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MG MGF Technical - VVC who was its main-engineer?

In our MGCarclub Holland Home and Shop we made a demo setup from a K16 engine and a VVC head. These parts were donated by MGF/TF car and partsupplier Weusthof.
Both parts clearly demonstrate that the cleverness of the British engineers was (and is) absolutely great! The engine with its wet liners is a beauty and the VVC is fabulous. I spend several evenings with all the parts in my hands, trying to understand the basic principles of the VVC mechanism. And it is sooooo wonderfull! Still hard to believe that they made it with so little parts to create this continuous ajustable valve timing. Its main core is the excentric ring. An engineer who can think about such basic concepts and translate them into a working and makable mechanism, is a very very good engineer.
Somewhere, this guy (or girl) still must be around, maybe retired already. I would love to hear his/her story because that must be a very exciting one. Lots of people around them must have tried to stop them because trying to create such a thing must have been regarded as absolutely impossible. Of course many engineers have contributed to this but defenitly there will be one "driving"-engineer
Who knows who and where this person is and any e-mail address or....
Greetings, Huib
Huib Bruijstens

Huib,

I was told that the K VVC mechanism was never patented by Rover as the actual basics of the design had been publicised back in the 1960s or thereabouts. Still as with many things a modern engineer with newer production technology allowed it to be put into practical production.
David Billington

It was based on an expired AP (Automotive Products) patent and is I thnk pre WWII. AP were a customer of mine in an earlier incarnation and I found them a pretty impressive, and very British Company.
Stan Best

Stan is pretty close. The cyclic velocity system was invented by an Italian employee of AE, whoose name escapes me (begins with R). I have a page from the IMechE journal circa 1974 somewhere that explains AE (Cawston Nr Rugby) plans to fit it to an E series. A couple of years ago I asked the IMechE if they had any more detail, but it appears that it was only a 1 page article. I've got a copy in my desk at work.
The implementaion of this system to K series was led by Peter Parker of Gaydon Technology. He has published a paper in two parts explaining the design principles and what it does for engine performance (Proceedings of IMechE vol 214 part D 03199 & 03299). The AE UK patent is 1311562 (March 1973) and the Rover one is 2252130B (October 1990) Details taken from Peter's Paper.
Its seems incredible that no one else has used this system as it alters phase (timing) and duration (period). It doesn't do lift. Hey two out of tree aint bad.
Paul Hollingworth

When the Rover/MG group went under and NAC bought everything except the intilectual property rights, the VVC bits went under that banner. When NAC started production again the could nor build a VVC engine as they did not own the rights which belong to SAIC.
Andrew Regens

Thank you guys for your comments.
Paul,you mentionend AE. Is that the same Stan mentioned as AP?
Where you say:....explains AE (Cawston Nr Rugby) plans ... What is the meaning of "Cawston Nr Rugby"
It would be great if you could trace this page of 1974.
I now googled up this mr Parker and I came across an interesting site http://www.aronline.co.uk/ (austin-roover) and lots of interesting info there also about the VVC.
I asked the site creator/editor Keith Adams if he knows how/where to contact Peter Parker
Andrew, as far as I know, SAIC has integrated NAC back in 2007.
Paul, I do not see your point about changing the phase and duration. To my understanding it is the duration that can be varied and as a concequence also the phasing (fi longer duration has to be spread kind of equally, so will open earlier and close later) and the mechanism does not provide a seperate shift of phasing.
Greetings, huib




Huib Bruijstens

Huib
AE stands for Associated Engineering (I think). They made Pistons, camshafts, valve spings, bearings, clutch and brake linings etc. The engine you have will probably have Glacier bearings, Brico valve seats, Hepworth & Grandige Pistons, Tempered spring valve springs, and Lydmet camshaft castings. Their research headquarters were at Cawston near Rugby. They became part of the Turner & Newall group which were weakened by an asbestos scandal and were eventually taken over by the American firm Federal Mogul, who then themselves went into administration. (filed for chapter 11 in the US) A sad tale of the decline of a major British automotive supplier. They are still going, I believe, but in a somewhat reduced form. The demise of the Rover Group probably did them no favours. I hope they are getting some trade from the Chinese.
I do have Peter's contact details but I'm not going to disclose them. I suggest you get his papers from the IMechE. They will charge. You might be able to get them cheaper from the library.
From memory the VVC mechanism varies the inlet valve opening period from 230 deg (crank) to 280 deg, but the angle at which maximum lift occours also swings favourably, hence my comment about phase. ie It doesn't spread evenly.
The Italian Engineer I was trying to remember was called Raggi, I think. I'll check tomorrow.
Who knows who has the intelectual property rights to the VVC mechanism.
Paul Hollingworth

I have the article from Chartered Mechanical Engineer September 1973, the monthly magazine of the IMechE. It seems to be page 4 and the article is entitled 'Variable camshaft for lower emissions'
Ing L. Raggi is quoted as being the MD of AE Italy.
Any one whoose interested can get this article and the papers from the IMechE
Paul Hollingworth

Just to 100% clarify, AE and AP are different companies, no one was going to make anything based on what I said so I did it from memory. I must say I found a lot of the info on this thread new to me and intersting.
Stan Best

Huib,
NAC had developed 160HP engines without going VVC so when they joined SAIC and NAC they could get the same power without all those extra bits of mechanical bits. The new MG UK were going to offer a kit like the BMW Works to boost power but as I don't think they sold enough cars so producing a performance package that say 10% would buy would meen about 100 kits, not enough tobe viable.
Andrew Regens

Thanks Paul - once again some really useful information there, cheers! :o)
Rob Bell

This thread was discussed between 25/11/2010 and 01/01/2011

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