I finally am going to fix the slow leak from the bottom connecting banjo bolt on the starting carb. I'd like to avoid removing the front carb if at all possible. Anyone have an idea or method that would save me the trouble of removing the front carb to simply get at the starting carb ? Thanks for all your help ! greatly appreciated.
Schmitty

 

Personally I think you would create more trouble for yourself trying to remove the AED by itself whilst leaving the carbs in place. I have had the carbs off my S Type on several occasions and to be truthful they are only held on by 8 nuts and a couple of accelerator linkages. Yes the lower nuts are hard to get to but the banjo bolts you talk about under the AED joining it to the front carb are even harder to get to. Bite the bullet and remove the carbs completely as it will give you a chance to clean them, replace any seals, clean down the side of the engine, replace the old starter motor, change the oil filter over to a screw on type, check the wiring to the oil pressure sensor, replace that really hard to get to rubber hose at the bottom of the AED, check the engine mounts are not worn and replace if required and check the core plugs in the side of the block are not leaking.
You know it makes sense.

 

I agree with Cass. Take the carbs off. Otherwise you will give yourself a PIA. I have to take my carbs off again to replace the nylon rollers in the plunging CV joint on the steering column. I have a tiny bit of play that I don't like. It makes access so much easier. Should have picked it up when rebuilding. That's not my shaft in first pic. That's when they are really buggered. I want to preserve my original gaiter clamps that are as new and unobtainable. Most use zip ties.




No 5

 

Refresh page for pics.

 

I've tried to cover the variations over time including the E Type pull down of the jet which requires 58 in the bottom diagram.

 

It sounds like time to bite the bullet and get the carbies off. I know it's a PITA but leaky carbs and the proximity of the distributor have been the downfall or should I say fireball for many XK engines.
If nothing else while you have the carbies off consider replacing the diaphragm jet (no 4 in Glyn's lower diagram). As they get old they become a potential failure and are also great in creating the afore mentioned fireball.
In regard to fibre washers old mechanics suggested immersing them in kerosene for 24 hours prior to fitting them.

 

BTW ~ there is a company in Australia, whose name escapes me, that makes excellent rebuild kits for SU carbs. Their diaphragms are blue. Quality easily matches Burlen and are more reasonably priced. Most of SA uses them via Jagman, Somerset West. Cape Town.

 

Can you not just unbolt the banjo, remove it, change the sealing washers and then put the banjo back in?

It might be a bit of a fiddle but i'm sure its possible, alternativly as suggested above just take the carbs off (you may even just be able to remove the front carb to do this).

Either way its not a big job and is an absolute must given how many of these cars go up in flames because of issues in this area. I had my 1966 spit back through the starter carb once and set on fire, fortunatley I was working under the bonnet at the time so put it out quickly before any damage was done, the previous owner of this car wasn't so lucky :-(

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295072807...Bk9SR7zG-9T6Yg

 

Homer, that was a possibility I had thought of also, but there are at least three washers in that connection banjo rig and I am skeptical of getting them all on and tighten up securely plus I want to use some gasket goop on all the connection parts. This is where its leaking from now; I suspect the result a less than perfect sealing on this connection from the mechanic who rebuilt these carbs for the previous owner just a couple of years ago.

 

I find that if things leak on a banjo fitting, that things may have been over tightened in the first place, you shouldn't need any type of sealant in there.
He also may have used the old washers, and that doesn't work well with aluminum.

I put a thin film of grease on both male and female threads and all matting surfaces of the banjo bolts, including both sides of the washers.
This prevents galling from the steel banjo bolt on the very soft aluminum threads and it also make sure that the washers slip in place well when things are snugged up, but not forced.
The washers between the steel support plate may be missing too, that would certainly leak there if they're not in place.

 

Another thing to note is on SU carbs all the nuts and bolts are British Association/Whitworth sizes, not fractional inch or metric. I have a set of BA sized wrenches and sockets for anything SU. The nut for the timing chain adjuster on the engine is also Whitworth sized.

 

Jeff,that does make some sense - as I spoke with the PO's mechanic once and he told me he really, really tightened up those banjo bolts on the carbs - " so they wouldn't leak " ! And I do have some Whitworth wrenches to use on these carbs. Just is crazy tight spaces to get at the carb nuts mounted to the intake manifold....But you guys already knew that !
Schmitty

 

Mechanics with the mania of over tightening nuts deserve to have someone giver their nuts a good twist.

 

My father fell into that category although he was not a mechanic. You would swear he was working on a steam locomotive. I used to go around the house turning on taps for my Mom he used to turn them off so tightly. Once I was earning a salary I bought him a Warren & Brown torque wrench ~ one of the finest. It remained in it's wooden box for years. So I started using it on my string of 7 Alfas. My Hazet was getting tired.

 

when watching my brother-in-law tighten a nut, i gauge ft/lbs put on it by counting the beads of sweat on his forehead.

 

Jaguar manuals devote pages to the correct torque settings for the nuts and bolts which nobody ever reads.
Many of the Jaguar cars I have previously owned must have been worked on by gorillas with extra-long handled spanners.

 

Yes, I'm also victim again to this bullsh*t on the gearbox oil level plug ! ...A guy in our local Jaguar club, who owns a lift in hisprivate garage, has helped me with some mechanical stuff. I wanted to change the gearbox oil and when we had filled it up - knowing that it would need to be topped up in a few miles as the car has the overdrive unit - he snugged up the level plug properly and then gave it a huge yank with every muscle in his body going full bore ! I thought at the time ; "Jesus, I'm going to have to loosen and remove that plug in a couple of days, hope I can get it off". Sure enough, when I back- crawled under my car to remove the level plug, I couldn't budge it at all. ended up stripping the brass nut as my wrench kept slipping off of it at my effort. Now what ? afraid to drive the car knowing the gearbox oil is low .. Almost too much fun getting this old Mark 1 roadworthy .
.Schmitty

 

As you well know Bill ~ Warren & Brown torque wrenches are one of the finest & made in Australia. The company goes back forever. The company was founded in 1921. Tool making came later.

 

If I have a tight nut through over tightening or just seized with a bit of rust I like to use a hex socket that fits the nut correctly that I know is square on and not at an angle. If you use what is now a standard star shaped socket which allows ease of fitting over the nut they can on a stiff nut just tear the corners off.

Hex socket

Standard socket

Same with open ended spanners or ring spanners with the same design. No disrespect to Americans but you do tend to used what in the UK we would call an adjustable wrench/spanner. A case of one spanner fits all. Would not have one in my garage even though there is a small one in the Jaguar tool box (never used).


American tool rack.

To remove a corners rounded nut or bolt I have a nut or stud removal set of sockets. They have a set of grooves inside facing anti clockwise. You hammer them over the top of the rounded off nut and then wind it off with a socket. They can also fit on my impact socket gun and I have never had a nut not come off. They will even take off a domed nut.


Less then £20 on Ebay.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262546824...BlBMUPzQuqv-Yg

 

These so called C Spanners that grip on the flats of a rounded Nut or Bolt head can be a Godsend. They also grip on a broad range of sizes. About 4 sizes will do most jobs well and do no further damage. Of course access can be a major problem with them.