hey all!

So, I climbed under the car for the first time today (I've owned it only a couple of months) to do the oil change and look at the various other projects I have planned for it.
This planned projects included:
1) shocks & springs. I'm hearing "clunks", and bottoming-out the shocks, plus a significant "sway" in the rear on freeway ramps, etc. (almost an oscillation)
2) brakes. (questionable)
3) all fluids: trans, t-case & diff.

So after doing the oil change, I started spraying bolts with a penetrating oil so that they'd be easily removed next weekend, or whenever I get to the other projects. (I haven't even ordered parts yet). I got through the front with no surprises, or anyhting that concerned me about completing the planned tasks.
Then I turned the car around in the garage and raised the rear to do the same inspection and spray the bolts.
Here's the first thing I saw:
(left rear)


(right rear)


So I'd say I found my 'clunk'.
Quite clearly someone has 'attempted' a weld on this before. They did what I consider a poor job, however, in the tight confines and upside-down, it will be difficult for me (an amateur) to do alot better. I have some ideas though.

So I'm thinking I may NOT need springs. I'll probably do the shocks anyway though, given the high mileage of the car (108K miles)
Plus, I also found a leak on the right-side of the Front diff / t-case, where the half-shaft exits. (Anyone else ever had this problem? Know part numbers for seals, etc?)

I'm still having a hard time finding in this forum any previous discussion about changing the oil in the 5-spd manual trans. What capacity, where does it fill, etc etc.

As always: any and all help is greatly appreciated.
Or just commiserate with my unhappy find. that's always nice too.

 

Hmmm,
Looks like you got your hands full there. I'd take it to a pro and have them weld a custom frame for the rear sway bar brace.
As for your 5spd tranny, it takes 1.5 liters of fluid Castrol BOT 130M.

The drain plug is on the bottom of the tranny, you can't miss it and the fill plug is a hex plug about halfway up.

 

well, I welded-it up as best I can with it in there. Not sure a Pro could do much better, given the access.
If that doesn't work, I have another idea I'll try, before dropping the subframe.
I'm gonna shower and go take 'er for a spin.

 

I would suggest that you weld a solid bar inbetween the channels. It will provide better support

 

yes, RacerX, that's was exactly the idea I was having as I was rolling-up the welders and such.
So assuming what I've already done does NOT work, then I'll try that, as well as grafting-on a piece of channel over the top of the existing, to get a little more meat to weld to. As high as I am on my own ingenuity, I'd say I'm impressed that you're right there with me!! (haha, that's a little narcissist's humor.... )

However: Having just returned from nailing a couple of local on-ramps, and pushing as much as I wanted to in traffic, it seems I've solved some oft he woes I was having. Most specifically; the 'clunk' is now gone. The body seems a little flatter, but the rear still oscillates if I hit a bump mid-corner. It needs shocks. My only questions is wether or not I'm expecting too much from the 'comfort' springs and shocks, or if I need to be looking at the 'sport' setup, or even the Eibachs.
I'm always open to opinions.

I still need advice on the right-side half-shaft seal, as well.

 

If you're looking for a sport feel go with the Eibach springs. The ride will be firmer. As for the right side seal......replace it...lol

 

well, good advice, of course... (on the seal I mean)
Anyone done one of these?

As for the Eibachs.... here is where my sometimes indecision leaves me wanting....

I don't want to be tempted to go do track-days in the car..... but neither do I want to be unable to push it when I want to.
It'd be really cool if there were a simulator... where a guy could enter parameters for his vehicle and then 'buy parts', like on the video games, but virtually drive the car afterward to see how it feels / performs....[sm=headbang.gif]

I just hate throwin' down $900 when I'm uncertain it's going to be what I'm looking for.

 

I can't believe how badly the underside of these cars rust. I swear they built these things out of left over steel meant for the Titanic.

 

mine does not seem to have any rust issues, other than where someone welded it, and did not care for the weld aterwards.
I see nothing that I wouldn't expect after 100K miles and 7 yrs on the road.

 

Ask yourself this....Do you want a firmer ride? Your car has over 100K so i would replace the spring along with the shocks. Either way, replacing the springs is required IMO, so if you go with the lazy factory or spend the money and get something firmer....your call.

As for the seal, you seem to be a DIY'er, straight forward remove and replace.....

 

Check it out McJag


https://www.jaguarforums.com/m_34418/tm.htm


Jim

 

The last time i crawled under my car was to....was to....let me think...oh yeah.....admire the 6 liters from underneath![X(]

 

I am unaware of any recent work, but because it's new to me, I wouldn't know if it had.
I plan to replace the fluid next weekend, but judging from the others' experiences, I don't know how closely I'll be able to gauge the amount that was really in there....

I wish I had a better drawing of it all than what;s in the JTIS...

IS there a readily available "shop manual" for these things?

okay, looking more closely at the JTIS procedures, it appears that my fluid 'weep' (not really a leak... yet) could be from either the inner or outer seal. Someone who has done one, chime-in here: it seems the 'outer' seal (the 'easy' one) seals the half-shaft to the link-shaft, and the Link-shaft actually mates into the gearbox, and that's where we'd find the 'inner' seal (the 'difficult' one)

Now, I'll need to go do a little more diagnosing at this point, because it would seem that if it's the 'outer' seal, then I'll have lube everywhere, because that seal spins with the half-shaft.... right? whereas if it's the 'inner' seal going bad, that would more likely be oil dripping down the side of the gearbox.
did I get that correct? What I don't get is WHY the two shafts, and even so: why is the half-shaft 'wet'... why does it need lube out to that point? surely it can't be lubricating the CV joint? what am I missing?

 

I'm getting a headache. Let me see what alldata says....

 

 

teeheehee....
IF by the finger-tapping you mean "ok RacerX, we're all waiting to see what alldata said".... then I'd have to agree!
but it was so dang cool of him to offer his opinion , knowledge and time... that I wasn't going to look impatient....

(did that buy me any points?) [sm=hail.gif]

 

I think if you buy him a six pack, he'll be like putty in your hands........Don't go there[sm=nono.gif]

 

[&:]

 

I actually forgot, got tied up with another project....looking now..be back in a sec