First of all thanks again to all those with comments and guidance on my gas tank cleaning project. A quick up date.
The cleaning process went very well along with the Eastwood Gas Tank Sealing Kit. Money well spent, highly recommended. The only lesson learned aside from the directions would be to be a bit more aggressive with the Muratic aid wash of the inside of the tank. Don't cut it so much with water. It's not like you are letting it sit in there forever. The tank is much cleaner but I feel like there is more that could have been gotten out with a stronger mixture. Second, the gas tank sealant provide by the Eastwood Kit should maybe be warmed up to have a runnier consistency to assist with coating the inside of the tanks. The sealant is thick (and very smelly) and the main tank has baffles in it to limit fuel sloshing so you ideally want to get the sealant on as many surfaces as possible.

Right now everything is cleaned, painted and prep'd for gas tank re-installation which I intend to complete next weekend. Assuming everything goes in reasonably easy I should have a running kitty kat again fairly shortly. I intend to put some dish washing liquid soap on the foam pieces to help the unit slide back in easily.

Now for the really good news. I was somewhat despondent about getting a new headliner board. After having no luck with any sources in the states I reluctantly was resigned to getting one from England and paying the $350+ for shipping. However yesterday morning I went to a local Pick A Part junk yard looking for a part for my Mustang and as I was finishing up I looked around and there 3 rows away was a '89 XJS couple. A quick inspection showed that an engine fire was the cause of the demise of this car however the interior was in pretty good shape AND the headliner is in great shape. I am going down to get the headliner tomorrow AM. The only difference I can see is that the '89 has the automatic shoulder belts tracks but I don't think that will affect the fit for my '87. Sometimes its better to be lucky than good.

Assuming the gas tank install and new headliner all go smoothly all that will be left will be an oil and filter change, new radiator fluid, and brake fluid bleed and re-fill, and a fresh coat of wax. Gunmetal grey with a hint of metal flake (one re-paint), tinted windows, burgundy leather and elm wood interior with biscuit headliner, Dayton wire spoke wheels w/ 60 series tires, 2 cats and both resonators removed for better breathing and this Cat will soon be the jungle king once again.

 

Well done Brad

Great Stuff!

 

Thanks,
One quick question. What is the purpose of the sump tank? US cars don't have them. I cleaned and sealed the sump tank well of course. There is a little filter that fits over the pickup pipe. I cleaned it by soaking it in vinegar and it seemed to do pretty well. When I go down to get the headliner tomorrow I plan on pulling the sump tank filter for a spare. The filter material appears to be a very fine mesh.

 

trying not to get ahead of myself here but in the future I am considering four modifications to the car. I would appreciate comments or advice, especially from those who may have done some or all of these to their cars.

1. Some sort of cold air induction to the air intakes. Underhood/bonnet heat is very high, cooler air should improve all around performance including gas mileage.

2. Aftermarket electric fan to replace belt drive fan.

3. Removal of air rail system. Was simply an emissions thing and should clean up the top of the engine. Less clutter.

4. Replace Harrison A/C unit with a more efficient model

Last, although I'll never do it. 70's era Pontiac Trans Am side fender vents to cool the engine compartment would look good on these cars.

 

Sounds like a superb job on the tank. In fact, by the by, all pre-facelift cars have a sump tank, regardless of engine type. Facelift cars do not have them AFAIK, as they have in-tank pumps which do not suffer from starvation on corners. You might consider renewing all the many flexible fuel pipes serving the tanks, as they can be a source of fuel smells, even when apparently fine. What will you stand the tank on? The old foam stuff is best discarded, a sheet of neoprene 4 or 5 mm thick will work OK.
The sump tank is to ensure that when you hit an nice long curve and really pile on the cornering forces, and fuel in that half/quarter full flat wide main tank centrifuges outwards from the outlet, the fuel pump still has a fuel supply.
I would replace the sump tank filter with a new one, the nylon material seems to swell after a while and even when clean, can restrict pump feed.
Greg

 

1 to 4 well worth the effort of doing. Removing the air pump cleans the engine up a great deal, the holes into the engine through the inlet manifold need to be sealed (most guys tap them and use a short screw). You will also need the idler pulley and bracket that replaced the airpump pulley on non-airpumped engines. All UK and most other markets had this idler setup, so they are easily found. Cold air to the intakes also a big improvement in throttle response and power delivery. When you start that, post again, as there are a few ways of doing it.
Electric fan also great idea, but controlling reliably it needs thought. Also worth a separate post when the time comes. If you do go electric, a 115 amp alternator is pretty important, if your car does not have one OEM. My Harrison was replaced with a Sanden (as used on all later XJSs and other Jaguar models, smaller, lighter, more efficient, easier to change the plugs on A 1 and B1.

AS far as louvres are concerned, I too always fancied some. As a preparation, over this last summer, I did quite a bit of measurement and testing on under hood temps and the effect of bonnet air outlets. Short answer, they make naff-all difference, even 10 inch square holes in the hood! What I found was that reducing the height of the cross-radiator panel's vertical face to allow far more airflow into the engine bay, allied to replacing the hood liner with 4mm thick modern neoprene and aluminium heat shielding worked brilliantly.
Great fun all this XJS improvement, isn't it!
Greg

 

That makes sense since these cars have such a racing pedigree. Good advice on the filter. Hopefully they are available from a source here in the US. My rubber hoses appear to be in good shape but I'll look at replacing them as well. The rubber mat in my car is in good shape although it had some rust scale from the bottom of the tank that took a bit to get off. I cleaned the outside of the tank with a wire brush and steel wool and then painted it with several coats of Rust-O-Leum black paint. My biggest concern getting the tank back in is making sure the filler neck parts are all connected correctly.

 

Yes, years ago I replaced the hood heat liner with aluminum heat shielding bought at local hardware store. It works great AND looks ultra modern on the car as well. Nice dress up to show the engine with the hood up.

Anything different on the mounting bracket, pulley, or belt for the Sanden A/C compressor?

Maybe the engine heat is not really an issue with the car moving but only becomes a problem when stopped. As I learned very quickly it pays to release the hood latch to allow heat to escape faster when stopped, even for short periods. The most important thing of course is to ensure you have a correctly serviced and filled radiator combined with good air flow over the radiator by cleaning out all leaf and trash debris between the A/C condenser and the radiator. I added Tebfa in-line fluid filters as a little extra touch and to provide a way to check on the "health" of my fluid and any potential scale and debris.

 

None to speak of, you might need to fettle the bracket it sits on. Pulleys etc fine.
100% agree. The only benefit I could measure with bonnet holes was you did not have to raise the bonnet after a hot stop. Raising the bonnet reduced air temps by about 40c ! Bonnet closed they stayed at about 80 for two hours. The loom cooking and the rubber bits cooking is the main thing this protects, and like you, I believe it is a very good idea for their reliability and longevity.
Greg

 

Back from Pick a Part where I went for the headliner.
Good news. Four cars away was a second '89 XJS and the headliner board in that car is in even better shape than the first. In fact I could literally install it directly and it would look great. Its in that good of condition.

Both cars are '89's with the automatic shoulder belt system. Both cars are Biscuit colored interior leather with grey carpet and Elmwood trim. Both headliner boards appear to be in very good shape and not crumbling apart with plenty of rigidity and strength. However both are held in place by retainer tabs that are pop riveted to the body. My '87 does not have these. That headliner board is held in place only with some bendable metal. I did not have a drill with me so getting the headliner board out will have to wait till another day. Hopefully next weekend. The last thing I want to do is get in a hurry and crease or break either board. I am tremendously lucky to have found these .......and not 5 miles from my house.

The royal blue car (the one with the engine fire) has a broken/cracked windshield on the drivers side. I am thinking about removing the windshield and taking the headliner out that way. The second car, Champagne color, has a good windshield. I may try to get the headliner out by the passenger side door or may go thru the windshield as well if I can get a good price on the glass. A nice spare would be a good idea.

I've decided to remove the passenger seat when I go to install the headliner. No sense tempting fate.

Here is something unusual. Both cars have the biscuit interior and headliner
as I mentioned however on both cars the sail panels in the rear seat just in front of the rear window are trimmed in grey. Is this correct? Neither car appears to have been modified. It seems odd to mix the interior colors like that.

No idea what happened to the champagne car. Not wrecked, no engine fire, no vandalism. Interior is in very good condition. Drivers seat would need a new panel due to wear and tear. Rear seats could use some color refreshing but overall are in good shape. Passenger seat is in very good shape. Both have the electric heated seats. Blue car is similar but not quite as good shape overall although the dash panel is not cracked. Door panels are in great shape. Both cars have a complete set of honeycomb wheels including the spare. If I had the room I'd buy the motors just to have them.
Would the chromed door floor sill panels with the Jaguar lettering fit directly onto my '87? They are much better looking than the plastic sills on my year model.

 

As long as the breaker's cars are pre-facelifts the doors will be the same as yours. the window lifts may NOT be the same type. Has your car got identical seats to the two scrappers, or are your seats and the scrapper's seats a different type, yours being a touch wider? Another test, are the column stalks different? If they are, all the panels will be identical throughout the car, all the trim will fit; but some electrical circuits will/may be slightly different (e.g column switches, window lift circuit, aircon unit.)
Greg

 

Both of these are pre-update cars. The only difference in the seat (although I did not measure them) is these are electric. My '87 did not have that feature. Both cars are have identical steering column stalks, gauges, radios, temp control units, door panels, mirrors. Both of these cars have the four headlight setup as well. I thought all cars were using the dual large European style by '89.

Too much work, no space to store and keeping an eye on the budget for me to get all the items off the cars I'd like but if the price is decent I am going to get the windshield as a spare and the dressier style door sills. Maybe a spare Auto Temp Control unit as well.

Once I get the car back together and running well I also hope to have the cruise control working. It never has since I've owned the car but I have all the parts including a replacement bellows and control module with working valve actuators. If not I'll try to replace at some point with a later model version.

 

Hi Brad

Do not leave the Breakers Yard without the ABS Master Cylinder Actuators from preferably all the Cars that you can get your hands on.

You can take the whole thing out in 20 minutes (complete with the pedal)

If or when yours goes wrong then you will no why.

 

Is this a common issue?

My '87 does not have ABS so this is something I will have no personal use for however would be willing to pull it for anyone interested or needing one or more.

I am going to upgrade the door sills with the metal Jaguar embossed versions from one of these cars. They look much better than the plastic pieces on my '87.

 

My Bad Brad I thought you had an 89 but since you don't have ABS no harm in getting hold of a Spare Master Cylinder/Brake Booster just in case the diaphragm goes on yours.

 

Bernie Emden's page has a complete cold aire induction system that is very useful and easy. Unfortunately, you defeat the suspension with those heavy wire wheels that look great but reduce the performance of the suspension system. Too bad y9ou didn't pull the IRS units from the breAKER MACHINES AS THEY TOO ARE VERY USEFULL

 

I don't run my car as a racer so never come close to using the cornering capabilities of the car. The wire spoke wheels weren't noticeably heavier than the Starfish pattern ones I replaced. They are heavier than the honeycomb style aluminum? wheels used in '88 and up models.

The Independent Rear Suspension units are available if someone wants them.

One thing more I noticed on both cars. Both have the two ignition coil setup. I thought the Marelli ignition was used beginning in '88 or '89. I know the cars are not older models because they both have the automatic shoulder belt system first used in '88 and the wood veneer center console "ski slope" along with heated seat controls mounted along the center console. Ideas?

Anyone have suggestions on removing windshields or should I ask the yard to do it? I really want to get the champagne colored car windshield out in perfect shape as a spare.

 

I would be extremely watchful with that Eastwood kit in. I've done a few seals before, and have used to renowned Bill Hirsch kit, and I wouldn't put that crap into anything I cared about. Even something small like a motorcycle tank has a high chance of failure.

When my XJS tank started leaking I did the following:
Purchased 30+ gallon sealer kit
Cleaned and etched the inside of tank and washed it well
cleaned paint off underside of tank
Applied putty to spot welds and anything that looked suspicious
Applied tank liner to the underside of tank, about 5 coats
Repainted bottom of tank and re-installed

If there are any flaws in that stuff at all, it will come up from the inside and peel away as one big piece. No interest in getting that junk in my filters or injectors. The best I have heard is them lasting a few years. Good luck with yours

All the H.E. cars and most likely the PRE-HE cars have dual coils. Dual coils is not the signs of a marelli ignition. I'm not aware of its intricacies but the number 2 you are thinking of is because the marelli is basically two separate ignition systems. Yes it still has 2 coils, but they are running each side of the engine independently. The "regular ole" V12 uses 2 coils because coils sucked back in the day, they are in the same circuit though and the regular dizzy has a normal vacuum advance that the marelli does not have. The separate systems are the cause of issues. One side can fail and the V12 will run smoothly on 6 cylinders, all the while dumping fuel into the cats.

 

I hope you're wrong about the Eastwood Kit. Nothing in my research gave me any hint of such sealant failure. The filters will certainly prevent any material from getting to the injectors if it were to happen. I suppose I could run the tank dry periodically and check the sump tank for any signs of sealant failure.

I replaced the dual coils in my '87 car years ago circa 2003 with a higher capacity single coil. The coils up until about the mid to late 90's were not capable of keeping up with the energy delivery demands of the V12 at high speed hence the need for two to have the necessary capacity. I suppose this may have been the reason for the switch to the Marelli system but as you noted that generated a whole new and catastrophic set of issues to be concerned with.

 

Tanks went back in like a champ. Used a little liquid dishwashing to lubricate the foam side vibration/filler pads. Most difficult thing was the little 90 degree slotted angled piece that helps align the filler neck.

I've decided that both junkyard cars must be '88's, not '89's as they are listed. Neither has the Marelli ignition system. Going back Saturday for the headliners. This time I will have my drill with me to deal with the pop rivets holding the shoulder belt/headliner retainers to the roof frame. Buying both headliners along with the good windshield, the door sills, and one gas tank for the future just in case. A few other odds and ends for spares as well.

Does anyone else have trouble with their drivers side outside mirror vibrating? The screws are as tight as they will go. The passenger side one is fine.

Once the car is re-assembled she is going in for a complete fluids change. Lube job; new oil and filter; new radiator fluid; and new brake fluid with new brake line hoses.

After that I'll try to tackle the last two non-working gremlins later in the spring/summer: the A/C and the cruise control.

Next winter I'll look at converting to dual electric fans, removing the air injection system, installing a polyurethane bushing kit along with new front shocks and adding the "Quick Cat" air intake system to replace the very restrictive original equipment style. If I don't get it all done in one year no big deal.