Greetings all. I promise I'll go post in the "new member" section, but I can never resist jumping right into the thick of it when the mood strikes me. Briefly, my car background starts with a 1964 Ford Fairlane, which I put 75,000 miles on and still own. Well, before that, my first favorite car was a Mercedes 300D, which my Dad still owns, and which runs again, but needs a total restoration otherwise. Anyway, next came a '97 F250 diesel, and I've got one more Ford, a '94 Explorer I bought for (naturally) exploring the Beartooth mountains - once I finish a mechanical refresh. I spent a solid ten years absorbed in Mercedes (mostly W126s), then came across a ratty Porsche 931 that's semi-daily driver despite drinking oil, a balky gearbox, and a crumbling interior. It's just too much fun, despite it's raggedness! Finally, just under a year ago, I came across a car I couldn't resist: a $1000 (warning! warning! warning!) 1985 XJ-S. The lady who I bought it from didn't drive it that much, and I'm sure upkeep was a growing problem. There's a small number of decent European mechanics in the Billings area, and a small number of mechanics who are good with classics. I can't say for sure the two circles of that Venn diagram have any overlap; most enthusiasts like myself just work on our own stuff. Anyway, here she is:


My first view of it.



And a couple shots after I got her home and pressure washed.

Reasonably presentable, but the paint is a bit weathered and chipped. The interior is intact and not terrible, but the wood is a mess, as are the seats. Always one to get ahead of myself, I found some newer seats I plan to adapt, as well as a set of 16" 5-spoke rims. When I bought her, she ran just well enough to get on and off the trailer. You had to play at it to get her to run, and had to feather the gas quite a bit to get her to rev at all. I found receipts for a new fuel pump and a replacement rack and pinion, but not much for service records. The brake reservoir was dry (can still get a little braking), as was the power steering pump, so I suspect the rack was leaking and replaced with another leaking unit. One of the many mysteries to unfold; I'm hoping it's possible to disassemble that and reseal it myself. It was easy enough on the 931, but then that's a manual rack. The cooling system is a mess. Hopefully it hasn't been overheated, but it started dribbling coolant out one of the radiator hoses after idling a few minutes. Everything rubber under the hood needs to be replaced, I expect - although somebody's done some work on the fuel injection, because the rubber lines to the injectors, along with a few others, have been replaced. The oil looks clean, but there was some milkshake-looking gunk in the right air cleaner box. I ran it a couple times last summer, poking around at things, but then later in the year couldn't get her to start anymore, and I haven't bothered trying this year. Something's definitely amiss there, so I need to get to the bottom of that, and I can't run it long enough to bring it up to temperature anyway.



So here's the engine as it sits. I pulled out my smoker today, figuring I've got some vacuum leaks. As bad as the hoses looked, there was only one place it was obviously pouring out - the distributor. There's a vacuum line to the cap that seemed to be the source (not the line to the advance diaphragm); seems like a strange thing to have engine vacuum ported to, but I'm probably missing something. Next I hooked up a fuel pressure gauge. Since I'm going to be replacing the lines anyway, I cut and T'd off the line on the right side (as you face forward; passenger's side in the US) of the engine bay. I think I've found a problem there: I was getting about 45 PSI, where it seems 30 is what I should be seeing... I don't have much for reference material on that yet though; I'm just going off internet sources. The gas didn't seem that bad when I got it, but it has turned to nasty yellow with something of an off smell now, so I'll drain that and put fresh gas in for sure before I try to fire it again. The next thing I was going to check is the throttle position sensor, but I might just focus on the fuel pressure issues first.

Probably the biggest issue, as I've already hit on, is the cooling. So I plan to have the radiator professionally serviced (there is a good shop; I did that on the 931, and been happy with it), flush everything out, and replace every hose on it. Unfortunately, I'll probably have to cheap out and just throw generic hoses on it; I don't know if I can justify what OE pieces would cost, assuming they're still available. I imagine I might have to get creative on some, but I've found you can make your own hoses by selecting from Gates hose catalog and splicing using couplers and heat-shrink clamps. We'll see how that goes, but I doubt I can trust any hose that's on it. I can't see anything wrong with the water pump, but I'm not sure I'd trust that either; it doesn't seem like something easy to get though. I'm eyeing the fans, and reading that a fan off a 90's Taurus makes a pretty good retrofit for a lot of things. I'm going to look into that, but I wonder if an alternator upgrade would be wise if I went that way. Next is all the vacuum lines and such, obviously. Brakes are something I'm not taking any chances on either: I'll be replacing the flex lines, and probably fixing a leaky caliper or two... Then a full fluid change - obviously that's a given with the cooling system and brake work, but I plan to do the transmission and rear end too. I'm curious if u-joints are something to worry about - seems like the kind of thing nobody touches until something breaks. Of course that brings us to the suspension... I've already done a little digging on that can of worms; I'm just hoping it's intact enough that I can get it running and drive it a bit before I have to address all the almost-as-old-as-me rubber bits in there.

Anyway, I know I'm in for a furball of issues to address. I'll have to do a compression check before I throw a bunch of money at parts. Fortunately, I didn't hear any knocking or other mechanical noises when I had it running, but you never know. Ultimately, I'm just trying to save a very cool, solid survivor (no rust to speak of; usually not a problem here, and it originated in California), and pass it on when somebody makes me the right offer. I've already got a white 560SEC I've invested heavily in; they've quite different in a way, but practically, quite similar. Hard to justify keeping both indefinitely. Values are hopelessly lopsided relative to what a spectacular car this is, so I'm ruling out a paint job, all-new interior, or any significant modifications. Obviously, I've mentioned a few upgrades and alterations; I don't plan to be a purist on this one, but I'm not going to desecrate it by swapping an LS or anything. In part, I bought it because I've never owned anything British (and I'm a bit of an Anglophile) or a V12. There's no sense trying to make a really fast car out of it - I just want adequate power and that smooth, turbine-like V12 feel. I've always been mechanically inclined, and been tinkering most of my 40-ish years, so this isn't my first rodeo... Just my first British one. And I want this to be a car I can take somewhere, not one that I can get going just enough for a little weekend cruising. So, I'll gladly take any advice on what in particular is likely to need attention, what are the pitfalls, and of course, where I can save a little money. As the market sits, I figure I'm halfway doing charity work, but some day cars like this will be worth something - as soon as people realize how soulless new cars are, and that they can't build something that even LOOKS classic no matter how they might try (and I don't expect that). Obviously, don't get me started on the state of car makers (including - maybe especially, Jaguar) these days!

 

Welcome to the REAL world of motoring.
LL that as my one dodgy a;;ows, fun will be had.

BUT

That hose to the dizzy cap is NOT, repeat, NOT a VAC hose. It is a DRAFT vent for the cap and attaches to the Inlet of the AAV, which draws its air from the clean side of the B Bank air cleaner assembly.

Picky I am, but little things can become monsters in a hurry.

Read the Stickies at the top of this section, and I do have a ***** load more PDF in the laptop if you are interersted, and we can sort that later, time for a beer, see ya.

 

If it makes you feel any better, you can get all thirteen hoses as a kit from SNG Barratt, as well as other vendors for less than $200. Certainly much less pain than kludging a system together. https://www.sngbarratt.com/English/U...20SYSTEM(12442)

I would have that radiator rodded, if you have a shop nearby. If you want to spend the money, think Wizard. You probably do not have to worry about the water pump.

The fans will be adequate, so not a high priority, but two things in that area ARE a priority. If it has the white main (hooked up to the fan belt, and it's probably yellow now) replace it ASAP with a new black fan. Probably good to replace the viscous clutch while you're there. For the electric secondary, there are better systems than stock, think Spal, but first make sure the flaps on the cowling are intact/work.

Find Kirby Palm's book.

Transmission is a straight up GM Turbohydromatic 400, so no serious problems there. I'd worry about the fuel injector hoses well before suspension rubber, there are plenty of videos on how to do that. Without ABS, it's not a complicated brake system. If it's not leaking, and if pads and rotors are good, replace fluid and bleed. Rubber hoses while you're in there, and look at the metal...

I'm in the Idaho panhandle, so not super close, but not too far. I have the Marelli ignition system, not the Lucas that you have, so I'm less helpful there.

Honestly, my priority would be coolant system, then fuel injection hoses, then brakes (assuming the brakes are stopping the car now). Anything beyond that, I'd have to look at it.

 

Believe it or not, a lot of parts are available from Rock Auto; with diligence you can piece together a hose set, or buy a known set from SNG Barrett. Get the radiator serviced, black fan, new viscous drive (again available from Rock Auto).
if you teed in your fuel pressure gauge in the line going from the body to the right side pressure regulator, you will see about 60 psi. You need to measure after the right side regulator and before the left side; I put it in the line to the right front injector (1A); others tap in at the fuel cooler.
I imagine a place to start with would be clean fuel.

 

I've downloaded a couple PDFs (might be yours, if I'm remembering), and will definitely reference those. I think what I'm mostly missing is a deep source on the Digital P system. I've got a good book on Bosch fuel injection, but while it's been invaluable for K/KE-Jetronic, it's kind of vague on D-Jet, and Digital P falls outside its scope. Anyway, I stand corrected on the distributor vent line. Vacuum/vent systems are such a quagmire on these cars. So I guess my question on that is, could that indicate a potential problem with the AAV? The dizzy was by far the most concentrated source of smoke, and I was pumping it in the other side (into the port for the brake booster). If you ever make it up this way (I live about an hour out from Billings - just a mountain pass away from Yellowstone, actually), I home brew, and I'd be happy to pay you back for the wealth of knowledge!

I think I'd go for that kit, only it says "out of stock." That brings up a big question: what are you guy's favorite (or favourite?) parts sources and brands? I buy a ton of stuff from Rock Auto, but they don't carry some of the more specialized brands. And I'm sure Jaguarland has the same issue as with German aftermarket brands: most have been bought up, and instead of re-boxing a part from an OEM (maybe even the OE part) as in the past, it's more likely to be from the same factory as the RockAuto special... The shop that did the radiator in my 931 rodded it out - said it was half-blocked (not surprising given the obvious neglect). I'll be taking the radiator to the same shop; maybe I'll get away with just boiling it out, but I wouldn't be surprised if it needs more. On the fans, I'm just looking at the price of a new fan clutch, fan, and possibly electric fan (although the one in there works - noisily), and thinking maybe I'm saving money and even time upgrading fully electric cooling. It does have the yellow fan on it...

Brakes are one thing I won't take a chance on: I'll take the master apart and look for issues, replace calipers if there are any signs of trouble (I'll probably throw a caliper kit in the fronts at least), replace all the flex lines, and bleed the system before it goes faster than I feel comfortable stopping with the hand brake! Same goes for fuel leaks (potential or especially existing ones). Being on the side of the road in a cloud of steam isn't a big deal; a brake failure, suspension failure, or fuel leak can be much more catastrophic. Engine fires that could have been prevented with $50 - at most - worth of new hoses take down far too many classics.

I'm hoping the ignition doesn't give me any trouble; I'll probably dig up a working spare control unit regardless. I'm a Ford guy, so I'm a little leery of this being the Trojan horse that sneaks GM stuff under my roof! But at least that makes for a cheap and easy fix (well, as cheap and easy as a transmission can be) if anything's wrong or goes wrong. It would be nice to have a more sophisticated transmission, but I'll probably put a shift improvement kit in it and take what I get.

I was wondering last night if I was putting the gauge in the wrong place - that the first regulator might be holding more pressure in the feed line. I'm so used to everything up to the regulator being system pressure. I'll have to hook that line back up and T off the right point - see what I get. Thanks for confirming that! I already created a cart on RockAuto with (I think) all the hoses - at least the ones they stock. But it's mostly URO (U Replace Often) brand. Hopefully they can't screw up a hose too bad, but I'll probably dig for alternatives. I plan to pump all that nasty old gas out soon; who knows but maybe the injectors are gummed up, and a good cleaning is most of what it needs.

Anyway, thanks for all the input, and I'll keep updating as I (hopefully) progress soon!

 

FWIW, I have had good luck with the URO brand stuff, and I believe that a lot of the stuff in the OE Jaguar box is made in the same factory. URO hoses are holding up fine on mine, been on about 40,000 miles now.

 

Our days pf travel are well over. 2018 was the last to Honolulu and Vegas. Life goes on.

I will wade thru the files in the laptop. hopefully tomorrow, and post them here as attachments.

That fuel pressure at 45 not running is a bout right. At idle, 30ish is about the number. .

Getting blurry again, see ya.

 

I will second everything that has been said above and will add or reinforce the following:

This car needs to be stripped down. You will need the space AND be very meticulous with labeling/documenting/taping ALL screws and bolts.

Lookup and download the Kirby Palm book. Also get a a Haynes Repair Manual, they are out there. Might have to special order or look on Ebay.

Start with the engine, then do the brakes, suspenison, and new tires followed by climate control and interior trim.

Drain ALL fluids including gas. There is an access hole to the sump tank (under the battery) to the drain ****. Start fresh with everything. Don't forget the transmission and differential fluids.

Remove hood. Makes working on the car much, much easier.
Ideally you have access to a lift. if not you will need to elevate the car. If using heavy duty jack stands and align with lift points
Remove air cleaner boxes for easier access.
I suggest power washing the engine a couple times using engine cleaner as you work thru the following. NEVER power wash without spark plugs (new or old). Water and oil mix creates no-appealing chocolate milk.

1. Pull all plug wires. Replace with 8mmm wires from Rock Auto, about $40. New plugs. Many have higher end preferences but I am fine with Champion or AC Delco plugs.
2. Pull distro cap, check centrifugal advance (the springy thing should snap back. If not lubricate. Also (and this is important) the center of the distro shaft must be lubricated. Get some felt and soak in motor oil and put into the the top of the shaft. Also, you will almost certainly need a new vacuum advance. A new distro cap is probably in order as well.
3. Replace ALL fuel line hoses, especially the ones on the fuel rail. Also the input and return hoses from the firewall connections. And finally the hoses that go over the rear suspension cage.
4. Remove lower air dam, lower valence and lower plastic cover
5. Remove radiator cover. Remove radiator. (Good idea to have it cored, pressure tested). New replacements are expensive. Used market is available.
5.a. Remove header tank. Retaining nuts are accessible behind left front tire.
6. Clean all debris that was between the radiator and A/C condenser. Major source of cooling issues.
7. Replace T-stats and hoses
8. Remove/replace fan and clutch.
9. Check all wiring for rodent activity or heat brittleness. Repair as needed.
10. Check vacuum system against Repair Manual diagrams. Align as needed.
11. Pull air injection piping. System is not needed. OEM plugs are available from England, about $120. Others on here have plugged the holes with locking screws.
(Personal NOTE: I like the more cleaned up look w/o the piping however some prefer the OEM look).
11. Recommend refurbishing v. replacing EFIs unless money is no object. Kits are available online. Clean in solvent, New filter baskets, check for functioning (clicking sound when power is applied). Check spray pattern. Reinstall with n ew "O" rings.
11. Install new throttle arm bushings - originals were toast long ago. (NOTE: A little disassembly is required. They cannot be pressed in)
12. New belts are a must.
13. Pull and test AAV (left side, rear of engine)


That sounds like a lot, and it is. But it will be so worth it.
I'll address brakes and suspension in the next response. Others undoubtedly have additional information as well.

A couple for NOTES
1. Please do not try to do this piecemeal, or a little bit at a time. The car is old, it needs a complete makeover. Fixing only one or two things at a time will only allow the other systems to get worse. It could even cause a catastrophic engine failure or fire. Get everything with the engine and suspension/brakes in order before getting back on the road.
2. Interior options:
2.a. Reupholstry shop. Likely very expensive.
2.b. New seat covers from L Seat in Houston. About $1000 for both front and rear. Does require some degree of upholstry experience.
2.c. Parts dismantler. Hard to find color match. Shipping is likely expensive
By coincidence the parts car I am working on right now has a set EXCELLENT seats, both front and rear and center console. Camel color.
2.d. Wood trim replacement is available. I have a spare set that is in good but not great condition.

 

Brakes and suspension

High priority area of course.
Check booster, master cylinder and reservoir for serviceability and leaks.
Front: These are not too bad to work on and pretty straight forward.
I recommend replacing rotors, hoses, and pads at a minimum. New calipers would not be out of line even if the 40+ year old ones seem to work fine.
Also thoroughly hit all the grease points with plenty of fresh grease including the one on the front wheel bearings. New wheel bearing are not going to hurt anything.
Check all metal brake lines for rust, leaks or seepage.
Replace front shocks
Replace Upper and Lower ball joints. Lower ball joints require a spring compressor - BE VERY CAREFUL
Replace sway bar bushings

Rear: More difficult to work on. The car must be elevated. Rotors are inboard by the differential. Changing pads is not difficult. Doing more than that is.
If changing rotors and/or calipers need to disconnect shafts from Differential. Remove the covers (loosen/remove the compression clamps) for easier access.
70% of braking comes from front so may not be as much of a priority to do a complete re-do.
At a minimum Replace all rubber brake lines. Install new pads. Check to see if E brake pads are still usable. doesn't hurt to replace those either. (the [ads sometimes separate from their metal plate backing with age).

Multiple grease points on rear suspension. Lots of fresh new grease. Including in the hub bearing carriers. There is a small round metal cap in the top. Pry it off. Insert a liberal amount of fresh bearing grease into the carrier. Put metal caps back in until they are snug. Do not pound them in.

Check rear shocks x4 for serviceability. Replacing all may not be required. Replacing them is not difficult although a bit teedius due to tight confines.

Drain or extract Differential fluid depending on style, Moog or Dana. Re-fill to proper level with 80-90W Differential fluid and secure plugs.

Install new tires, balance and align.
NOTE: Make tire shop put wheel weights on the inside of the rims.
NOTE 2: Tires are a personal choice. OEM were 215/70R 15 S or T rated Parelli's. Very expensive. I don't drive at sustained high speed so I'm comfortable (and so is my check book) with something not as performance engineered. I also like a slightly lower profile tire. I went with a Firestone house brand 'SureDrive' at about $83 per tire and in 215/65R 15. Limited selection of sizes. I would have preferred about 225/60R but not for the added expense.

Going back to the engine for a minute you'll need to set the intake manifold butterfly valves to factory spec's using a feeler gauge. Get this exact. If no one has messed with throttle arms adjustments over the years the butterfly valves may be pretty close.

Before doing the next step make sure to get into the trunk compartment at some point for the following:
a. Check for gas odor. Ensure tank is not weeping from the bottom due to rust.
b. Drain tank and sump as described earlier.
c. Remove and clean sump tank and sock filter
d. Ensure power to fuel pump.
e. Replace fuel filter (behind spare tire)
f. If no tank leakage issues I still recommend opening up fuel sending access port on tank and using a magnet to try and collect as much metal debris left in the tank as you can. Ideally you can remove and clean the tank but that is A LOT of work.
g. Be prepared to replace the fuel filter fairly often in the first months of operation as the filters can get overwhelmed with the amount of old gas debris and gunk that is being sent into the system with the introduction of tankfulls of new fresh gas.

f.
With all of this completed it is now time to correctly set the Timing. Do NOT do this with the car on jack stands. The timing marks are on the bottom of the engine. Need about 3 people. One to hold the rpms steady at 3000, one to read the timing light against the marks, and one to make adjustments with the vernier screw on the side of the Distributor.

Once complete re-install the plastic lower cover, the valance cover and then the lower airdam.

At this point assuming no new issues with exhaust, starters, etc.... the car will really feel alive and be ready for driving. It will feel like night and day from when you started refurbishing it.

A couple other points of possible preventive maintenance given its age.
Catalytic convertors can with age degrade and collapse on the inside. Car will not run with collapsed Cats. OEM the car has 2 per side. I removed OEM and replaced with one new cat on each side. I also deleted the resonators at the every end as they had pin holes in them. Installed much better looking exhaust tips at that time. These minor changes improved engine breathing and performance. Not in a neck breaking way but still noticeable. Car has a slightly more noticeable grumble/growl at idle but in no way sounds like a US muscle car.

Some may consider these instruction as overkill but one way or another you are going to do all of them at some point in order for the car to run correctly with no issues and be reliable. Best to knock them all out in a systematic consolidated program to minimize workload.

 

Hmmm. That motors looks a lot like mine when i got it, nasty, grungy, hacked on here and there. The hole in the dash was from the PO losing the key to the glovebox, he figured he could get in that way.







The advice given by others above is worth following. My car had been messed with, motor, suspension, wiring, interior:






However, if you decide its more trouble than its worth,

there are options, after getting the motor out, and evaluating the whole situation, the interior was repaired, the fronts suspension was rebuilt and well, I figured discretion was the better part of valor, ease of future maintenance and fiscal prudence::



Cold air intake from the cowl

lots of room to work on it

 

Absolutely concur with BradsCat thoughtful recommendations.....Do it all, and you will be happy (and will have dodged a few bullets too)

 

Thanks for that laundry list, BradsCat - I'll have to put together a laundry list to make sure I don't forget anything.

"By coincidence the parts car I am working on right now has a set EXCELLENT seats, both front and rear and center console. Camel color."

My interior's black, so unless I were to do a whole interior swap... And I already picked up a pair of power seats out of a 90s XJS, in black, pretty good shape (much better condition, and look to be more comfortable than even a good set of earlier ones). I considered getting all the electronics, but two things really stand in the way. First, it would be a bear of a wiring job. Second, the place I got the seats from (Standberg's) said the control unit is something that somebody always snaps up, so finding a good pair would take time and money. Instead, my plan is to set up a relay to power everything when the engine is running, and use a switch assembly from something like a 90s Crown Vic to control it all. It looks like those are all straight-up, no relays or electronics to worry about, so that should make it as easy as it possibly could be.

I do have a shop to work in now; I wish I had a lift... I will be digging in and down to get to anything that's a high failure item or deferred maintenance; I'd like to have it all done in a few weeks, which might be aggressive, but I work a week or two a month out of state, and the rest of my time is my own (mostly). I like this kind of stuff well enough that I'd like to take on a couple projects like this a year if I could turn around and make some money on it. Unfortunately, I suspect I need to be finding nicer cars that sat in someone's garage as a starting point, but I'm also working to find the third way - to hopefully build a path to making cars like this presentable and reliable without having to sink a pile of money into them. Unfortunately, there's a dearth of mechanics who even have the skills to make a car like this run right, and that kills the deal for the people who can't DIY. I'm getting a little off-track, but I watch movies like American Graffiti, where the streets were like art exhibits; even pedestrian cars stood out. Now the only vehicles that stand out are cars that cost as much as a house, and hideous jacked-up trucks, often (not always) driven by mental midgets. I might not change anything putting a couple classics back on the road every year, but it's better than crying in my beer over it...

So, here's some updates. I drained the gas tank, running the fuel pump until it stopped flowing. Surprisingly, there was only a gallon or so left in it. The gas tank might have been empty when I first checked it over; I put a couple gallons in it along with some Techron before I started when I was evaluating it. I haven't seen any signs of fuel leaks or smelled gas in it, so I think it just had almost no gas in it to start with. With most of the old stuff out, I put three-ish gallons of fresh gas in along with a healthy dose of Berryman B12 and Techron. Unlike my 931, it hadn't sat that long before I got it, and the old gas was yellow, not brown, so I don't suspect rust in the tank. My plan there is to run a tank or two through it, then change the fuel filter (I figure as long as the filter's not blocked, it's a good idea to let it catch anything that breaks free, then put a fresh filter in). I started it, and it was pretty much as the last time it ran: it'll chug along at idle, but I can't get it to rev one bit. Static fuel pressure, with the gauge moved to AFTER the first pressure regulator still seems high: 40PSI static, and fluctuating around 35 PSI while it's chugging at idle. I think that's too high, but I still can't find a definite number. I might hook my mighty-vac to the left regulator while it's chugging and see what that does to the fuel pressure and if it makes a difference in how it runs. It's holding 15-20 PSI after a couple days, so I think that means the pressure regulators aren't ruptured at least. My first priority is to get it running well enough to drive it into the shop so I don't have to get help pushing it. One thing I found yesterday, there's a vacuum/air modulator of some kind that looks like it's fallen out of the air pump (which seems to have seized, so I took all the tension off the belt). I'm not sure if that could cause a vacuum leak; I didn't see any smoke from it when I smoke-tested it.

Going forward, once I get it into the shop, I plan to take the intakes off, tear into the cooling system, and get compression checks done this week. Oh, but I should definitely drain and flush the cooling system before I bring it inside... I feel like I should get some parts coming, but I know there's a chance of a bad cylinder, or several. But as long as it's good enough to run, I'm not going to worry too much if one or two cylinders are a little off. I've put 7000 miles on my 931, drinking oil and always starting on three cylinders; leakdown checks show three out of four cylinders are in BAD shape, but it drives great and gets better mileage than my other cars (increasingly a concern). Hopefully it all checks out; if it's just "that's not great" on a cylinder or two, I'll press on, but no point in plunging forward if it's got serious issues. There's a yard in Centralia WI (Standberg's Auto) that's got over a dozen XJ-Ss, so I bet I could scare up a solid engine from them, if need be. Or, if it's cheap enough, I'd be tempted to upgrade to the later engine and transmission... But that's pie in the sky for now. Assuming compression is good, I'll focus on the brakes, cooling system, vacuum hoses (I doubt it'll run right until that's all taken care of) and injection. One other thing I'll probably check sooner rather than later is the injectors - make sure I don't have leakers, and the spray patterns are ok.

 

I suspect your distributor centrifugal advance is stuck /seized. Your vacuum advance is probably toast as well. This is a priority fix.

Gas is encouraging but still recommend removing and cleaning sump tank and sock filter. Fuel pump is obviously working. Won't hurt anything to replace fuel filter several times through process. Its an old car.
Strongly recommend:
Pulling all EFIs and refurbishing them: new filter baskets, clean in solvent, test for proper operating and spray pattern, new "O" rings. Re-install. I got new hose ferrules from Milton Industries. I don't like the look of all those screw type compression clamps.
Remove radiator valance and pull radiator.. If you don't send it out for service Thoroughly flush several times with boiling water. Clean out all debris in radiator fins and between radiator and A/C condenser.
MUST replace old fan. New black plastic bladed fan with clutch.
New "T" stats and all hoses. Unless you have a water pump issue your cooling issues will be solved.
New fuel line hoses as mentioned before. Don't forget the ones by the back cage. They are old and can easily get a micro crack causing you to lose gas at a very rapid rate,
Don't forget new throttle shaft rubber bushings and then the butterfly valve gap settings
Plugs, 8mm wires from Rock Auto, and a new distro cap. Once properly timed you won't believe how good it sounds and feels.

Please don't spare a penny on new brakes and hoses. I wouldn't trust 40 year old calipers unless I knew their complete history. New brake line hoses are critical. Two in the front, one in the back. Good bleed job.

Hit ALL the grease points plus the rear wheel hubs.
At this point your car will feel like you did when you were 18 years old.

Your '90 seats sound good. Are you sure they are power seats and not heated seats?

The 80s era smog emissions air pump is not required. I pulled mine and replaced it with an idler pulley. Replacement pulleys are cheap and plentiful.

 

IIRC 35 psi fuel pressure is about right. That's why having good hoses installed is so critical. Any cracks or leaks will spray fuel everywhere fast.
7mm plug wires are not enough insulation to prevent arching. ( Years ago I closed the garage and started the car. The engine compartment looked like the aurora borealis. Scared me to death. Replaced them with 8mm wires. Problem gone.

NOTEL engine fires from leaking or cracked fuel rail hoses and arching from plug wires were the leading cause of engine fires in these cars. usually the wiring and hoses needed replacing but otherwise the car was fine. Still many went straight to the junk yard in that shape..

 

Here are some PDF's as promised.

That above is a MUST DO, and I have been there, both the XJS and the S2 beasts, many man hours, glad I was younger then.

I will post as batches, as the system gets upset with too many, and my eye gives me the heebies real quick.

Lots fun in your future, about 12 months i real time.

 

Next batch,

 

BTW, a heads up, the way your original photos are posted, your entire photo album is accessible.

That 924 interior looks like a bad acid trip.

Doug

 

Batch #3.
Thats all the PDF's,
I will wade through the 2 hard drives, as I can, coz I noticed some write ups in Word format, which this system does not accept. I will convert to PDF and post accordingly.

 

Afew more before I call it a night.

That fuel pressure, MOVE ON McDuff. 32 -35 at SMOOTH idle is normal, the vac thing controls that. Stand on it, the vac DROPS, the pressure goes to 40ish, and the rocket is launched, hang on, dont forget your "brave pills".Your market got the 11.5:1 comp engine, the Rest of the World got the real deal 12.5:1 comp engine, something to do with the fuel available and emissions, dunno.
With a rough idle, the vac is all over the place, and that vac thing reacts accordingly, and the engine runs like *****, duh.

ALSO

It is NOT a V12, that was a marketing thing, luv those people, not. It is a Double Six, AKA, 2 In Line 6cyl on a common crankcase. Look at the firing order, 1.5.3.6.2.4 A Bank, with 6.2.4.1.5.3 B Bank siamesed in after 1A. That is why it is soooooo smooth., and has torque to burn, and soooooo bloody simple to live with, ONCE ya got Freddy Fiddler out of it, and sorted all his screw ups.

 

Thanks Grant,
These files are awesome.
Along with Greg, Doug and RTK these are the REAL DEAL Guru's here.

Beartooth.......the best Jag XJS V-12 knowledge in the world is here on this site. I doubt there is any issue with these cars that the guys above cannot advise on.
Doubtful to find a local guy. These cars have been out of production for over 30 years so odds of finding a local guy are low.
Please don't try to take shortcuts when refurbishing your car. Invariably the shortcuts will lead to more problems and expense.
White with a dark blue interior is a sharp color combo. If your seats need new leather I suggest looking at L Seat in Houston, TX.