Hello everyone
I'm new to Jag world and have just aquired a 1965 S3.4 in need of a fair bit TLC. - and a full respray
Its been stored for around 25 years so you can imagime the condition.
Leather seats need a full restoration and I have started feeding them to soften them up. The car is complete and the engine turns over on the starter but I have the plugs out - new plugs are ordered. Work to do before trying to start her up.
Not too much rot thank goodness but electricals are pretty poor - fuel pumps inoperative - just finished servicing those and re-fitted but a very small fuel weep from the carb area. I do need a fuel changeover switch as the one on the dash is intermittent. - Anyone got one of these spare???
I will be stripping down the carbs next and reconditioning.
Any help/advice will be welcome.
cheers
Dave

 

Welcome Dave. Id like to help, but i am in almost exactly the same place with mine. I saw it run, but its not safe to drive. I would check around the sponsors sites for parts, depending on the size of your pocketbook of course. Ive also had good luck with XKS Unlimited. They have excellent parts catalogs with full blow-up pics which is a plus in itself. Good luck, keep us posted.

 

in my experience with two Jags, one a 1965 3.8 'S', SNG Barratt USA store is the best source for parts:

SNG Barratt - The Ultimate Jaguar Parts Specialist

also come visit and join the S type Register, dedicated to the Jaguar S type;
owners in the US and UK can help with used parts, improvements, modifications, and experience.

Jaguar 'S'-type Register

I have a used tank switch but I am presently away from my cars and parts.

 

Thanks guys - the help is always appreciated.
I will just keep on looking but in the meantime I will try to repair the switch if I can get it open.

 

Hello everyone
dont know if anyone has had this problem before but when I got the car - the guy said there were electrical problems. What he didnt tell me was that someone had fitted a battery the wrong way round - negative earth - and changed the terminals on the leads - I didnt notice until I switched on the ignition - the ammeter showed charge instead of discharge - now everything is the right way round (positive to earth) there is nothing coming from the generator - any idea what could be wrong
The car starts fine and lights are ok but no wipers or clock or heater. ??

 

is the car Negative Earth or Positive Earth? Which Jaguar Model is it ? (you might put that information in your Signature so it is always there everytime you post).

you need to decide how you want it, Pos. or Neg Earth.

after that, you will need to do a re-polarization of the Generator/Dynamo.

after that, you will need to find out which electrical items are not switching ON and reverse the cables on each, one by one, to see if they start working.

Here's the instructions to re-polarize:

Star Auto Electric Company - Instruction For Polarizing Generator

 

Dave,
Agree with Jose. SNG Barratt for parts and the S-Type Registry for lots of help. I have a 65 also and a full rotisserie restoration begins 4/26. Good luck.

 

Hi guys
thanks to mike martinez @ star auto electrics for his advice on re-polarizing the generator - I now have a charging battery. Fuel pumps are working
The car is positive earth and I have decided to leave it this way.
I still need to find out whats happened to fuel gauges wiper motor horns and clock (new clock needed). Oil pressure is good water temperature is OK washers work some of the switches are intermittent - probably just need cleaning and working possibly connections tightening - may need to replace one or two.
Its a slow process but its worth it to see things coming back to life after 20 years in the garage. I need a new middle silencer (stainless system is £600 so not yet) Brakes are getting looked at tomorrow.
update later.

 

1) Clock: these Smiths clocks never worked, they stopped working at the dealer! what we all do is send the clock to Mike Eck at jaguarclock.com
He modifies them to work digitally and reliably. $75.00 and you end up with a reversible mod if you ever want a non-working clock again.

2) Switches: sounds like 20 years of lack of exercise. Try exercising the switches up & down, you might get them working fine.

3) fuel gauge: check connections in the rear of fuel gauge,

4) wiper motor: probably the brushes worn out. There is a guy who can fix it, you'll need to send the motor to him.

5) horns: most likely the horns themselves, when they go, they go. Replace them cheaply, I can tell you where to get a pair of high and low pitch horns which sound like the original Jaguar horns, made by Jaguar for Jaguars.

Having said that: There is a set screw usually on top of the horn surrounded by a nut; This setscrew controls the diaphragm inside the horn; Loosen the nut, then turn the screw clockwise or counterclockwise as you keep the horn connected with jumper wires to the battery to see if you can make them blast. The set screw is also used to "tune" the voice of the horn. If you know music, the interval between the low pitch and the high pitch horns is a Major Third.

Sorry, I didn't notice you were in the UK. Mike Eck of Jaguar Clock is in New Jersey. I'm sure you have experts in Lucas equipment in the UK. Mike gets many clocks from UK. He fixed my clock in 2005 and it has continued to work for 10 years now.

Joe and I are members of the Jaguar S type Register, you are invited to join the forum, there are three other members from UK and from Canada too.

 

Great thanks for the advice - here's an update
The generator now charges fine.
The wipers and switch were just stuck and with a good spray of wd40 they started to move
Slowly and only on slow speed - but a good result as the motor must be ok
New wipers fitted. Clock is still broken - I stripped it down - god knows how this worked in the first place - it's very poor build.
Horns are both working now - bad connection though the steering column - needs a new wire and bottom slip ring - may just be dirty/oxidised - it may improve with use but horns are ok. Dash lights mostly work 3 new bulbs and we are sorted.
Washers work much better now that the impeller is going the right way.
Not had chance to check fuel gauges as I'm quite busy (still working a bit)
New brake master cylinder seals have arrived and need fitting so hopefully by next week we may have brakes - I have been told that these are quite useful!!!
Main silencer drivers side has collapsed inside and is restricting the exhaust gasses so I need to order a new one.
Started to strip the dash down for a refurb of the wooden bits.
Bonnet (hood?) catch now works
Getting there
Thanks for you interest and all advice is appreciated

 

1) the wiper motor has a little adjusting knob that lets you fine tune where the wipers Park or "stop". it takes a little movement of the knob to get them to park right. The slow response: sounds like the brushes are worn.

2) there is a Start Solenoid to the right of the battery, at the center of the firewall, that has a pushbutton that lets you start the engine from the engine compartment.

set the ignition key to the START position, Shifter in PARK or NEUTRAL if automatic transmission, or NEUTRAL if manual transmission, then you go to the solenoid and press the button to start the engine. Neat !

3) if you can repair the clock you are a genius!

 

I now have the car starting from the start button
The clock is on my desk in pieces - I will update when I get somewhere with it.
Fuel gauge is only working on the RHS tank - its the change over switch on the dash
could do with changing it. Need a middle box for the exhaust. seals have arrived for the brake master cylinder so they need to go in - possibly tomorrow.
cheers

 

What did you do to get the start button working?

Great work.

 

Hi here we go
Firstly you need to check that the car will start by pressing the starter solenoid button located on the rear of the solenoid - big rubber button. If nothing happens then the fault is with the solenoid. If the car turns over then the solenoid is not pulling in.
Next you need to check that the voltage arrives at the solenoid connection when the button is pressed on the dash. I did it the other way round and checked from the fuse to the key then to the starter button then to the solenoid. I found the problem was at the fuse - corrosion. I cleaned up the fuse holder and fitted a ne 30A fuse.
The voltage then appeared at the ignition switch and then at the starter button.
I found a broken wire between the button and the solenoid and repaired it.
The spade terminal in the solenoid was loose so I cleaned it all up - replaced the spade and made sure the connection was good. The solenoid was pulling in ok from the button so I re-fitted the main connection wire to the starter motor and it all worked.
hope this helps you. - you will need a test meter set to 20V DC and remember its probably +ve earth.

 

nasty little problem with the brake master cylinder.
removed the end cap circlip and washer but pistin was right down the bore.
I finally shook it out after bashing on the desk for some time.
The valve stem is stuck in and will need some pressure to release it.
not easy to get at. any one done this before?
fun eh.

 

I would replace it with new, I don't trust old brake components, it's a safety issue.

 

Jose is right, better to replace then rebuild.
You can sleeve it with a brass cylinder, but then you have to send it out and still get the seals/related parts to rebuild it.


After sitting for 25 years, what has that hydroscopic brake fluid done to the vacuum assist unit and the rest of the calipers ?


I'm betting the whole system will need servicing if not a major over-haul.


Back to your master cylinder _ it's probably aluminum and what happens with these is that the water in the brake fluid that gets absorbed, starts oxidizing the aluminum.
Very often you will find this greenish/white pasty substance underneath the dust seal on disassembly _ inside the brake fluid will be grey to black in colour. What that is, is aluminum from the bore of your master cylinder, when it's like that the unit needs replacing or sleeving _ the bore is no longer parallel and/or round.

 

Hi guys
great advice and I have ordered a new master cylinder.
I did finally manage to get the valve out. The cylinder is an original dunlop unit so I'm torn with keeping it original or the safety issue.
I have rebuilt the cylinder - inside is incredibly clean with no signs of wear or corrosion and when I got all the bits out I used a high pressure wash jet to get rid of any foreign matter - although I couldnt see any. I put it back on and bled the system through - the brakes are all working fine.
I am going to strip out all calipers and service pistons replace pads and brake lines.
I will make a decision when I get the car onto a rolling road and check applied pressure. I will probably fit the new cylinder to make it perfectly safe.
Its always a trade off between useability and originality.
thanks again for the advice.

 

That's good news about the brakes _ it must have been in a heated garage for 25 years. At any rate it's amazing that it appears to work after 25 years of sitting, in a heated garage or not.
The new master cylinder you ordered may even have Dunlop on it, but regardless it will look very similar to the other.

 

Hi guys
More electrics to sort yet - just working through it all - petrol pumps serviced and a complete rebuild kit fitted to the LHS pump. Gauge not reading fuel level on RHS due to a bad fuel change over switch - I will try and fix the switch otherwise its a new one required.

I should be sending the car to my test station for a full brake rebuild next week. This week I'm getting grease into all points with my dads 1944 grease gun (that still works fine - must have been well greased eh !!)
New master cylinder has arrived and I'm waiting for the full stainless steel exhaust system - they will fit the system and fully sort brakes. They will then MOT test the car and give me a report on suspension and steering etc.
then the fun starts.
thanks for the help and advice