Well,
for those of you that know me by Softball60, Vee helped me solve my Engine misfire code, Engine light problem......Sleepy O2 Sensor. Replaced and issue resolved.

NOW ON TO MY NEXT PROJECT.

I figure it would cost me at least $2K-$3K to have someone do it...I've got the money .....but that isn't the point....Pride of doing it yourself...Besides a few years back I had to repair my Merc 560SL because some mechanic screwed it up

I have lots of experience as my hobby has always been English Sports Cars.

I have rebuilt several engines, done a frame off restoration on a 1954 healy...1970!!
bought it for a $100 and took me 4 yrs. with most of it in my basement. Made a whole lot of money!!!!!!!!!!

Just bought a 10ton hydraulic press and a new impact wrench. Should have most everything else

I've got 94K miles and the soft suspension and wandering is beginning to show.

I want to redo all of the bushings (Front and Rear) and ball Joints on my XJS, wheel bearings, etc.

Stared already with installing the front shocks.

I plan on doing everything myself, my age is a little against me as I'm 71yrs. old Nov. 2) I absolutely refuse to let a shop touch my vehicle.

So, here's where you come in!!!!!!!!

I've looked at our (DIY) area and I see nothing...Could be I am not computer literate.
If there is something there, please point me in the right direction.

I don't have a repair manual....Do I really need one?

Does anyone have a step by step procedure on how to do it and what to do first, second, third, etc....You get the idea.

If there isn't a step by step procedure, could you recommend a repair manual, (could be a download manual) that can walk me through the process step by step.

I got underneath this morning and started looking. Interesting Upper Control..looks to be two (2)pcs. also noticed that the Front springs look like they can be removed by unbolting the bottom plates...looks like I would need to use the hydraulic jack to support (Little Nervous!!) while I am removing.

These are the kind of tidbits I am hoping you can help me out with!!!

As always this is a Great Forum with some pretty smart people!!!!!!

Thanks for your help

Softball60/Paul

Too Many to list all:
1957 XK 140 Drophead Coupe
Corvettes dating back to 1957
1989 Merc 560SL
Lots of Fiat 124 Spyders
1954 Austin Healy 100-4
Several Volvo's
Every British Car known to mankind (Almost)

 

Paul,

Good luck with your next project. I'd really suggest that you should buy the Parts & Service Manual DVD. It's more practical and much cheaper than the bulky four paper manuals. To my mind, it's the absolute no.1 mandatory purchase if you're just going to run an XJS, even if you don't do extensive maintenance work. I always say to club members, don't even think about running an XJS if you haven't got the manual.

Annoyingly, there seems to be some ongoing issue between Jaguar and the DVD suppliers at present , so you'll need to look on ebay or similar. You might find that your Jaguar Dealer still has some stock at about $25. The best one for you is the 4 litre one, part number JHM1143. However, for a lot of the work, the general facelift 91 onwards, part number JHM1127 will do fine.

As regards the front springs, there have been myriad opinions (& horror stories) about dismantling them. There is a huge amount of stored energy in that spring. Personally I wouldn't even consider doing it without the proper tool. Although others have used threaded studs etc, it's not a route I'd consider at all.

As I said, good luck with it. A re-bushed front end will transform the ride quality of an XJS.

Cheers

Paul

 

Softball, Good for you deciding to get stuck in yourself. This is the basic procedure for the front, but please ask repost or even PM me if there is more detail or photos you need at any stage. I am not clear if you have a 6 or 12 cylinder car, the below is in the context of a 12, but the procedure is the same. If you have a 6 cylinder car, the bottom wishbone MAY, repeat MAY be able to be changed without swinging down the subframe and therefore not need to have the engine beam to support the engine, someone will be able to tell us for sure. Anyway, here is the basic procedure:

• The engine of a V12 has to be supported as it rests on the subframe and that subframe has to be swung down to change the bottom wishbone bushes. You need an engine beam which rests in the wing gutters each side, and has two chains hanging down on threaded adjusters. Shackle the chains to the front engine lifting eyes and just take the weight.
• Undo the engine mount to engine bracket nut (9/16ths I think). This is very hard to get at, and a short ratchet spanner is the ideal tool. Remove the air filter box covers to get access.
• The front of the cat has to be in the air or on a lift at this point. If jacked up, the supports must be under the jacking points, not on the subframe, and VERY secure.
• Remove the front wheels.
• Undo shock absorbers and remove.
• Undo brake calipers from the uprights and tie them up to the body somehow so you do not have to bleed the brakes on reassembly (unless you are going to change them or renew the flexibles).
• Undo the steering rack to column pinch bolt and pull the column off the rack splines. It only fits one way when replacing with a cutout for the securing bolt on the splines.
• The front road springs have to be removed, so you need the special tool, and also the correct UNF threaded rod to guide the spring pans into place when you refit them. A search on this will bring loads of help, Daim has recently posted on this subject
• Then loosen but do not remove the huge bolt that goes through the front subframe bushes each side. The subframe will pivot downwards on these.
• Before pivoting the subframe downwards, it is probably easiest the change the top wishbone bushes. Also, sensible to change the top and bottom balljoints while doing all this work. Use only Lemforder balljoints, these are OEM, and far more durable than any aftermarket ones I have used. The top balljoint just unbolts, but NOTE WHERE the SHIMS are, and which side and where the BOLTHEADS are, as these control the caster and the bolt head will foul something (wheels or caliper, forgotten) if inserted wrongly.
• The top bushes are easily changed as the wishbones are in two pieces and they just unbolt from their pivot. If the special chrome washers are pitted and rusty, replace them as well as the bushes. Use OEM bushes, not poly ones, say I.
• Now to the hard part: The bottom wishbone cannot be removed unless the subframe is swung down, as the pin that is its fulcrum cannot be withdrawn until it is. To swing down the subframe, support it will a jack, then undo the two rear nuts (one each side) that hold the subframe to the chassis rail. Then lever the subframe downwards, carefully releasing the jack an couple of inches at a time, pivoting it on the front bolts that you have already loosened.
• As soon as the frame is low enough for the bottom wishbone pivot bolts to clear the sump, that is far enough.
• Undo the FRONT large castellated fixing nut on the wishbone fulcrum pin. The rear nut is NOT meant to be moved at all.
• The with a FBH drive out the pin rearwards. This can be very hard work, and even impossible. If it will not budge, do not despair. Post again at this point and various methods will be suggested, the most drastic of which is cutting the pin between the inside-side of the arm and the subframe with an electric hacksaw. This releases the wishbone and then you have to use a drift to drive out the pin from the tube in the subframe it goes through. And you will need a new pin, these are available, not expensive, and dome complete with new special washers and nut.
• The bushes may well have to be burned out of the wishbone too.
• ALWAYS use ONLY metallastic brand OEM bushes. Anything else just gives up on 5000 miles of hard use. Guess how I know!
• Finally, change the steering rack bushes if they are soft and need it. I recommend JaguarSport rack bushes, if not already fitted. They are still available and really much better than the standard ones, even if expensive, You need one each side, the third bush can be normal OEM.
• Personally, doing all this work, while you are in there, I would change the steering arm balljoints too, and carefully check and adjust the wheelbearings, replacing them if there is any suggestion of their not being perfect.
• You might want to remove the hubs and check the stub axles for wear where the inner ball race sits on the stub. If your finger nail catches on a wear ridge, replace the stub axles.
• There is an earth strap that goes from the engine to the subframe to the LHS chassis rail. As the subframe is swung down you can get access to its fixing bolts. Clean up all the earth points to bare metal and grease them to protect. Adding an extra earth from the alternator bracket to the chassis rail is a VERY good idea too (the Great XJS Prophet Grant Francis told me to do this).

All this work is quite easy to do (apart from the lower wishbone removal !) once everything is apart and therefore all the access problems are solved. Even though it seems a long list the time to actually change the bits is very quick indeed.


Finally, if the rear subframe mountings are shot, (the ones you undid the bolts on the release the subframe) they just unbolt. and replacing them with new ones is dead easy, and cannot be done unless the subframe is swung down, so I would do that too.


Putting it all back is the reverse of the above! But do mot tighten up the bottom wishbone pin until the weight of the car is back onto the wheels, or the bushes will tear in no time.


After this, the rear is much simpler!
Good luck
Greg

 

Paul/Greg,

Thanks for the input.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think the 96 XJS only came w/Twin OH Cam 6 CYL.

If I have to pull the sub-frame..Then, I may reconsider.

I hope that I do Not!!!!

I will order the DVD today and this may shed some additional light on the matter.

Greg, the procedure that you listed will be very helpful!!

As always Thanks for the input.

Softball60/Paul

 

Greg,

That's a great write-up of the procedure! Really clear, and good advice on the replacement parts. The only suggestion I would make is that poly bushes on the steering rack are a very good alternative. I put those on my rack 12 years ago and they're still good. But absolutely agree about OEM on the wishbones.

Paul,

The V12 was available for 96 but the US didn't take it for some reason, so, as you know you have the 4 litre. When my 4 litre front end was done a few years ago, we also did the bottom bushes but I don't remember needing to drop the subframe down. I MIGHT be mis-remembering this, but I THINK we drifted out the pins without needing to support the engine and loosening the subframe. If no-one else is able to confirm this, a quick call to one of the UK specialists will verify. I can give you the number of the friend of mine who runs a specialist place where mine was done.

Good luck & Please be careful with those springs!

Paul

 

Paul,
The only reason the subframe of the V12 has to be swung down is that the sump is such a pancake shape that the pins when drifted out hit the sump well before they are clear. On a 6 cylinder car, if the sump is narrower, then there is probably no problem. I would like to know though, from someone who has actually done it.
Greg

 

Thanks again to the both of you.

At least I now know that they did build a V-12 for 96my....Just not for the USA!!

Paul,
If you find out let me know!

The top of the Control Arm looks...Not too bad to remove.

My concern with the bottom is that I don't have any special tools if I have to remove the spring. There looks to be a plate on the front spring housing that holds the spring in place. I was thinking that I could use a hydraulic jack to put pressure on the spring, remove the bolts then very cautiously release the pressure on the jack and let the spring housing lower down until all of the built up spring tension is released.

Did not purchase the CD yet because I was trying to get a response from the company on whether it rely has step by step procedure repairs!!

Will keep all informed.

Softball60/Paul

 

Well I purchased a CD on line for the 1996 XJS.

What a piece of trash. They promised step by step repair. No such thing.

It was from Tradebit.com. I have sent a couple of emails requesting either a proper CD with the information (willing to pay more if its really what I requested) or my money back.

If anyone is familiar with the old Haynes Manuals (I completely rebuilt my first 327 cu in Corvette engine back in 1973). This is the kind of information I am looking to receive....Not some stinking cd that shows 1 page devoted to the Suspension with no real how to repair information although it is quoted as a complete workshop manual w/step by step instructions on how to repair.

If anyone knows what exactly I should purchase to do what I need, I would appreciate your input.

I can just go ahead and start the project but I am sure there is something that will help to make more easy for me. I would prefer not making lots of mistakes especially when dealing w/springs etc.

Thanks

Softball60/Paul

 

Paul,

You really need to buy the proper Jaguar Parts & Service Manual CDRoM, either part number as I mentioned earlier. Usually a few examples on ebay, or copies depending on your attitude to software copies.

Also, you really mustn't try and just jack the spring pan and undo the bolts!! You have to do the front springs properly or don't go near them at all.

Cheers

PAul