zinc. There are two principal classifications, namely casting alloys and wrought alloys, both of which are further subdivided into the categories...
, and the block from 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...
.
An unusual feature of the engine was its 54 degree cylinder bank
Cylinder bank
Internal combustion piston engines are usually arranged so that the cylinders are in lines parallel to the crankshaft. Where they are in a single line, this is referred to as an inline or straight engine....
angle, as opposed to the more conventional 60 degree setup used on many V6 units, this added to the setups' compactness.
A 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...
Motronic
Motronic
Motronic is the trade name given to a range of digital engine-management systems developed by Robert Bosch GmbH, commonly known as Bosch.-Motronic ML1.x:Motronic ML1.x was one of the first digital engine-management systems developed by Bosch...
engine management system is used to control the unit, with full sequential fuel injection
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
, knock control on each bank, distributor
Distributor
A distributor is a device in the ignition system of an internal combustion engine that routes high voltage from the ignition coil to the spark plugs in the correct firing order. The first reliable battery operated ignition was developed by Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co. and introduced in the...
less 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...
(DIS), and closed loop lambda control.
Technical data
| Engine | X25XE |
|---|---|
| configuration | V6 V6 engine A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft... petrol engine Petrol engine A petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels.... |
| displacement (cc) | 2498 cc |
| bore (mm) | 81.6 mm (3.213 in) |
| stroke (mm) | 79.6 mm (3.134 in) |
| max power @ rpm | 125 kW @ 6,000 |
| max torque @ rpm | 227 newton metres (167 ft·lbf) @ 3,200 |
| compression ratio | 10.8:1 |
| engine management | 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... Motronic Motronic Motronic is the trade name given to a range of digital engine-management systems developed by Robert Bosch GmbH, commonly known as Bosch.-Motronic ML1.x:Motronic ML1.x was one of the first digital engine-management systems developed by Bosch... M2.8.1 then M2.8.3 in 2000 approx |
| idle speed | 450-1,030 |
| max rpm | 6,600 |
| firing order | 1-2-3-4-5-6 |
| Engine | X30XE |
|---|---|
| configuration | V6 V6 engine A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft... petrol engine Petrol engine A petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels.... |
| displacement (cc) | 2960 cc |
| bore (mm) | 86 mm (3.386 in) |
| stroke (mm) | 85 mm (3.346 in) |
| max power @ rpm | 155 kW @ 6,000 |
| max torque @ rpm | 270 newton metres (199 ft·lbf) @ 3,400 |
| compression ratio | 10.8:1 |
| engine management | 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... Motronic Motronic Motronic is the trade name given to a range of digital engine-management systems developed by Robert Bosch GmbH, commonly known as Bosch.-Motronic ML1.x:Motronic ML1.x was one of the first digital engine-management systems developed by Bosch... M2.8.1 then M2.8.3 in 2000 approx |
| idle speed | 450-1,030 |
| max rpm | 6,600 |
| firing order | 1-2-3-4-5-6 |
The "X" variant of the engine had the addition of secondary air injection, and EGR to meet later and more stringent emission requirements.
The air injection blew air via a large blower into the exhaust manifold
Exhaust manifold
In automotive engineering, an exhaust manifold collects the exhaust gases from multiple cylinders into one pipe. The word manifold comes from the Old English word manigfeald and refers to the folding together of multiple inputs and outputs.In contrast, an inlet manifold is the part of an engine...
s to ignite un-burnt fuel in the downpipes during the engine warm up phase, in order to get the catalytic converter
Catalytic converter
A catalytic converter is a device used to convert toxic exhaust emissions from an internal combustion engine into non-toxic substances. Inside a catalytic converter, a catalyst stimulates a chemical reaction in which noxious byproducts of combustion are converted to less toxic substances by dint...
s up to temperature faster. The EGR setup re-cycled exhaust gases (which are in theory inert to the combustion cycle) in order to reduce the production of NOx.
History
Minor changes were made to the unit during its production, including an uprated oil pumpOil pump (internal combustion engine)
The oil pump in an internal combustion engine circulates engine oil under pressure to the rotating bearings, the sliding pistons and the camshaft of the engine...
around mid 1997, with the addition of larger oilways in the head machining (T-Vents), and modified valve lifters
Tappet
A tappet is the noise made by a worn cam follower, however the term is widely used to represent the cam follower itself. In mechanical engineering it is a projection which imparts a linear motion to some other component within an assembly...
to reduce top-end valve noise, at which point the cam belt
Timing belt
A timing belt, or cam belt , is a part of an internal combustion engine that controls the timing of the engine's valves. Some engines, such as the flat-4 Volkswagen air-cooled engine, and the straight-6 Toyota F engine use timing gears...
arrangement also changed with the lower idler moving.
Around 1998, the spin-on metal canister oil filter
Filter (oil)
An oil filter is a filter designed to remove contaminants from engine oil, transmission oil, lubricating oil, or hydraulic oil. Oil filters are used in many different types of hydraulic machinery. A chief use of the oil filter is in internal-combustion engines in on- and off-road motor vehicles,...
was changed to a disposable paper element.
2000 saw a complete revision of the power plant in order to meet increasing emission requirements, with the 2.5 and 3.0 being replaced by lower compression 2.6 (Y26SE) and 3.2 (Y32SE) units.
These later power plants had a revised engine management system setup, which utilised quad lambda sensor control, coil per plug ignition system and drive by wire
Drive by wire
Drive-by-wire, DbW, by-wire, or x-by-wire technology in the automotive industry replaces the traditional mechanical control systems with electronic control systems using electromechanical actuators and human-machine interfaces such as pedal and steering feel emulators...
throttles. The 3.2 also received a stronger steel crankshaft
Crankshaft
The crankshaft, sometimes casually abbreviated to crank, is the part of an engine which translates reciprocating linear piston motion into rotation...
. As a result of these changes the EGR and secondary air injection system were removed.
2.5 MSD version
A special edition of a later version of this engine - the X25XE was worked by Motor Sports Developments (MSD) based in Milton KeynesMilton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, UK; which includes reprofiled camshaft
Camshaft
A camshaft is a shaft to which a cam is fastened or of which a cam forms an integral part.-History:An early cam was built into Hellenistic water-driven automata from the 3rd century BC. The camshaft was later described in Iraq by Al-Jazari in 1206. He employed it as part of his automata,...
s, giving the engine a boost of 24 bhp. This engine appeared in two special edition Vauxhall Vectras
Opel Vectra
The Opel Vectra is a large family car that was engineered and produced by Opel. In the United Kingdom, the car was sold under the Vauxhall marque as the Vauxhall Cavalier and later as the Vauxhall Vectra, from 1995 onwards...
, first the Vectra ST200 (Not the normal SuperTouring), and then the Vectra 2.5 GSi V6.