It appears the battery was replaced in 2005 and is deader than a doornail.
Who is a good source for a BV.11A-like 12V? Just go to Sears, NAPA, or Batteries ONly place? What brand and model? Or ideal dimensions?
NAPA AUTO PARTS
NAPA has all various dimensions. Wide and thin I think is right, like BAT 7534R or 7527F or 75XTD800.

Thanks for all suggestions.

 

Joe,

I've moved this from Jaguar Forums Advice / Feedback & Suggestion Centre to the MKI/MKII section where you should get advice from members with the same model.

This is the section to post your tech questions on the MKII.

Graham

 

I think I'm in the MK2 section now. I bought a Group 27 battery, 108 month warranty, made by Exide, Nascar Extreme version, 27E108.EXI, from a local auto supply. It measures 11.5" wide at the bottom, 12" at the top, X 6.5" deep, by 8" tall. I bought a plastic tray made for the next size down, but 11.375" wide, so I will grind off the lip of the tray at one end and it will be a perfect fit. It's snug, but looks like it belongs there. The strap fits perfectly around it. $114

I have to clean the area under the tray before hooking it up. I have a 5x11" piece of felt to go under the battery, but need a 21" rubber spacer to go around the inside of the strap. The tray is full of holes for mounting, so there's not much point in adding the 24" rubber drain hose.

I also picked up two #1 Gauge battery cables, 12" and 19", each about $17. One had been replaced with a #4 Gauge Belden. The other was #1G original, but the connector broke in half when I tried to remove the holding screw it was so corroded.

I will try to find some time today to figure out the rigmarole for adding photos. (At packardinfo.com you still have a couple steps, but they are right here as a message option.)

 

You are in the right spot Joe.

If you are adding the pics from a hosting site Photobucket etc, copy the direct link from there then click on the yellow square with the mountains above the reply box paste the link hit ok and you're done.
If you are uploading from your computer you need to "go advanced" when replying hit the paper clip icon to add an attachment then locate the file through the browse function in the pop up box and click upload.

 

Preliminaries on battery

 

I use Interstate Batteries in my two Jags, they hold up to storage with a maintainer and have enough reserve power to keep cranking when the darn things don't wanna start.

if you store your car mostly, never driving it, and you like to spend big money, then get the Odyssey Battery sold by Star Auto Electric:

Star Auto Electric Company - Battery Review

 

It's a British system, maybe, or old version? Not sure what that means.

I just spent a half-hour with an old Ace Hardware guy trying to figure out if the nut I removed from the ignition terminal on the firewall, the inner nut that has most likely not been removed before, is either M8-1.25, or 5/16-24. Neither really seemed right. My SAE wrenches don't seem to be right for the car, so I started using my metric set and they worked.

So my question is, as i begin working on the car, Am I needing metric nuts and bolts (something I couldn't find reference for in the parts or service manual so far) or SAE?

This piece of info would sure save me a lot of frustration moving forward. Thank you.

 

Joe, I replied to your question in the new members section but there is some good info here BSW,BS,,AF,BA and metric tool size equivalents.

 

You will find standard tools work in most areas, but British Whitworth is the sizing you need for the 16th and 32nd sizes. Use posi drive screwdirvers only the standard american philips will tear up the British screws. It won't hurt to put another disconnect on the battery to further protect car. The green you had I never liked, I got the black style at Advanced Auto and O'Rielly's.

 

BATTERY RECAP: Replaced battery cables with #1 gauge, battery with Group 27 type, Cleaned brass attachment screws, strap, added rubber (gummed against the strap) between battery and strap, felt under battery. Tossed the disconnect. It was for smaller battery terminals. Everything fits nice and tight. Attachment screws in to the last thread.

First step done in moving toward a start up. Next, checking oil. Removing plugs to clean, turn the motor by hand. Clean fuel line and tank. I'm sure there will be other issues.

Suki got her first look at the 3.8 and soon found a cozy place inside.

 

I would like to convert this thread into a project blog. If that isn't possible, I'll start a new thread with the topic confined to working on this car, before I proceed with the engine start-up.

And, yes, Larry, I have 2 Jaguar switchable screw drivers, the world's best, no matter what car you have. One is from this car and one is from a 1976 XJ6 I owned in the 80s. I had to keep the screwdriver.

 

Whichever you prefer Joe.
I can change the title of this one if you tell me what you want to have

 

Thanks, Norri. That would be perfect, just changing the thread name to 1961 MK2 3.8 Sedan Project. Then I'll just keep going here.

 

When I was a kid my Dad had a beautiful 1966 3.8 Mk2 MOD.

A car with character to spare, and very fast for its time.

Will be watching your progress with interest!

 

Thanks, M. I'm looking forward, too, but right now the only fast aspect is fast drying nail polish, actually Revlon "Top Speed." "After Party" is the name of the aquamarine color, just to save you the 20 minutes browsing hundreds of nail polish colors on display to find the right one for the dipstick, while shoppers look at you suspiciously, taking too much time. The salesgirl was quite attractive, which made up for that uncomfortable feeling; maybe not "The Million-dollar Baby," but she was close.

The oil reads full, but the dipstick didn't look great, so polished it up and repainted it with nail polish, let it dry overnight, and sanded the high parts with 2000 sandpaper. Very good result, both sides.

All I set out to do was check the oil, but the cap was reading Jaguar upside down for want of a gasket. I found an O-ring that fit, but I think the part is a metal machine bushing. I'll look for one of those. But at least now the cap reads right side up. You've seen an oil cap before, but here is a photo, anyway.

 

To get to the spark plugs, I removed the air cleaner. Rusty inside. Paint dinged up and dirty on the outside. Air filter a goner, wire mesh pulled out.

The flat underside of the air cleaner is a silver gray crackle finish. Most areas of the air cleaner top side are crackle finish as well. I don't think it's from heat, because it isn't actually cracked like chicken leg. So my question is, Originally is it just a plain silver gray finish with no mottling? Or should I find some crackle finish silver paint, something that might be used on wrought iron?

I'm ordering an air filter from eBay for $20, refinishing the inside of the air cleaner and coating it with clear epoxy. I'll prep the air cleaner for painting and use some gray primer. But what about the finish coat? I don't care what looks nice, I'd like to do it as close to original as possible? Plain or crackle?

Close-up of the underside slightly sanded and top. Rust is around the edges, but there is no rust in the painted areas. Rust is not coming through from behind.

 

Your air cleaner paint finish is dead original, but is not called "crackle finish", although at the moment I can't remember the right word, dammit !!

When this car was made, virtually all the nuts and bolts were either UNF or UNC, (i.e imperial sizes, not metric). UNC is found on the studs that go into tapped holes in the aluminium head and other places made of this. Very common sizes of bolts are 5/16 UNF and UNC, with the head 1/2 AF, I think. I still have all my imperial spanners in my tool tray !! There are also other thread standards BSF (British Standard Fine, and BSC, (for coarse threads, and a rare one called "British Standard Cycle" YOu shouldn't find any of these three on the car, but there may be some bought-in part that has them.

You'll also find some BA (British Association), sizes with the electric bits from Lucas and others; this is a pseudo-metric standard. A thread gauge might prove useful, like I have. Once you know the diameter and thread pitch a threads table will tell you what the bolt is.

 

Fraser, it's called "Hammered".

very simply, you paint the part and then you take a hammer and beat on it until it looks.... "Hammered".

 

Fraser and Jose, Thanks for the help. I bought some high quality light gray primer and Rust-oleum HAMMERED #7213 Silver. The cap of the can looks perfect. The air cleaner will look great. $9 ea. Thanks for confirming that.

The new Jaguar badge (the AR had broken off) and 3.8 grille medallion (gone, but 30 years ago it was already starting to crack) arrived today, about $100 for the pair. Thank goodness only one of each is needed. Both are stunning.

 

They are beautiful though.

I can't for the life of me imagine how we lived before there was an internet!