While you've got the head off, it's a good time to set the valve lash since you can turn the cams by hand. If you take the head to a machine shop with good knowledge of the head, they can do that for you like I had done. Otherwise you will have to order shims after calculating the difference in valve clearance.

 

While your getting your block ready for installation, you may want to research history of your distributor, while it's totally accessible.
The key is to find what model Jaguar and year the engine came from, we can look in the Lucas data base and find what the initial timing for that distributor is.
The vacuum advance unit part number and the distributor part number can also narrow down the search. You can set initial distributor timing before you put engine into car.
In mid 60's, 98 octane fuel was available, now with 93 octane you may have to retard initial timing 2-3* to prevent pinging in the 2700 to 3200 RPM range.


The Vacuum advance diaphragm is likely to be brittle and I would strongly suggest that you replace it with new vacuum advance unit. (if the distributor came from a manual transmission car, and your new project car will have an auto transmission, then the desired vacuum vacuum advance P/N will be different.
Clean and lube the advance mechanism.
Install new ground wire, new points and condenser.
You don't want to be trouble shooting a intermittent ignition problem once you get the engine installed.

You'll see on parts page; ignition coils and ballast resisters listed. For points distributor you want a 3 ohm coil (with out a ballast resister), if you have a 1.5 ohm coil, then the ballast resistor is needed.
Rgds
David

 

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/m...timing-238848/

Old thread that covers the subjects and has reference to Lucas Data base.
Rgds
David

 

How is the engine coming along?