I'm waiting for Robert to post the installation photos...I'm interested in knowing what he used to screw the back bolts in.

 

Hello Old Mike,
Easy job...replace the standard hex bolts with stainless Allen socket heads
or 'Button head' socket screws and you can use a ball end Allen wrench for installation and quick removal if necessary.
Far better than friggin' around with the standard type bolts ;o)

 

I've heard all this before (tongue in cheek comment here, not being snarky), I'm just looking for his photos. The removal was pretty simple because of all the room he had after breaking off the plastic tower. Without all that room, I'm going to guess he either used a crow's foot, a modified open-end, cut slots and used a screw driver, or any of the other great suggestions including "button head" socket screws. Anything's better than trying to get the orig. bolts back in there. I (hopefully) will never have to do this again. My interest is purely academic at this point.

 

Robert...nice write up. I especially appreciate the photos and info about the cap head screws and the extension. Thanks.

 

Mike,

Thanks for the nice comments. I am going to put the finishing touches to the write up and then ask one of the administrators to give it a thread of it's own for future owners tackling this upgrade.

 

Until it gets its own thread, anyone interested in Robert's great write-up should look at post #78 in this thread (page 4).

 

Found here
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...e4/#post827408

I don't like a thread over 2 pages long either hopefully it's fixed and confirmed by then ehem ....

 

Stran - I curious as to why you say water-pump? When a pump goes, doesn't it just go? Shouldn't he be seeing some kind of change in his Temp gauge?

I'm no expert, but I say he has a crack in the Outlet Pipe or something behind the thermostat that is Not Hose related (going through this myself Right Now on my 03 S-Type 4.2) and that is just 'spit', mostly contained by the engine cover, from what is eventually going to be a much wider seam split and leak.

Just my opinion - but I only know enough to be dangerous!

 

Hello choptank....a water pump doesn't usually just 'go' as you call it ;o)
Mostly if not always starts with a slow drip (usually from the shaft seal) which will be splattered by the rotation of pulley and belt.
Most pumps have a drip hole which helps to by pass coolant from affecting the bearings.
In the later Jaguar pump design an improved impellor type of plastic is used which causes no problems and is far better than the aftermarket ones with a metal impellor.
Of course the first thing is to have a cooling system pressure test performed which will show where there is a slow leak by a steady drop in pressure.
I have my own pressure kit....a necessity when you're hundreds of kilometers from the nearest Jag shop....and I find it invaluable.
I have just replaced my thermo tower and stat., a couple of hoses and the cylinder head collector pipe and after a 200klm trip with no leaks, no coolant smell, I'm a happy chappy ;o)

 

Just to add my two cents -- the water pump was not bad in my car, so that pattern of splattering did not indicate a bad water pump. I had multiple leaks in the tower and other hoses near the tower that caused the splattering.

 

Would just like to thank everyone involved in this thread for the sharing of knowledge. My XJ8 has developed a bad coolant leak, and upon opening the hood it had a similar splatter pattern to OldMike - funnily enough, I also broke the same bleeder hose whilst poking around!

I have ordered the replacement thermostat housing, outlet pipe, and hoses, as well as a new water pump with gasket for providence, although I think the suspect was simply the seals of the outlet pipe (you can see in the second photo the remains of one left on the main housing).

If anyone wishes to remove any of these parts, it's actually quite easy - just make sure you have a decent pair of hose clip pliers to remove the hose clips.

 

changed out thermostat housing with a aluminium version. I still have a significant leak and it appears to be leaking out of the back side of the thermostat housing. I can squeeze the hose, and I get a drip pooling up in the v of the engine under the injector manifold. I cant clearly see the leak, as the manifold blocks the view, but i can see the drip run to the pool in the v. This is the 2nd thermostat housing. Do I have a warped intake?

 

Since you have a different problem it would have been better to start a new thread and identify the year and model of your car.

If it's a 4.0 XK8 or XJ8 the housing bolts to the block, not the manifold, and it's unlikely the block is warped. It's difficult to tighten the back screws evenly depending on what tool you are using, and that is more likely the cause of the leak, assuming you have the o-ring or seal aligned properly.