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So, just thinking this through. If any of the guides are slightly high is it just a case of drifting them back down? Don't suppose there's a measurement I have to aim for? Would be nice to take the rocker covers off and see that a staked own kit has already been fitted! Eternal optimist!!!!
It is my understanding that earlier engines didn't suffer from tappet guide loosening, it was later engines especially those in the XJ salooon starting in the 70s, and probably is related to the dreadful deterioration in quality throughout the whole car. This was at the time when England became basically ungovernable.
We've seen this happen to a few later S Type engines on the Register. My South African machined & built engine (all on brand new equipment) has not required a hold down kit. My car was No 4 off of the local production line of some 850 CKD units. Production here started very late 1965 on the S Type to take over from Mk2.
Lyons got around the local content programme by sending blank blocks & heads to SA. They were machined here & then assembled.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; 06-23-2020 at 02:19 AM.
We've seen this happen to a few later S Type engines on the Register. My South African machined & built engine (all on brand new equipment) has not required a hold down kit. My car was No 4 off of the local production line of some 850 CKD units. Production here started very late 1965 on the S Type to take over from Mk2.
Lyons got around the local content programme by sending blank blocks & heads to SA. They were machined here & then assembled.
Yes ~ our local content programme was in it's early stages at that time & by weight. We encouraged local production so Lyons did himself a sweet deal on engines. We were already building the Mk2 here. So earlier S Types were imported while we tooled up for CKD assembly.
Browns Lane made up wooden bucks for us to do the bodies on & our fit & finish of bodywork tended to be better than Pressed Steel achieved. No misaligned or protruding B Pillars etc
LOL! ~ I'm a recently retired old fart from the oil industry. I have just studied the S Type Jaguar in great detail. I had just started restoring my car when the company transferred me offshore into an expat global job. Thus the restoration took just on 30 years. Returned to SA & finally got the job done. You can see the car on the link in my signature here or on the Register. While overseas I had endless time to read up on the model & compile a huge archive. I hate to think how many times I've read the Service & Parts manuals as an example plus every book I could lay my hands on. I'm a moderator on MBWorld (sister to this Internet Brands forum). Have just on 20,000 posts there helping members with their Benz cars. I guess we all have our interests. Mine vary from high end audio to cars to MotoGP & F1 etc. I do tend to be a bit of an attention to detail freak. My car was completely restored. Including things you could not see. Right down to every wiring harness & every component behind the dash, interior resprayed, etc.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; 06-24-2020 at 06:45 PM.
BTW ~ All South African built cars, first at CDA, East London (now South Africa's Mercedes Benz plant in very updated form) and later at Jaguar Cars SA, Blackheath, Cape Town, were 3.8 litre models. We never saw the 3.4 here.
Glyn I am surprised you have not explained what a CKD car is.
CKD stands for "Complete Knock Down" and is not a derogatory term. As I understand it in the 60s there was a change in SA government legislation that encouraged foreign companies to create production facilities in South Africa.
BMC and later Leyland exported their cars including the Mk2, S type and XJ6 in parts to South Africa where they were assembled in factories set up just for this purpose. All the parts were there to make the complete car but none of the parts were made or sourced in South Africa. South African CKD cars can differ from UK spec cars as there was no control over which interior went with which exterior colour. My apologies if I have this wrong and I am sure Glyn will correct me.
Sorry Rob. I took it forgranted ~ silly me, that people understood that CKD = Completely Knocked Down. Many parts were sourced in South Africa. Many UK manufacturers set up plants here. Silverton made all radiators here. Etc. etc.
While there are some minor errors it can be read about here on the Register.
While at CDA the Mk2 & S types were built alongside Nash, Standard Van-guard, Packard, Fiat, Renault, Land Rover and Mercedes Benz vehicles. Land Rover & Jaguar assembly later moved to Blackheath, Cape Town.
The government also encouraged/legislated use of local content which is why we have such a large components industry today.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; 06-25-2020 at 11:29 AM.
I know that these uploaded videos can distort/exaggerate engine sounds but timing appears to be spot on, ticking over nicely and the exhaust note you can hear in the background sounds quite harmonious. Air flow is equal, mixture is just about right (no discernable engine note change when carb pistons lifted) Checked the spark plugs and they were black and fluffy. Can't weaken mixture any more as the engine falters. Can't take it for a run as the front suspension is stripped down. Normal?
You can't judge the colour of your plugs from letting it run in the drive way, even if it's totally warmed up.
Once it's back on the road, take it for a good drive down the highway (at least 20 miles) and check the plugs again.
By that time, any black fluffy soot from it being choked will have gone.
It may just be the sounde of the video but it does sound really noisy, do you think it sounds like the recording when stood next to it having heard them both?
Video has exaggerated the noise somewhat. I will be checking the shims as soon as I've got a moment or two. Valve guide heights look identical. Are we talking significant differences in height to cause the clatter?
Taking videos is always an issue. The auto level control on the mic always exaggerates things.
Check the tappet clearance when you have time. Exhaust sounds sweet. As Jeff says check plugs only after a run fully warmed up & in their self cleaning window/range.
Check upper timing chain tension & adjust if necessary & lower chain with a stethoscope ~ they are dirt cheap & useful. Be very careful not to get it in the fan or belt.
Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; 06-29-2020 at 10:20 PM.
Mine appears to be idling nicely at 500rpm according to a 50 year old gauge that I have to tap in order for it to spring into life each time I start the car. Two questions. What's the ideal idling rpm and how to fix the sticking gauge?
Does not sound to bad, early XK engine allways have much more valve sound that later ( XJ ) engines.
With the XJ they started using another camshaft profile (less pointy )
I've been trying to find out what is the ideal idle speed so I can make sure the timing is spot on 12 BTDC at these ideal revs. Just been told that it is more important to be concerned about the timing at high revs! I've only ever checked and corrected timing at idle! Never been told or shown anything different. Going to hammer Youtube now but if anyone has got any tips can they let me know please. Old dog, new tricks!
Timing at high revs on older cars with fixed distributor advance weights and fixed vacuum advanced is not a concern like on tunable modern EFI, and even in most cases are factory set and not adjustable and modern cars.
The best that one can do is set the static timing to what the specs are for your engine at idle and that's it.
Once that's set, the advance curve will be at its best to what Jaguar designed it to do.
If you want to change the timing at high revs, then you will need an after market distributor with an electronic ignition that will let you change the timing as the engine revs.
While there are old school guys with experience that can change the weights and springs in the distributor to suit some different cams to get better torque and or power, that requires experience and a dynamometer.
That 12 BTDC is set with the vacuum advanced disconnected from the distributor with the line blocked off from the carb port, fully warmed up and idling at 600rpm.
Thanks for this. So that was not good information was it. Not for a car of this age and set up. I was beginning to think I'd been doing something wrong all these years. I can have an early night now.
06-23-2020, 01:04 AM
