Normally, I don't post twice a week about the workshop. But I think you want to see this.
In the shop a Jag MKII with engine problems: overheating, low oil pressure and some rattles. Time to take the engine out an assess what's causing this. What we found, only after lifting off the cylinder head, is not for the faint-hearted...
Pics tell all, I suppose... The 'cradle' that houses both camshaft sprockets is snapped off!! Never seen that before. The part is totally gone. It's not the first time the engine is out; the head is already skimmed. So... was the engine put back together with the duff cradle or is it the cause of the rattles and low oil pressure (swarf inside the oil pump).
Then... the overheating. Well, most waterways are 2/3 blocked. Some are even blocked completely. Even with all hoses off, the water is still visible from the top.
Last edited by thieuster; 22nd September 2018 at 13:54.
Looking forward to the photos.
Way back when I were a spotty youth, I used to visit clients' to fix IT software - None of this remote diagnostic, automatic upgrade rubbish back then
One client always had a couple of XJ6s in the car park and at least one XJ engine in the warehouse - They were so big that for a number of visits I assumed it was a V12!
M
amazing that it ran at all, has it had a very recent rebuild or did you clean up the pistons?
I've rebuilt a few XK engines many years ago and from memory those front bracket slots or loops do no more than hold the cam sprockets roughly in place whilst the head is fitted or removed. When the head is refitted the sprockets are then bolted to the camshafts and shouldn't be in contact with the bracket. Any damage would arise if the missing portion came adrift inside the engine, if it was rebuilt like that whilst not good practice it shouldn't cause any damage. Unless my memory's completely shot which is a distinct possibility of course!
Low oil pressure is typical of tired XK engines and will be costly if everything needs doing, pistons, rings, rebore, shells, oil pump etc.
I take it the remnants from the cradle weren't there when you stripped it down?
As you say, it would be interesting to know whether it was like that when the engine was reassembled after the rebuild, as it's not the sort of thing you could miss!
How available are the necessary parts to rectify?
Did well to get the head off Menno.
Spot on!Originally Posted by Thewatchbloke
The point here is what has happened with the top part of the slot! And, if the low pressure is caused by the swarf as well.
The engine is taken apart. Sort of an interesting journey... as said the coolant channels in the block are scaled. Same goes (obviously) for the head. The crank is in good nick. Which is a wonder, given the fact that the wrong bearings were used! They appear to be too small!!!
The oil pump is an odd one: somehow bodged together. The internals (rotor assembly) look familiar/normal but one of the feed pipes is something we've never seen...
Given the fact that the engine has been 'done' at least one time and that the cradle's part that's missing is no where to be found inside the engine it's safe to assume that a previous owner has thrown in various parts, or that he's been fooled by an engine builder who has done a bad job. The current owner has never ordered work to be done on the engine, so it must have happened in a previous life.
Next week, the engine parts are to be shipped to a more or less local engine builder. The first time one of the workshop's engines is going to that company. There were some discussions with the company that normally does (or should I write 'did'...) the workshop's engines. Their latest rebuild took ages and the result was under par. Normally, the cylinder head is returned fully assembled, no problems. But on this one, the camshafts (intake, outlet) were switched... Believe it or not: it took some convincing phone calls before they sent over a guy to rectify it for free... Their idea was sending the guy and followed by a bill for the job and that we would charge the customer for it (included in the grand total of the rebuild-bill!!!). Time to say goodbye and move on.
image sharing
Old Jaguar engines are like a box of chocolates ......................... you don't know what you're going to git till you open them up! I've had a few bad "tastes" in my time!!!!
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