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Where can I find a valve cover gasket set for a 1998 XJ8?
Where do you get parts for your older model cars? I'm starting to have compression problems and need to change this out. My mechanic hasn't been able to find this gasket set through any of his normal outlets.
Where do you get parts for your older model cars? ......
Welcome to the forum Lisa Lou,
Check the forum Sponsors and Vendors - see their links down the right hand column on the screen.
Please follow this link New Member Area - Intro a MUST - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum to the New Member Area - Intro a MUST forum and post some info about yourself and your vehicle for all members to see. In return you'll get a proper welcome and some useful advice about posting to the forum.
I love this old car and want to keep it, although with 200,000 plus miles on it, it's making it hard. It's such a classic looking car and we've toured so much of the US in it.
Here's a picture of it and my husband that I took in La Veta, Colorado back in 2009. We were on our way home. We had a mule riding accident (tack faliure) up in the Owyhee Mountains in Idaho and my husband ended up with 7 broken ribs and a punctured lung.....and this was on the way home to Louisiana.
I'll look to the sponsors first. I produced a local television show and I know the value of sponsors. Yesterday when I was told they couldn't find the parts I found this forum and asked. You guys have been amazing!
I love this old car. Here's a picture of my husband and I with it in 2009. We were on the Pacific coast up in Washington State. A lot of good memories have been made with this car. (Mind you, we live over 2000 miles from there in Louisiana.)
Originally Posted by Grant Francis
Firstly welcome to the Forum.
I always sugest the Parts Sponsors that support this site, and they are in the USA.
SNG Barratt, Terrys Jags, CoventryWest, etc come to mind quickly.
Thank you for pointing out where the sponsors and vendors could be found. I had not seen the list and I'd like to support them.
I deliberately did not introduce myself because there are not enough hours in the day for me right now. I'm in the thick of things, probably 80% through writing a novel, and that means that I "live" in that world for a minimum of sixteen hours a day. It's a post-apocalyptic survival novel with a romantic vein tentatively named "Super Flare: The Fortunate Ones." In the early days of the novel I had a character with a Jaguar....the only named make of car....but sadly I had to kill it. (The car, not the driver.) #breaksmyheart Once the manuscript is with my editor I will introduce myself. You all have been wonderful and so very helpful. I truly appreciate it.
Originally Posted by GGG
Welcome to the forum Lisa Lou,
Check the forum Sponsors and Vendors - see their links down the right hand column on the screen.
Please follow this link New Member Area - Intro a MUST - Jaguar Forums - Jaguar Enthusiasts Forum to the New Member Area - Intro a MUST forum and post some info about yourself and your vehicle for all members to see. In return you'll get a proper welcome and some useful advice about posting to the forum.
The AJ26 engines need the ORANGE and GREY cam cover gaskets. The later 'Black' gaskets for the AJ27 and AJ28 listed in aftermarket catalogues will not seal correctly.
I have never seen them offered by an aftermarket company as they usually sell them (the Black colored gaskets) for BOTH Jaguar and Lincoln/Ford 3.9 engines.
I guess you could?? find some later (2000-2002) Supercharged engine cam covers (without the VVT actuator holes) to replace the earlier ones and THEN you could use the later 'Black' gaskets.
I have never tried this but I suppose it would work.
The AJ26 engines need the ORANGE and GREY cam cover gaskets. The later 'Black' gaskets for the AJ27 and AJ28 listed in aftermarket catalogues will not seal correctly.
I have never seen them offered by an aftermarket company as they usually sell them (the Black colored gaskets) for BOTH Jaguar and Lincoln/Ford 3.9 engines.
I guess you could?? find some later (2000-2002) Supercharged engine cam covers (without the VVT actuator holes) to replace the earlier ones and THEN you could use the later 'Black' gaskets.
I have never tried this but I suppose it would work.
The kit that Coventry West has listed IS CORRECT for a 1998 XJ8. You can see that the kit has the orange and grey gaskets/seals.
The only way to use the LATER black colored gaskets would be to use the cam covers from a later car WITHOUT the VVT actuator holes. These covers were used on Supercharged 4.0 engines (2000 to 2003).
If you're having "compression problems" you may well be in need of much more than a mere valve cover gasket set. As a 1998, your car has the V8 engine and will, no doubt, have the Nikasil cylinder coatings that caused so much trouble in these engines. Sorry to seem to be the Voice of Doom, but it would help if you could get your mechanic to supply the cylinder pressures for each of the 8 cylinders. Jaguar made a major error, (as BMW did before them), of believing the High Priests of Engineering who told them to save all the money putting in steel cylinder liners and just use the Nikasil process that was a lot cheaper. As a result, Jaguar had to replace many hundreds of engines under warranty at the time, but a bit too late for yourself, I'm afraid.
If your car is "cherished", then you may have to consider getting another later production engine that has steel cylinder liners. There shouldn't be too much of a problem finding one and swapping it into your car. I'm assuming the rest of the car is fit for a few more years yet. Of course you could consider buying one of the aluminium-bodied cars built from 2003, (like mine), and getting a car good for 200k miles minimum.
Oh, Fraser, I wish you were wrong, but you're reiterating what I was told yesterday. The car is terminal. They just don't make them like this anymore. Thank you for replying.
Originally Posted by Fraser Mitchell
Hi, Lisa Lou from the Old Country !
If you're having "compression problems" you may well be in need of much more than a mere valve cover gasket set. As a 1998, your car has the V8 engine and will, no doubt, have the Nikasil cylinder coatings that caused so much trouble in these engines. Sorry to seem to be the Voice of Doom, but it would help if you could get your mechanic to supply the cylinder pressures for each of the 8 cylinders. Jaguar made a major error, (as BMW did before them), of believing the High Priests of Engineering who told them to save all the money putting in steel cylinder liners and just use the Nikasil process that was a lot cheaper. As a result, Jaguar had to replace many hundreds of engines under warranty at the time, but a bit too late for yourself, I'm afraid.
If your car is "cherished", then you may have to consider getting another later production engine that has steel cylinder liners. There shouldn't be too much of a problem finding one and swapping it into your car. I'm assuming the rest of the car is fit for a few more years yet. Of course you could consider buying one of the aluminium-bodied cars built from 2003, (like mine), and getting a car good for 200k miles minimum.
I am attaching a link on Nikasil that might help understand the situation. Before you give up hope on the car I would recommend when changing your oil use 10w30 and add a can of Restore and see how your car responds. Many on this forum have used it with positive results.
I am attaching a link on Nikasil that might help understand the situation. Before you give up hope on the car I would recommend when changing your oil use 10w30 and add a can of Restore and see how your car responds. Many on this forum have used it with positive results.
Hehehehe, I'll disagree with this....I am my husband's fifth wife and we have a great marriage (11 years and counting.) lol A friend of my husband's reminded him of this when he told him he was getting married yet again. We joke about this from time to time.
Originally Posted by Gus
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.-Albert Einstein
Go have a look at the XJ that came after yours, the all-aluminium saloon of 2003. It had the later 4.2 litre V8 which is pretty much bullet-proof. I don't claim these cars are fault-free but are pretty good and lots around at decent prices from about 2004 in the US when they first went on sale. It's the same style too !
PS
Have a look around the X350/X358 forum 2004-2009 and you'll find a stickie on what to look for.
Last edited by Fraser Mitchell; Jan 23, 2016 at 03:29 PM.
Where can I find a valve cover gasket set for a 1998 XJ8?
