A more modern model compared to the 402 engine. It already has 16 valves, also electronic ignition, hydraulic lifters and some other improvements.

According to experts, one of the best in the domestic auto industry. Cylinder block, cast iron, very good quality. Well balanced crankshaft made of high quality, properly heat treated steel.

The design features of the 406 engine, namely the location of two camshafts at the top, two intake and two exhaust valves per cylinder, an increased compression ratio (9.3) and something else, allow you to increase torque power, lower fuel consumption and reduce harmful emissions. A slight downside to the 406 is some timing problems. Having created, in principle, a good engine, the designers, nevertheless, did not pay attention to the pistons. They are of an outdated design. The piston has thick rings, resulting in reduced power and increased vibration.

406 Engine Specifications

Parameter name	ZMZ-4062	ZMZ-4061	ZMZ-4063	ZMZ-4052	ZMZ-409
Working volume, l	2,3			2,46	2,69
Cylinder diameter, mm	92			95,5
Piston stroke, mm	86				92
Compression ratio	9,1	8,0	9,5	9,3	9,0
Supply system	Injection	Carburetor		Injection
Rated power, kW (hp)	110,3 (150)	73,5 (100)	80,9 (110)	118,8 (152)	105 (142,8)
	5200	4500	4500	5200	4400
Max. torque, N * m (kgf * m)	206 (21)	181,5 (18,5)	191,3 (19,5)	210,0 (21,5)	230 (23,5)
Rotation frequency at nom. power, min -1	5200	4500	4500	5200	4400
Rotational speed at max. torque, min -1	4000	3500	3500	4300	3900
Idling speed, min -1 (min + -50 / max)	800 / 6000	750 / 6000		850 / 6000	850 / 5000
Minimum specific fuel consumption, g / kW * h (g / hp * h)	252 (185)	273 (200)	265 (195)
The order of the cylinders	1-3-4-2
Oil consumption for waste,% of fuel consumption	0,3	0,4		0,3
The mass of the engine as supplied by the factory, kg	187	185		187	190

Engine ZMZ 406 2.3 l.

Characteristics of the ZMZ-406 engine

Production	ZMZ
Engine brand	ZMZ-406
Years of release	1997-2008
Cylinder block material	cast iron
Supply system	injector / carburetor
A type	inline
Number of cylinders	4
Valves per cylinder	4
Piston stroke, mm	86
Cylinder diameter, mm	92
Compression ratio	9.3 8*
Engine displacement, cubic cm	2286
Engine power, hp / rpm	100/4500* 110/4500** 145/5200
Torque, Nm / rpm	177/3500* 186/3500** 201/4000
Fuel	92 76*
Environmental standards	Euro 3
Engine weight, kg	185* 185** 187
Fuel consumption, l / 100 km - town - track - mixed.	13.5 - -
Oil consumption, gr. / 1000 km	up to 100
Engine oil	5W-30 5W-40 10W-30 10W-40 15W-40 20W-40
How much oil is in the engine	6
When replacing pouring, l	5.4
Oil change is carried out, km	7000
Engine operating temperature, deg.	~90
Engine resource, thousand km - according to the plant - on practice	150 300+
Tuning - potential - without loss of resource	600 + up to 200
The engine was installed	GAZ 3102 GAZ 31029 GAZ 3110 GAZ 31105 GAZ Gazelle GAZ Sable

* - for the ZMZ 4061.10 engine
** - for the ZMZ 4063.10 engine

Malfunctions and repair of the Volga / Gazelle ZMZ-406 engine

The ZMZ-406 engine is the successor to the classic ZMZ-402, a completely new engine (albeit made with an eye on the Saab B-234), in a new cast iron block, with an overhead camshaft, the latter now have two and, accordingly, a 16 valve engine. On the 406th, hydraulic lifters appeared and you are not in danger of fiddling with constant valve adjustment. The timing drive uses a chain that requires replacement every 100,000 km, in fact, it runs more than 200 thousand, and sometimes it does not reach 100, so every 50 thousand km you need to monitor the condition of the chain, dampers and hydraulic tensioners, tensioners, usually, very low quality.
Despite the fact that the engine is simple, without variable valve timing and other modern technologies, for GAZ, this is a great progress in relation to the 402 engine.

Modifications of the ZMZ 406 engine

1. ZMZ 4061.10 - carburetor engine, SZh 8 for 76th gasoline. Used on Gazelles.
2. ZMZ 4062.10 - injection engine. The main modification is used on the Volga and Gazelles.
3. ZMZ 4063.10 - carburetor engine, SZh 9.3 for 92nd gasoline. Used on Gazelles.

Malfunctions of ZMZ 406 engines

1. Hydraulic tensioners of the timing chain. It tends to jam, as a result of which the absence of oscillations is not ensured, the noise of the chain occurs, followed by the destruction of the shoe, the jumping of the chain, and possibly even its destruction. In this case, ZMZ-406 has an advantage, it does not bend the valve.
2. Overheating of ZMZ-406. A common problem, usually the thermostat and a clogged radiator are to blame, check the amount of coolant, if everything is in order, then look for air locks in the cooling system.
3. High oil consumption. Usually the case is in the oil scraper rings and valve seals. The second reason is a labyrinth oil deflector with rubber tubes for oil drainage, if there is a gap between the valve cover and the labyrinth plate, then the oil leaves. The cover is removed, coated with sealant and there are no problems.
4. Thrust dips, uneven XX, these are all dying ignition coils. On the ZMZ-406 this is not uncommon, change it and the motor will fly.
5. Knocking in the engine. Usually, hydraulic lifters knock on the 406th and ask for a replacement, they go about 50,000 km. If not, then there are a lot of options, from piston pins to pistons, connecting rod bushings, etc., an autopsy will show.
6. Engine troit. See candles, coils, measure compression.
7. ZMZ 406 stalls. The point is, most often, in the BB wires, crankshaft sensor or IAC, check.

In addition, sensors are constantly buggy, electronics are of poor quality, problems with the gas pump, etc. Despite this, the ZMZ 406 is a giant step forward (compared to the ZMZ-402 of an outdated design), the engine has become more modern, the resource has not gone anywhere, and as before, with adequate maintenance, timely oil change and a calm driving style, it can exceed 300 thousand .km.
In 2000, on the basis of the ZMZ-406, the ZMZ-405 engine was developed, and later a 2.7-liter ZMZ-409 appeared, a separate one about it.

Volga / Gazelle engine tuning ZMZ-406

Forcing ZMZ 406

The first option for increasing engine power, by tradition, is atmospheric, which means we will install shafts. Let's start with the intake, install a cold air intake, a larger receiver, cut the cylinder head, modify the combustion chambers, increase the diameter of the channels, grind, install the appropriate, lightweight T-shaped valves, 21083 springs (for evil variants from BMW), shafts (for example, OKB Engine 38/38). It makes no sense to rotate the standard tractor piston, so we buy forged pistons, light connecting rods, a lightweight crankshaft, and we balance. Exhaust on 63 mm pipe, straight-through and we set it all up online. The output power is approximately up to 200 hp, and the character of the motor will receive a pronounced sporty touch.

ZMZ-406 Turbo. Compressor

If 200 hp for you childish fun and want real fire, then blowing is your way. So that the motor can withstand high pressure normally, we will put a reinforced forged piston group under a low SG ~ 8, otherwise the configuration is similar to the atmospheric version. Garrett 28 turbine, manifold for it, piping, intercooler, 630cc injectors, 76mm exhaust, MAP + DTV, setting in January. At the output we have about 300-350 hp.
You can change the nozzles to more efficient ones (from 800cc), put the Garrett 35 and blow until the engine collapses, so you can blow out 400 or more hp.
As for the compressor, everything is similar to turbocharging, but instead of a turbine, manifolds, pipes, an intercooler, we put a compressor (for example, an Eaton M90), set up and drive. The power of the compressor options is lower, but the motor is flawless and pulls from the bottom.

The "3M3-406" engine, in carburetor and injection versions, was mass-produced at the Zavolzhsky Motor Plant from 1996 to 2008. It was installed on cars of the Gorky Automobile Plant: Volga cars, light trucks and minibuses - GAZel and Soboli. This is a gasoline, four-cylinder, in-line sixteen-valve engine with a DOHC gas distribution mechanism.

Motor "3M3-406" is not so "young" as it is commonly believed. The first developments on this resourceful and upper shaft version, designed to replace the 402 Zavolzhsky motor, were made back in the second half of the eighties. It was decided, despite all the wonderful qualities of the engine, its success and demand, to move forward.

There were two ways considered by the plant's specialists: to leave the old block and, keeping the general scheme of the engine, work on its modern body kit; or create a completely new motor. Both options eventually found their embodiment. The first one is in Ulyanovsk, where the injection “UMP-421” was created - reliable and convenient (including, in the sense that there are no technical problems with installation on old cars, in particular, “GAZ-21”).

At the Zavolzhsky Motor Plant, in fact, a completely new engine was created. It must be said that attempts to transfer the camshaft from the cylinder block to the head were made here even at the stages of work on the engine for the GAZ-21. However, that design turned out to be not entirely reliable, and the motor went into mass production in the lower shaft version, retaining this design up to "3M3-402".

For the first time in domestic mechanical engineering, the 3M3-406 design included 4 valves per cylinder, hydraulic pushers, a 2-stage chain drive of two camshafts, an electronic fuel injection and ignition control system.

The 3M3-406 engine only reached small mass production in 1992. They began to complete the Volga of all existing modifications. The plans for the future new engine were ambitious: it was supposed to supply "3M3-406" not only to GAZ, but also to AZLK, and even to VAZ. However, given the complete collapse of the economy, these plans were not destined to come true.

The Gorky Automobile Plant remained the only consumer of 3M3-406 engines. And the main part of the cars, which were equipped with the engine of this model, were the cargo "GAZelles" and "Soboli", and, of course, the minibuses of these brands. Thanks to the increase in the production of these machines, "3M3-406" in 1996 was launched into mass serial production, and in the next year, 1997, the enterprise entered a very significant volume of its production.

To date, the 3M3-406 engine has been produced with a total circulation of over one and a half million units. It is still the most widespread engine for light commercial vehicles in Russia and the CIS. At the same time, "3M3-406" is not a narrowly specialized power unit. It was originally designed as the basis for a whole family of new motors, suitable for a wide variety of vehicles. It has a great potential for modernization and construction on its basis of engines with a different range of characteristics. In particular, although the "3M3-406" is not produced anymore, it served as the basis for the creation of more powerful and modern injection engines of the "3M3-409" and "3M3-405" families, as well as for the "3M3-514" diesel engine and its modifications ...

Modifications of the motor "3M3-406"

• "3M3-4062.10" - injection motor for operation on A-92 gasoline. It has a compression ratio of 9.3. Power - 150 HP For cars and vans.
• "3M3-40621.10" - modification of the engine "3M3-4062.10", corresponding to the ecological standard "Euro-2".
• "3M3-4063.10" - carburetor version of the engine, designed for installation on light commercial trucks and vans. Power - 110 HP
• "3M3-4061.10" - carburetor engine for light commercial vehicles. The compression ratio is reduced to 8, for operation on A-80 gasoline. Power - 100 HP

Design and features of the device "3M3-406"

The working volume of any version of the power unit "3M3-406" is 2.28 liters (2.3). The main design features of the "3M3-406" engine are: the upper (in the cylinder head) arrangement of two camshafts, installation of 4 valves per cylinder (2 inlet and 2 outlet).

Cylinder block

The cylinder block is cast iron. The cylinders are made with a groove directly in the body of the block. This solution provided the block with greater rigidity, and the gaps in the friction pairs are very stable. The possibility of repair boring of the engine is also provided (it is permissible to make three repairs).

On the upper plane of the cylinder block of the "3M3-406" engine there are 10 threaded holes "M14x1.5" for fastening the cylinder head. In the lower part of the "3M3-406" block there are 5 main bearings of the crankshaft.

The cylinder head is cast from an aluminum alloy. The combustion chamber is of a hip-roof type, with 4 valves per cylinder. The valve train is equipped with hydraulic pushers, which eliminates the need for valve adjustments. The intake and exhaust manifolds are spaced apart on opposite sides of the head.

As already noted, an innovation in the 3M3-406 design is that the camshafts are now also located in the head. There are 2 of them, and one works with intake valves, the other with exhaust valves. The cast iron shafts rotate on five bearings in plain bearings. Longitudinal movement of the camshafts is limited by plastic thrust half rings in the front cover and front supports.

Shaft drive - chain, 2-stage, using an intermediate shaft. In the chain of the upper stage there are seventy links, in the lower one - ninety. The chain tension is regulated by automatic hydraulic tensioners with wear-resistant plastic stop shoes. Subsequently, the shoes were replaced by levers with stars, which increased the working life of the mechanism between repairs. Chains with different types of tensioners are not interchangeable.

crank mechanism

Crankcase ventilation - forced, closed type. The crankshaft, made of VCh60 magnesium cast iron, rotates on plain bearings in five bearings. Its movements in the longitudinal plane are limited by persistent half rings, which are installed in the samples of the 3rd root support. Both ends of the crankshaft, to the delight of car mechanics, are sealed with self-tightening rubber or silicone oil seals.

Pistons in the "3M3-406" engine are aluminum, cast, with 2 compression rings and 1 - a composite oil scraper ring. Steel connecting rods, 2-T section, with a split bottom head on a plain bearing. Piston pins are of floating type, not fixed in the piston or in the upper connecting rod head. Longitudinal movement is limited by retaining rings. The piston stroke is 86 mm. Diameter - 92 mm.

Lubrication system

The 3M3-406 motor is equipped with a full-flow combined lubrication system. Bushings, plain bearings and hydraulic pushers are pressure lubricated and cylinder walls are spray lubricated. The oil pump is of a gear type, one-section, with an original drive design. Typically, the oil pump shaft is driven either by a gear train from the crankshaft or by means of helical gears from the camshaft. And in "3M3-406" - the drive rotates from the intermediate timing shaft rotated by the chain. It may be cumbersome, but reliable. The pressure reducing valve opens at a pressure in the system of 0.7-0.9 kgf / cm2, and directs the oil to the oil cooler. From there, it flows into the crankcase.

Due to the higher degree of boost, the engine is quite picky about the quality of the engine oil and needs a more serious attitude to maintenance than its predecessors.

Cooling system

The cooling system is of a closed type, operating under excess pressure, according to the traditional scheme. The coolant is pumped through the pump block, block head and radiator. The "TC 107-01" thermostat allows circulation in a small circle while the engine is warming up, and when the warm-up temperature is reached, the thermostat opens, allowing the coolant to pass through the "large circle". The crankshaft pulley "3M3-406" transmits torque to the pump shaft, which also supplies coolant to the car's heater, maintaining a good microclimate in the cab in cold weather conditions.

Fuel supply system

The intake manifold is cast aluminum. A receiver is fixed on it, to the flange of which a throttle unit with a cable drive is attached. The throttle is equipped with heating from the engine cooling line.
Fuel is supplied to the combustion chambers through individual injectors (injection type - distributed). The injection control is electronic.
The ignition system for the "3M3-406" is of a microprocessor type. It is adjusted depending on the readings of the engine sensors. Over the years of production in the production of the engine "3M3-406" used engine control units "MIKAS-5.4", "MIKAS-7.1", "ITELMA VS 5.6", "SOATE". Accordingly, some sensors have changed, in particular, the "DMRV".

Differences in carburetor and injection "3M3-406"

In carburetor "3M3-406" carburetors of the "K-151" model were used. Increasing the compression ratio to 9.3 (instead of 8.2 on the “3M3-402” model engine) due to the combustion chamber with the central position of the spark plug; The use of a distributed (alternate, in accordance with the order of operation of the cylinders) fuel injection system into the intake pipe by electromagnetic nozzles, instead of the carburetor power supply, provided an increase in power and maximum torque compared to the 402 engine and the carburetor "3M3-406". And also at the same time contributed to a decrease in fuel consumption and a decrease in the toxicity of exhaust gases.

To strengthen the reliability of the "3M3-406" engines after switching to the injector, under operating conditions with higher power and higher crankshaft revolutions on the engine, a cast-iron cylinder block without plug-in liners was introduced, which has high rigidity and more stable clearances in friction pairs; the piston stroke was reduced from 92 mm to 86 mm, the weight of the piston and piston pin was reduced, and better materials were used for the crankshaft, connecting rods, connecting rod bolts, piston pins and other parts.

Engine camshaft drive design - two-stage chain, with automatic hydraulic chain tensioners; hydraulic pushers are introduced in the valve mechanism, which eliminate the need for adjusting the clearances.

The use of hydraulic devices, the impressive degree of forcing of the 3M3-406 engine imply a high quality of engine oil cleaning. Therefore, the engine uses a full-flow oil filter with an additional filter element, which excludes the ingress of crude oil into the engine when starting a cold engine, and when the main filter element is clogged.

The auxiliary units (water pump and generator) are driven by a more reliable flat poly V-belt.

On engines "3M3-406" a diaphragm clutch is used with so ellipsoid linings of the driven disc. This design is characterized by significant wear resistance and exceptional durability.

The integrated control system also includes the functions of controlling the ignition system, allowing extremely accurate metering of the fuel supply, adjusting the ignition timing, including the knock parameter, with changing engine operating modes. This allows you to provide optimal power, economic and toxic performance.

Technical characteristics and parameters "3M3-406" in figures

• Working volume - 2.28 liters;
• The order of the cylinders: 1-3-4-2;
• Cylinder diameter - 92 mm, piston stroke - 86 mm;
• Intercylinder distance (distance between the axes of adjacent cylinders of the block) - 106 mm;
• Block height (distance between the upper plane of the block and the crankshaft axis) - 299 mm;
• Compression ratio - 9.3;
• The number of valves - 4 per cylinder, 2 - inlet, 2 - outlet, total 16 cl. on the motor;
• Power - 100 hp at 4500 rpm; 110hp at 4500 rpm; or 145 hp at 5200 rpm, depending on modification (see section above);
• Torque, Nm / rpm - 177/3500, 186/3500, 201/4000 (similar);
• The minimum idle speed is 750-800 rpm;
• The diameter of the bore of the crankshaft supports (for the main bearings) - 67 mm;
• Fuel consumption - 13 ... 15 liters per 100 km in the combined cycle;
• Oil consumption for waste - 0.3% of fuel consumption;
• The mass of an unfuel engine with clutch and electrical equipment is 185, 187 or 192 kg, depending on the modification;

The ZMZ 406 engine, the carburetor replaced the 402 model and was originally intended in the development process for installation on a new family of GAZ-3105 representative cars. However, in connection with the closure of the project of a new executive class car, the target group of consumers was changed and the plant began to supply the engine to the produced cars of the GAZ family.

As the production of automotive equipment developed, the engine began to be installed on low-tonnage trucks of the Gazelle family and all-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant.

The engine was designed from scratch. For the basic prototype, the Swedish engine, the H series, was taken, which was installed on SAAB-9000 cars. The carburetor version has factory indexes ZMZ -4061.10 and ZMZ-4063.10

The resulting in-line petrol four borrowed double camshafts and an electronic ignition distribution system as a constructive solution. For 1993, it was a revolutionary decision for the Russian car industry. ZMZ was the first to use the DOHC design scheme for deliveries to Russian car factories. Although by 1997, the beginning of deliveries to car factories, the 406 engine already had an outdated design, comparing it with the same Saab.

The copying of technological solutions did not allow the actual parameters of the prototype to be removed from the engine. And instead of 150 hp and 210 Nm of thrust as in the prototype, the brainchild of the Volga Motor Plant with a carburetor produced 100 hp. and 177 Nm with the same volume of 2.3 liters. The technical characteristics of the original were achieved only after additional refinement of the engine with the installation of an injection fuel injection system.

ICE ZMZ-406 carburetor was installed on the version of light trucks and vans manufactured by JSC "GAZ" until 2006. GAZ 3302. on which a dv 406 carburetor was installed, was perhaps the most common model due to its relative cheapness.

Also, a carburetor engine of this family was installed on passenger cars of the Volga family. This engine provided the lowest possible cost for the car.

Electronic ignition system

Completely Russian development of electronic filling is currently practically unified and a different version of this electronic unit can be installed. It should be noted that the software must be built taking into account the technical characteristics of a particular engine.

A gazelle with an engine 4061.10 was designed for operation on 76 gasoline and the 406 engine had a reduced compression ratio, respectively, firmware was required to ensure stable engine operation on this fuel.

Electronic ignition units for power units are not interchangeable with other series of motors. Those. block for 405 is not suitable for installation on a gazelle equipped with a 406 engine.

Fuel system

The engine had two versions, which made it possible to use 76 and 92 gasoline. Due to the transition to international environmental requirements, gasoline with an octane rating of 76 is no longer produced. For normal operation of the engine with index 4061.10, it must be modified.

Fuel is supplied by a diaphragm fuel pump driven by an intake camshaft.

Oil system

For engines of the 406 family, it is recommended to use mineral multigrade oil 10 (15) w40 or, according to API, not worse than SG class. Perhaps this recommendation is due to the fact that the engine plant produces oils under its own trademark.

In fact, it is worth focusing on the API class and choosing the oil viscosity in accordance with the climatic conditions of engine operation. The description of the API oil standard indirectly refers the development of this engine to 1989-1993.

Attention should be paid to the quality of the lubricant itself, since stable characteristics provide better and more durable operation of hydraulic lifters.

The capacity of the oil system of the power unit differs depending on the car brand. So for cars of the UAZ family, the design of the engine sump was changed.

Standard diseases 406

Overheat

The engine is very sensitive to overheating. On a long ride on a boiling engine, it drives the cylinder head. The overheating problem is associated with poor pump performance and the condition of the cooling radiator. The materials used in the water pump have certain design tolerances that cannot guarantee the volumetric flow rate and pressure in the cooling system.

The design of the impeller allows for cavitation destruction of the blades, which reduces efficiency. In addition, there remains the question of the corrosion resistance of the pump shafts.

Inefficiency of the pump affects the condition of the internal channels of the radiator. When the surface is clean, the channels narrow and the heat transfer decreases.

Another reason for overheating is poor performance of the thermostat. Incorrect response setting or wedging of structural elements during operation.

The design features of the coolant channels and the lower location of the radiator can provoke the creation of locking air locks that impede the circulation of the liquid.

Oil consumption

During operation, an increased oil consumption of up to 1.5 liters per 1000 km of run is recorded. Oil consumption can occur without visible leaks. The problem is caused by poor quality seals, clogged labyrinth seals under the cylinder head cover, insufficient resistance of the O-rings. It is associated with poor-quality assembly and can be modified independently during operation.

Oil consumption is affected by the condition of the valve stem seals. Inspection and replacement as necessary is required.

Loss of oil through block sweating is less common and cannot be corrected on its own, as the problem is related to the porosity of the cast iron used to cast the block.

Traction characteristics

Dips in idling performance and sudden loss of power while driving are caused by the failure of the ignition coil.

Ignition system

The malfunction of the engine "triplet" ignition system is caused by problems with the ECM software, spark plugs, ignition coil. Simultaneous failure of several system elements can be recorded.

Engine knocking

When using low-quality oil or insignificant overrun before changing the oil, the operation of the hydraulic lifters is disrupted. The knock is clearly audible even after the engine reaches normal temperature conditions.

Basically, all the malfunctions revealed during operation are due to poor quality components, as well as a low level of assembly culture at the plant, which was typical at the beginning of the production of the engine of this family.

Tuning 406

When tuning the 406 engine, the carburetor is replaced from the standard one to Sollers, although the technical specialists of the manufacturing plant indicate that such a replacement is not advisable, since the standard K-151D carburetor has consistent calibrations specifically for the 406 series engine.

A deeper alteration of the 4063.10 engine consists in changing the fuel supply system from a carburetor to an injection one. Such alteration is possible, but it is fraught with certain difficulties.

To increase air supply to the engine, replace the standard air filter housing and install a straight air filter. A deeper modernization of the air supply system consists in the removal of the intake manifold outside the engine compartment to reduce the temperature of the incoming air.

To improve heat transfer and reduce the temperature peak, oil radiators or radiators of the cooling system with an increased blowing area are used.

To increase power, it is possible to install a turbocharger, select camshafts, replace valves and CPG parts. But these modifications for light trucks are not justified from an economic point of view.

In this article you will find:

ZMZ 406 engine. Let there be injection!

ZMZ 406 is actually not as young as it is commonly believed. Developments on a revolving top-shaft motor for large machines were started back in the USSR. Even then, it was clear that with all the wonderful qualities of the engine family and its predecessors, it was necessary to move forward.

There were two ways:

- Leave the old block and, while maintaining the general scheme of the engine, work on a modern body kit;
- Create a completely new motor.

Supporters of the first scheme were found in Ulyanovsk, where the injection will later be created. The motor is good and very convenient from the point of view of the absence of technical problems of its installation on old cars, which indescribably pleased the supporters of progress in the camp of the owners of GAZ 21 (the motor is installed easily and naturally, joining with native fasteners, gearbox, etc.).
ZMZ engineers, in turn, chose option number two and began to design the engine from scratch.

Creature

According to one of the versions, the ZMZ 406 and its brothers appeared as a result of direct copying and further work on DECREASING the B234i SAAB 9000 engine. The author of this story tells in detail how good the original is and what kind of curve it turned out to be a copy, which was completely made in the process of fine-tuning unusable. Unfortunately, in this fairly widely circulated legend, neither specific names, nor documents, nor any other verifiable confirmation of the truth are given. Perhaps the only thing that really could testify in favor of this version is the external similarity of the motors and the same displacement. You can read more about this branch of alternative reality on a variety of resources, from UAZbook and drive2, to drom and the Maylov project "Answers". The article is the same everywhere. More this information is not found anywhere from the available sources.

We will consider a different history of the origin of this motor. An attempt to transfer the camshaft from the cylinder block to the head was made even at the stage of work on the GAZ 21 engine, however, the design turned out to be not very reliable, and the engine went into series in the lower-shaft version and retained this design up to the ZMZ 402 engine. Design work on the new engine will start in the late 80s of the last century. Times began to be difficult and therefore, the development and fine-tuning of the motor dragged on until the early 90s. The motor went into a small series only in 1992. The plans were quite ambitious, and the new engine was supposed to be offered not only to the traditional partner in the person of the Gorky plant, but also to AZLK, BAZ and even VAZ employees. However, the economy was collapsing before our eyes, the factories survived with difficulty, and there was no talk of putting new machines on the conveyor. As a result, only GAZ became the consumer of the novelty.
Large-scale production began only in 1996 and reached significant volumes only by 1997.

Design and features

Gasoline engine, four-cylinder sixteen-valve, in-line with multipoint fuel injection and microprocessor control system. Power 145 HP at crankshaft revolutions 5200. Working volume - 2.28 liters.

The block is cast iron, the cylinders are made with a groove directly in the block body. This solution made it possible to make the block very rigid, and the gaps in the friction pairs became more stable. Nevertheless, the possibility of its repair boring is provided (three repairs are allowed).
Closed crankcase ventilation, forced.
The crankshaft made of magnesium cast iron rotates in five bearings on plain bearings. Longitudinal movements of the shaft are limited by thrust half rings installed in the recesses of the third main bearing. Both ends of the shaft, to the delight of car mechanics, are sealed with self-tightening rubber or silicone oil seals.
Cast aluminum pistons with two compression rings and one integral oil scraper ring. Steel I-section connecting rods with a split lower head on a plain bearing. Floating piston pins that are not attached to either the piston or the upper connecting rod. Longitudinal movement is limited only by the retaining rings. The piston stroke has been reduced to 86 mm. The piston diameter remains the same - 92 mm.
The lubrication system of the ZMZ 406 engine is full-flow, combined. Bushings, plain bearings and hydraulic pushers are pressure lubricated and cylinder walls are spray lubricated. The oil pump is gear-type, single-section with a rather original design of the drive. Traditionally, the oil pump shaft is driven either by a gear transmission from the crankshaft, or through helical gears from the camshaft, but ZMZ engineers did not find such solutions interesting enough, and they went their own way. The drive rotates from an intermediate timing shaft driven by a chain. It turned out to be quite cumbersome, but on the whole it is quite reliable. Motorists generally regard this innovation as sabotage, perhaps they are right. The pressure reducing valve opens at a pressure in the system of 0.7-0.9 kgf / cm2, directing the oil to the oil cooler, from where it flows into the engine crankcase. ...
The cooling system is of a closed type and operates under excess pressure.

Due to the higher degree of boost, the engine is quite picky about the quality of the engine oil and needs a more serious attitude towards maintenance than its predecessors.
The block head is cast from an aluminum alloy. Tent-type combustion chamber with four valves per cylinder. The valve mechanism received hydraulic pushers, which saved motorists from the need to adjust the valves. The intake and exhaust manifolds are spaced apart on opposite sides of the head.
The camshafts are now also located in the head, there are two of them, one works with intake valves, the other with exhaust valves. The shafts are cast from cast iron, rotate on five bearings in plain bearings. Longitudinal movement of the shafts is limited by plastic thrust half rings in the front cover and front supports. The drive of the shafts is chain, two-stage using an intermediate shaft. The chain of the upper stage has 70 links, the lower one - 90. The tension of the chains is regulated by automatic hydraulic tensioners with stop shoes made of wear-resistant plastic. Later, the shoes were replaced by levers with stars, which increased the resource of the mechanism between repairs. Please note - chains with different types of tensioners are not interchangeable.
Cast iron exhaust manifold.
The inlet manifold is cast from aluminum, it is mounted on the receiver, to the flange of which the throttle unit with a cable drive is attached. The throttle is heated from the engine cooling line.
The fuel is supplied to the combustion chambers via individual injectors (multipoint injection). Electronic injection control.
Microprocessor ignition system. Based in work on the readings of engine sensors.
Over the years, the engine control units MIKAS-5.4, MIKAS-7.1, ITELMA VS 5.6, SOATE were used. Accordingly, some sensors also changed, in particular the mass air flow sensor.

Modifications and applicability of ZMZ 406 engines

The engine was installed on cars:
Volga 3102;
Volga 3110;
Volga 31105;
Gazelle;
Sable.
In addition, ZMZ 406, by many motorists, is quite successfully installed under the hoods of the twenty-fourth Volga family. To do this, you have to remove the right amplifier of the motor shield (interferes with the receiver), the wiring changes, other indicators are placed in the dashboard, or the entire panel changes (the fasteners do not match, but nothing that a purposeful person cannot cope with). It is also desirable to replace the gas tank, since for the operation of the electric fuel pump, an anti-drain bowl is required, which is not in the old-type tanks, without it, the gas pump picks up air when braking and accelerating. When replacing the tank, you will need to adjust the filler neck.
There are known cases of installing the engine on UAZ cars instead of ZMZ 409, however, such an alteration is very controversial, since for an SUV, a motor with a pronounced moment at the bottom is more relevant.

There are several modifications of the ZMZ 406:

ZMZ 4062.10 - injection engine for operation on A92 gasoline. The compression ratio is 9.3. Designed for installation on passenger cars.
ZMZ 40621.10 is a modification of the 4062.10 engine that meets the EURO-2 environmental standards.
ZMZ 4063.10 is a carburetor version of the engine designed for installation on light commercial trucks and vans. Power reduced to 110 hp.
ZMZ 4061.10 is a carburetor engine for light commercial vehicles. The compression ratio is reduced to 8, for operation on A80 gasoline. Power - 100 HP

Generalization

To date, the engine has been produced with a circulation of more than one and a half million, it is the most common engine for light commercial vehicles in Russia.
ZMZ 406 was originally designed as the basis for a whole family of new engines for a wide variety of equipment. It has a huge potential for modernization and construction on its basis of engines with different characteristics. So it served as the basis for the creation of motors of the ZMZ 409 and ZMZ 405 families.

The disadvantages of the family include:

sagging of valve seats during prolonged operation of the engine on a lean mixture or on gas fuel;
a cumbersome timing mechanism that does not have a very large resource (mainly the tensioning system of the drive chains causes complaints; however, at the moment there are several sets from different manufacturers at once that allow you to improve this unit);
there is also a lot of criticism of the control unit from SOATE with its unreliable mass air flow sensor (especially often problems arise when using gas fuel);
and the main problem inherent in other modern ZMZ engines is the very low quality of spare parts, some of them are produced using technologies that are unacceptable in this case.

In general, the ZMZ 406 is a very reliable and maintainable engine, often outliving the body of the car on which it is installed. Of course, it is more complicated, requires timely maintenance and high-quality oil, and many of its components can no longer be repaired "on the knees with a hammer." However, with the right tools, this is not a problem and spare parts are readily available everywhere.