Some pictures of my new Jaguar Shock Horrror It's Fixed

wack61

wack61

I've got an itchy hatch
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a couple of months ago I bought a Jaguar XK8 with the gearbox down, I have a mate with a garage so I took it up to him and started searching for a S/H gearbox, then he suggested the box may be worth repairing so I contacted the garage that had worked on it previously to see what they'd done to it,I was then told the engine was knackered as well :(

Turns out the head gasket went and she just kept driving it, oil and water don't make for good big end lubrication so the big end has gone.

As luck would have it I found a cheap engine and box out of a 2001 XJ8 so all my spare time has been up at the garage helping him swap them over, we've also replaced all the weak points while it was out, camchain tensioners ,water pump etc.

The engine and box are back in now and today is startup day.

My wife hasn't seen it yet, she takes her 84 year old mum shopping once a week, she said will my mum be able to get in it, er i'll pay for a taxi :D

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engine on the floor, I needed to know if the tensioners needed replacing, he had another engine on the bench so I took the covers off where it sat, believe it or not those orange tensioners are made of plastic and they crack and break up, the new ones are alloy.

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Good idea to change the tensioners at the same time. Plastic????

At least the timing is by chain rather than an elastic band. Cambelts are the work of the devil! At least with a full rebuild she should be good for a fair few miles when you get her finished.

I'll happily volunteer to take her out for a spin :)

Hope you get started and she runs as sweet as a nut, she's looovvvvely.
 
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It Lives
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we managed to get it fired up today and it sounds really quiet, purrs like a cat :D

A few minor problems to sort out, one of the gearbox to oil cooler pipes is leaking and it looks a pig of a job to change as it goes over the top of the gearbox and round the engine to the front of the car.

I really want to change the oil in the gearbox but it scares me to death as another box is £600-£1000 if we get it wrong.

Thanks for that link Northstar100 much appreciated, i've found a XK8 only forum but they want £50 a year membership, without seeing what they have to offer i'm reluctant to spend it.

GFWilliams said:
looks like you know what you're doing, was it really any cheaper to buy a car that doesn't work, if so, hats off to you :)

George
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I have no idea what i'm doing, luckily I know a man who does, I paid £2500 for the car with the box down, then I found the engine was goosed as well, luckily I found a mint engine and box from a 2001 car for £700 so with the tensioner kit and some other bits and bobs i'm up to about £3700 at the moment, I think when i'm done it'll have cost me £4500 and will be worth in the region of £6000 but I won't be selling it.

I've wanted one of these for 10 years , never in a million years did I think £2500 would buy one in any condition, the body and interior are almost perfect.

The advantage of buying a broken one is you're 100% sure of what's been done to it when the engine goes back into the car rather than relying on other peoples yes yes it's been done.

Flash it's not a Jag engine, it's a V8 ford used in the Lincoln in the US
 
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Looking good though Darren, I myself have a fondness for Jags but my wish would be a 1988 XJ dunno why just love the shape and the interior smell its just nice
 
The AJ-V8 series engine was designed and built for Jaguar. Parent company at the time, Ford, chose to use a simplified version in some Lincolns. Aston Martin also used a derivative of the engine, albeit heavily modified.
 
Interesting couple of pictures. I almost got a XJ 2000 sov a few years ago, but was put off with all the reported problems with this engine. Seems you got this at the right price to factor in the costs and still be ahead.
 
andrewc said:
The AJ-V8 series engine was designed and built for Jaguar. Parent company at the time, Ford, chose to use a simplified version in some Lincolns. Aston Martin also used a derivative of the engine, albeit heavily modified.
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Thanks, I didn't know that, I was told it was used in the Lincoln prior to Ford owning Jaguar then improved to jaguar specifications.

I know there a world of difference between the 2 engines 4 years apart, we've had to swap
inlet manifold
cams
variable valve timing gear
rocker covers
bottom engine casings
throttle pot
it's been a lot of work but it was nice to hear it run :)
 
wack61 said:
It Lives
icon_hyper.gif


we managed to get it fired up today and it sounds really quiet, purrs like a cat :D

A few minor problems to sort out, one of the gearbox to oil cooler pipes is leaking and it looks a pig of a job to change as it goes over the top of the gearbox and round the engine to the front of the car.

I really want to change the oil in the gearbox but it scares me to death as another box is £600-£1000 if we get it wrong.

Thanks for that link Northstar100 much appreciated, i've found a XK8 only forum but they want £50 a year membership, without seeing what they have to offer i'm reluctant to spend it.



I have no idea what i'm doing, luckily I know a man who does, I paid £2500 for the car with the box down, then I found the engine was goosed as well, luckily I found a mint engine and box from a 2001 car for £700 so with the tensioner kit and some other bits and bobs i'm up to about £3700 at the moment, I think when i'm done it'll have cost me £4500 and will be worth in the region of £6000 but I won't be selling it.

I've wanted one of these for 10 years , never in a million years did I think £2500 would buy one in any condition, the body and interior are almost perfect.

The advantage of buying a broken one is you're 100% sure of what's been done to it when the engine goes back into the car rather than relying on other peoples yes yes it's been done.

Flash it's not a Jag engine, it's a V8 ford used in the Lincoln in the US
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Saving money is not really what its about is it? You will have so much of you into this car it will feel part of you :):)

I too love these motors. In my early 20s I had a daimler sovereign 4.2 in British Racing Green, wow what a car. The XK8 looks and drives fantastic, I nearly bought one as a few years ago when I saw they were available for £20k. Now they are available for the sort of money you are talking about I will be seriously thinking about it again

stew
 
£700 for an engine and box?? Bleedin' 'ell - I had to price a 1.0 Lite Corsa engine (are you reading this, Matt :LOL:) and the going rate on Fleabay was £700 for that :bonk:
 
this thread takes me back to the days when i stripped down a ex police car
( grandad 4 x 4 ) chipped and place it into a sierra saloon. (omg), you cant beat that first it starts up after all that work and see it running. must admit i have just rebuilt my A4 after a tapping noise occured and i did not get the same buzz. you have my best wishes
 
Flash In The Pan said:
£700 for an engine and box?? Bleedin' 'ell
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when I found out the engine was knackered my heart sank as i'd been looking at £600 just for the gearbox, the engines make £1200+

Then I saw one on ebay with bids up to about £150 and a reserve so I rang the guy and asked him what he wanted for it, i'm looking for £400 :eek: right i'll have it, is the box with it, yes £300 i'll have that too, so I rented a van and set off too Hungerford.

When I got there I was expecting a breakers yard but it was a garage, they'd sold a 2001 XJ8 to a german guy 3 years ago, he'd had it a week then took it to germany but crashed it in france.

The XJ8 was in a right state, it'd been recovered by a french company and taken to their depot, they didn't have the keys and the alsrm kept going off so they crow bared every door and the bootlid looking for the battery, it was a right mess, to cap it all the german guy hadn't told his insurance company he was taking it out of the country so they refused the claim. it'd sat in their garage for 3 years while they sorted it out.

when I went down to collect it he'd took all the ancillaries off so I gave him another £100 for the A/c pump/ alternator/starter and a couple of other bits. he said he'd had an offer of £800 for the engine from a guy in spain, they he laughed and said there's no chance of him turning up is there, I just agreed and drove off quickly before he changed his mind :LOL:
 
Sounds like you have got a really cheap car there, as you probably know the tensioners are the big problem with the V8 upto 2002. The water pumps should be replaced as a service item as they can break up as the impeller is made of plastic, Jag do a modified version, also the thermostat should be replaced too. The only other problem with the earlier V8's is the Nikasil coated cylinders but they did away with that in 2000 so you should be OK with the 2001 engine.

Here's another free Jag forum http://www.jaguarforum.co.uk/.
 
wack61 said:
when I found out the engine was knackered my heart sank as i'd been looking at £600 just for the gearbox, the engines make £1200+

Then I saw one on ebay with bids up to about £150 and a reserve so I rang the guy and asked him what he wanted for it, i'm looking for £400 :eek: right i'll have it, is the box with it, yes £300 i'll have that too, so I rented a van and set off too Hungerford.

When I got there I was expecting a breakers yard but it was a garage, they'd sold a 2001 XJ8 to a german guy 3 years ago, he'd had it a week then took it to germany but crashed it in france.

The XJ8 was in a right state, it'd been recovered by a french company and taken to their depot, they didn't have the keys and the alsrm kept going off so they crow bared every door and the bootlid looking for the battery, it was a right mess, to cap it all the german guy hadn't told his insurance company he was taking it out of the country so they refused the claim. it'd sat in their garage for 3 years while they sorted it out.

when I went down to collect it he'd took all the ancillaries off so I gave him another £100 for the A/c pump/ alternator/starter and a couple of other bits. he said he'd had an offer of £800 for the engine from a guy in spain, they he laughed and said there's no chance of him turning up is there, I just agreed and drove off quickly before he changed his mind :LOL:
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Looks like you've won a watch then (y)

Might have been worth picking up a few other odds and sods from them too, like electrical bits, being a Jag and all that :LOL:
 
Northstar100 said:
Sounds like you have got a really cheap car there, as you probably know the tensioners are the big problem with the V8 upto 2002. The water pumps should be replaced as a service item as they can break up as the impeller is made of plastic, Jag do a modified version, also the thermostat should be replaced too. The only other problem with the earlier V8's is the Nikasil coated cylinders but they did away with that in 2000 so you should be OK with the 2001 engine.

Here's another free Jag forum http://www.jaguarforum.co.uk/.
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Thanks for the link

I've done the water pump and thermostat housing as well.
the 1997 engine that came out had had the block replaced with a new steel lined one prior to the last owner and is mint so i'll be looking to sell that if you know anyone that's looking to sort out an early engine with nikasil problems.

I have a ton of other bits too
Block
Pistons
Cylinder heads ( will require skimming and valve seats sorting)
Inlet manifold and injectors
Throttle body
2001 cams and VVT gears
alloy upper tensioners
gearbox (spares only)
2001 XJ8 engine bay wiring loom
2001 XJ8 ECU
2001 XJ8 gearbox ECU

Flash In The Pan said:
Might have been worth picking up a few other odds and sods from them too, like electrical bits, being a Jag and all that :LOL:
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There's a breakers in manchester for stuff like that, my garage has enough crap in it already:D
 
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things have taken a turn for the worse, it's started firing on 7 cylinders and after doing a compression test it's 90psi on no 1 cylinder and 150psi on the others , there's a possibility it could just be a stuck piston ring as the engine has stood for so long but we won't know if it is until tomorrow, we've poured releasing oil into the cylinder and left it to soak in for 2 days in the hope it'll release it, if not it's cylinder head off :(
 
Ooh, chin up, you'll get there - are you going to post a photo of the "finished" Jag once up and running nicely. Hope you don't have to lift the head off (y)
 
wack61 said:
things have taken a turn for the worse, it's started firing on 7 cylinders and after doing a compression test it's 90psi on no 1 cylinder and 150psi on the others , there's a possibility it could just be a stuck piston ring as the engine has stood for so long but we won't know if it is until tomorrow, we've poured releasing oil into the cylinder and left it to soak in for 2 days in the hope it'll release it, if not it's cylinder head off :(
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fingers crossed mate , hope its nothing major
 
wack61 said:
things have taken a turn for the worse, it's started firing on 7 cylinders and after doing a compression test it's 90psi on no 1 cylinder and 150psi on the others , there's a possibility it could just be a stuck piston ring as the engine has stood for so long but we won't know if it is until tomorrow, we've poured releasing oil into the cylinder and left it to soak in for 2 days in the hope it'll release it, if not it's cylinder head off :(
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Fingers crossed the releasing oil does the trick. A bit of a bummer, I know,but even if you do have to spend a wee bit on it, it's still a very cheap engine ;)
 
I think the problem is my mate is out of his depth and doesn't like to be beaten, we've compression tested all the cylinders now and the one we thought was down turns out to be OK.

The problem is the car is only firing on 4 now, i've asked on a couple of forums and the general opinion is it's in engine management mode due to a sensor issue, if the ECU thinks the engine is overheating it stops the fuel flow to 4 of the 8 cylinders allowing cool air to enter the chambers and thus cool the engine.

very clever but bloody annoying as the temp guage sits smack in the middle even after being left ticking over for an hour.

I think it needs to go to a specialist as it's an engine management issue not an mechanical issue , he's got somebody coming tomorrow with a £3000 code reader and ECU setup computer so hopefully this will sort it.

I don't want to fall out with him but if it hadn't been for me insisting on a compression check of all 8 cylinders the engine would be in bits by now, I just think he's reached the limit of his experience with ECUs :(
 
That's a seriously nice ride for £4.5k, sounds like great fun doing all that work as well lol.
 
Whenever I swap engines from car to car I try and make sure the sensors for the car stay with the car and swap them over from the old engine to the new. This way any incompatibility issues shouldn't be a problem.
 
Just a thought, but did you use the ECU that came with the engine or the one from your car? If it's the engine's one and it's been lying that long it could be something as daft as just needing the pins given a good clean.
 
it's still on the old ECU but I may have found the problem, i've been in contact with a jag technician in the US who has just told me the flywheels are different and they affect engine timing, it's obviously not enough to stop the car running but is enough to stop it running correctly.

I've just told him that the box has to come out, to say he's not happy would be an understatement.

He has the confidence to tackle anything but I think this has been a jag too far
 
Nice motor the XK8, I was looking around Autotrader recently & happened to come across a few, they sell suprisingly cheap for such a nice car - I guess running/servicing costs are a bit steep?

simon
 
I'd clean the electrical connections first -our local Peugeot dealer told a customer he needed a new engine as he'd bent a conrod when the car sucked in water going through a flood - cost £2500.

Actually what had happened was water had got into the connector where it plugs into the ecu. A wee clean of the contacts... £2500 saved ;)
 
It lives :woot:

we spent all day dropping the gearbox to get at the starter ring gear so we could swap it, 5pm and it was turn the key time, fingers crossed then Vrooommmm

perfect, sounds fantastic and no faults on the scanner, hopefully monday it'll be on the road.

I can put the can of petrol and the burning rag away now :D
 
wack61 said:
It lives :woot:

we spent all day dropping the gearbox to get at the starter ring gear so we could swap it, 5pm and it was turn the key time, fingers crossed then Vrooommmm

perfect, sounds fantastic and no faults on the scanner, hopefully monday it'll be on the road.

I can put the can of petrol and the burning rag away now :D
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Excellent news!!

Would be great to see some pictures of the 'Cat' once finished.

(y)
 
Dalton said:
Excellent news!!

Would be great to see some pictures of the 'Cat' once finished.

(y)
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I'll be taking plenty don't worry :D

we haven't tested the gearbox yet so there's still time for Vroommm Clunk :LOL:
 
Amazed at your perseverence. Once changed a starter motor on an 'S' type. Half a day!
Great machine and hope it works out OK for you. :)
 
mercedes said:
Amazed at your perseverence. Once changed a starter motor on an 'S' type. Half a day!
Great machine and hope it works out OK for you. :)
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same on the XK8, engine mount off and jack the engine up to get at the rear bolt :bonk:
 
Hi Wack,

I remember you saying you where getting one. Well done for all the hard work and I wish you well for the test! Do let us know how it goes.

I had almost decided on an XK8 convertible for the Wife, having toyed with that or a DB7. Went to see one in a garage 2006 model I think and then realised it was pointless. The seat in the back, would just about have taken my Border Collie! No room for our Daughter!

Started looking at the Bentley Continental Coupe which sell for incredibly prices at about 3 - 5 years old. Most have low mileage and they have loads of room. Then the plan changed and we are now looking for a villa in Spain! So the replacement car will have to wait!

Best regards

Chris
 
The guy working on the car with me knows someone who has a Bentley Continental, he says 6mpg gets a bit wearing after a while.

beautiful cars though, I pulled into a petrol station as a guy was filling one up, there was a car in front of me, he walked in and paid, I filled up, 70 litres, walked in and paid got back in the car and he was still filling it up :D
 
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