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New Member Area - Intro a MUSTNew to Jaguar Forums? Drop in and tell us about you, your ride and location. This is your chance to introduce yourself to the forum.
Howdy Folks,
Just bought a '97 XK8, drophead, 4.0 with 51,000 miles. New tires are on order and I expect other rubbery parts are next, like hoses. I did not get an owners manual in spite of following multiple links to dead ends.
I'm all ears!
I'm a retired psychology professor from the University of Maryland. Teaching was an enjoyable career and occasionally missed.
A long time Jaguar fan, I'm hoping this XK8 4.0 will present fewer problems than my earlier E-Types. The car has been in storage for many years and only has 51,000 miles on it. Tires are on order and hoses are next. I read that aftermarket hoses are thicker than OEM, so if anyone has a source web link handy for such, please send that along.
Home is in the Ozark Mountains, Mountain Home, Arkansas to be specific. Life here is rural, laid back, clean water & air, and a grand place for outdoor sports of all kinds. I like hiking, fishing, and canoeing on the Buffalo River.
Any tips on getting this otherwise fine automobile road worthy after decades of storage will find open ears.
You are right to condemn rubber coolant hoses. A complete replacement set will save you much grief as the old ones fail one by one. It also minimises the risk of an overheat whch can easily be an engine killer with the Jaguar V8. These engines are much less forgiving than the ealier in-line sixes of the E-Type era. Check out forum Sponsor S N G Barratt. Good discounts on OEM and aftermarket parts.
Be sure to read up on plastic tensioners. Failure of these is another grenade.
The Ozark Mountains sounds my kind of place. I used to love throwing a kayak down fast running rivers in Scotland and Wales in my youth although spectating is more the way now.
YES - Jaguar had four generations of tensioner but only the early plastic ones were seriously prone to failure. The latest aluminium type is recommended as the replacement. Plenty of detail in XK8/XKR forum.
Continued thanks! Any other "grenades" lurking about?
I just ordered the belt, all water hoses, and when I got to the chain tensioner, I was asked if I wanted both? I ordered the primary one, but should I also order the secondary?
George
Last edited by professor2; Nov 18, 2021 at 11:48 AM.
I expect you hear this a great deal, nevertheless, thank you for following through with my amateur's requests and questions. This is a comforting start to this XK8 ownership...the electronic produce trepidation. Aircraft electronics? Good grief. Well, anything is better than Lucas Electric.
..... Well, anything is better than Lucas Electric. .....
George,
Always been a favourite of mine:
At least they could be fixed with a pair of wire strippers and a roll of insulating tape. Nowadays I reach for a laptop before a screwdriver or a wrench!
New Owner - professor2
