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Still under build at that time: Lots of things still to do e.g. attach breather hose, attach decals, clean up wiring, Attach battery cover, Fit convoluted hose to air cleaner, Fit shroud to regulator, Windshield washer wiring cover is in the mail thanks to Alan Wiedie's valued assistance, etc. etc. I don't think the standard engine compartment looks that bad.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; Jun 4, 2022 at 08:26 PM.
Morgan, It's not mine unfortunately. It was produced by Paul Roach (roachclassics.co.uk), a UK restorer, as a Mike Hawthorn tribute. A company called Woodham Mortimer had it for sale in 2019. My car is more what you might describe as a wreck, one that no sane person would consider restoring.
My plan for eliminating the tin cans from above the engine is to do some surgery on the inner wing and put a big paper air cleaner under the right hand wing (fender).
I'd like it better with an air cleaner and longer trumpets, but after so much polishing you have to show off the cam covers.
And stone catchers as filters! Trumpets always look good & tuned correctly can give you some extra performance. But they belong on race engines that are going to be rebuilt after every race.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; Jun 5, 2022 at 12:16 PM.
Glyn, That would have been trumpets running into a plenum. And those tea strainers look as though they will let some decent size rocks through, bending valves as much as wearing the bore.
Glyn, That would have been trumpets running into a plenum. And those tea strainers look as though they will let some decent size rocks through, bending valves as much as wearing the bore.
Yes sorry. We posted over one another. Your plan of a paper cleaner under fender is the way to go.
Callum had purpose made unit by CMC that draws air from under the fender for his 4.3 engine. Not the greatest pic but all I know that has been published. They are also widened purpose made fenders with more space under there.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; Jun 5, 2022 at 06:28 PM.
This is what the top of the engine compartment looked like after the round air cleaner was off and before any cleaning was done. I polished the aluminum several times and it is beginning to improve but nowhere near where the pictures show in this thread.
Let me give you a little tip. Autosol, Newspaper & patience does a brilliant job ~ you don't need large amounts of Autosol. That's all we used on my car many years back ~ has not been touched since then (Garaged). Unless you want to strip & mechanically polish. Newspaper & Autosol give it the genuine Jaguar look. They never had a mirror finish ex works but were polished in specific areas.
Autosol & Newspaper:
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; Jun 5, 2022 at 08:45 PM.
I have found the only way to clean any of the alloy around the engine is to remove it and do it on a bench grinder with a polishing mop. The whole point of getting it shiny is to remove any scratches on the surface which involves removing a small layer of alloy down to the bottom of the scratches. The polishing mop with different grinding pastes certainly does this but it takes time the first time you do it. Unfortunately I have yet to find a solution to alloy furring which is where the hot alloy of the rocker covers reacts to any dampness in the air (UK climate) and starts especially over the winter months to produce a white powder fur on all the polished surfaces. This marks the surface and you are back to removing the rocker covers to get a really good shine again. The brass header tank and radiator top are a doddle to keep clean but the alloy parts not so. I have tried sealing the alloy rocker covers in different lacquer finishing's but this all turned brown over time and started to peel off. Chroming is an option but I do not think this looks right having seen it on other Mk2s. At the end of the day it is a matter of keeping on top of it and every time you wash the outside of the car you need to lightly polish the rocker covers with a rag and Autosol then maybe once every three years or so take them off the engine and give them a re polish. Really it is down to how much work you want to put into it. I might be a bit over the top but I am the only car at the shows who opens his bonnet and leaves it open.
On the left as the rocker cover was when I bought the car. On the right a light polish. On the right a deep polish on the wheel mop. The Oil cap before. The Oil cap after. Close up of a slight polish at the top and a full polish below.
The advice that I've been given for brass door furniture is never use lacquer on items that are exposed to weather or difficult environments. It's better, once the item is polished and absolutely clean, to apply a wax, rubbing it well into the surface. I guess that, if the objective is to maintain the surface for car shows and the appearance doesn't matter much the rest of the time, it's possible to use an anti-corrosion coating (the sort used on motorcycles in the winter that's easy to clean off). Do a quick clean and shine for the show, then re-coat as soon as you're back home.
Climate as ever plays a big part in this. While I'm close to the sea The car is permanently Garaged. My rate of deterioration after newspaper & Autosol is ultra slow. Cass car I believe lives in the elements which accelerates deterioration. All SA houses have a minimum of a double garage or 2 garages. Some many more.
You should not have to polish scratches out of the alloy more than once if you look after the car.
I'm proud of my engine compartment & like Cass like to show it. It took effort to get it the way it is. People always comment on how nice the engine compartment looks.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; Jun 6, 2022 at 07:19 AM.
Peter ~ wax on brass is a big yes living by the sea. Lacquer is a no-no. Green corrosion creeps under the lacquer from a chip or whatever. Even indoors. I still have brass hinges on most of my windows & they are fine after over 40 years. With steel the pin always breaks. 316 stainless is all I will use today as Brass hinges are not easily available any longer.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; Jun 6, 2022 at 07:50 AM.
Yesterday the Mk2 intake manifold with carbs arrived. My normal practice is to get a beater example and practice on it before working on my go car. After my car is sorted out this intake can be sold with the carbs cleaned and rebuilt. The starter carb is incomplete on this but a junk starter carb is on the way. I took the front fuel bowl apart for practice because given the help from this forum it is a likely source of my fuel overflow problem. The black floats for Blue340 are in hand now. and I am ready to install both of them. I broke down and ordered a set of King Dick W combination and sockets. Per the advice above a Uni-Syn is on the way too.
Morgan, It's not mine unfortunately. It was produced by Paul Roach (roachclassics.co.uk), a UK restorer, as a Mike Hawthorn tribute. A company called Woodham Mortimer had it for sale in 2019. My car is more what you might describe as a wreck, one that no sane person would consider restoring.
My plan for eliminating the tin cans from above the engine is to do some surgery on the inner wing and put a big paper air cleaner under the right hand wing (fender).
Most interesting thread and very informative for a new owner such as I am. I am particularly interested in this idea of a paper air cleaner under the fender as I have recently acquired a Mark 1 and am wanting to do something similiar with its air cleaner arrangement. Any suggestions on how to mount the paper filter , which brand to use and photos of the finished "surgery" would be most welcome !
Thanks !
Schmitty
Schmitty, I've not thought very hard about it yet, but I think something like the cylindrical air box of the late 6-cylinder XJS would fit above the brake booster. I prefer to keep everything Jaguar. It would need some arrangement of tubes and minor body modifs to collect cold air and deliver clean air to an inlet plenum. As I'm still working on the body at the other end of the car, you'll most likely have a system running before me. Let us know how you get on.
Trumpets always look good & tuned correctly can give you some extra performance. But they belong on race engines that are going to be rebuilt after every race.
