I'll let the picture do the talking, at least this is in my driveway this time instead of two hours away where I just drove back from...

 

Hi Casper,

No fun! Is the leak in the hose or the plastic header tank?

Don

 

It is at the header tank. Just after the pictures I tried to unclamp the clamp and the whole plastic tube just snap without a lot of force.

 

If it's any consolation, the tank for the V6 engines here in the UK does exactly the same thing ! On mine, a little crack was shown to me, and it was explained that this gradually gets bigger until...... see your pictures. Actually, I had the car in for a plastic water rail leak and they checked the header tank as well. That was a bit of an expensive job. Why Jaguar persist in using these short-life plastic parts, I don't know, I wish they'd tell us !

 

Never seen the S-Type reservoir setup before, but that is an ugly design.

The shortness and approach angle of the hose will put constant stress on the nipple.

A longer hose would be better to at least relieve some of the stress.

 

Fraser,

I believe the reasons nearly all auto manufacturers have gone to plastic cooling systems are twofold: 1) cost savings (of course), and 2) weight savings, which translates into improved fuel economy, the result of U.S. government regulations (CAFE, et al.) that penalize manufacturers if their average fleet fuel economy does not meet defined targets. The entire cooling system in our '04 BMW (external to the aluminum engine) is also made of plastic, and the radiator, header tank and heater control valve all failed shortly after the warranty expired, so I replaced the entire system. At least most of the parts were available from OEMs and aftermarket suppliers so I didn't have to pay BMW prices, and I did the work myself. Given Casper's recent experience, I'm sure I'll need to do similar work on our X350. I think Plums' idea about a longer hose is a good one so I may make that change on our car to see if it will forestall nipple failure (that's an expression I don't like to use often!).

Cheers,

Don

 

When I look at it I feel less likely of the stress put on it. I was looking into this possibility long time ago since I have known that it is a very high failure rate part. The reason I mention non stress related is because at the back there is a bracket holding the hose before it turn into the engine so any pulling force from engine movement will be place on the bracket holding the hose so at the nipple area there are virtually no movement at all.

What I've been thinking is it is probably heat cycle related and makes the plastic brittle overtime and due to it's small diameter size and a good portion of the nipple is enclosed in the thick hose it might be trapping the enormous heat and dissipate at different rate than the surrounding plastic thus promoting differential thermal stress fatigue, wondering if that make sense at all and is it even plausible?

So buying a new expansion tank is probably the best way to go and I'm ready for it but before doing that is there way to repair it? Wife is pretty damm pissed at me already wanting to keep the car instead of trade it in for a Toyota Camry(imagine the burning passion of us car guy that our significant other won't understand inside us saying no but we can't said it out loud). I was thinking of someway of screw in or clamp in an aluminium tube to that area to connect it and then JB Weld the **** out of it by filling the void there to hold it in and help dissipating the heat from that small tube that what is left. Doubtful that method will hold long term.

With this instance I am ready to do all the stuff in one go. Taking out the supercharger to replace the valley hose, while at it supercharger pulley 70% chance will be change out too and since the throttlebody will be out it will also get the Maxbore treatment. Knock sensor will get replace too while at it. Just to double check our thermostat is 183F degrees unit right?

Just wondering if is there any complete list of gasket that is needed at one shopping list instead of trying to hunt down one by one?

Thanks.

 

Quick question, is C2C41300 the correct expansion tank for my 2005 XJR?

Thanks.

 

C2C41300=
Engine Coolant Expansion Tank With Sensor
Jaguar XJR 4.2 Supercharged 2003 To 2009
S Type R Supercharged 2002 To 2009 From Vin M45255

 

The problem is the tank plastic. Just change it. Repairs won't last. No the longer hose won't do anything at all. It is not needed.

If you plan to change the hose under the super charger consider replacing the EGR valve and EGR tube. On the S Type board we are seeing more and more EGR related problems as the car increases in age. Seems around 100K miles or so several people have had exhaust smells inside the cabin and EGR error codes.

I have changed almost all my cooling hoses on my 2005 STR which is very similar to your XJR engine setup. I still have the under super charger hose to do and I have the hose but am dreading the replacement! Man there must be 20-25 separate hoses altogether.
.
.
.

 

I would tend to agree with the thermal fatigue explanation of Casper.
If so, the component will fail on a regular basis and has to be considered as a consumable, shame on Jaguar!

Wouldn't there be a niche market to propose some selected components built in metal (aluminum, steel or stainless, depending on the type of stress and wear) for such high end vehicles? Even higher prices may be worth if life is substantially increased

 

So some carnage picture from today...

The nipple that is crunchy like biscuit.





I will be rebrushing the pump while at it...







Using this trick...

HOW-TO Intercooler pump $6.00 fix. - Lightning Forum | LightningRodder.com

Now bear with me on the next part.



Is there any reason the broken pipe section can't be plumb into this section using tee and seal off the broken side? The broken side is having a deep tube going down almost to the lower bottom hose part.

Now there is another possible ghetto fix if the top suggestion wouldn't work.

Thinking of seal up the small side hole and custom make or machine a top bleed screw fitting which is taller with a side angle metal pipe coming out to the nipple hose but this will put the side nipple hose higher than the rear top hose where my screwdriver is pointing. Will that pose a problem?

Before anyone shoot me down with "Don't be cheap and just buy a new tank" comments, to be clear I am ready to buy a new replacement tank, this is just a discussion for possibility of cheap and less complicated engineering improvement which will beneficial to many owners. The more I look at the parts in my garage the more I am thinking it the more it become feasible. Only question is that bleed screw's function is just solely for bleeing air right?

Please feel free to put your thoughts and comments and I thank you guys very much.

 

Some interesting conversation at the machine shop today.

The guy there said he had his truck switch the coolant from orange Dexcool to the green regular coolant and have no problem whatsoever. Another guy said the orange coolant always cause problem like turning into gel type sandy crusty **** if it is exposed to air. He is questioning me that why can't I just flush my all Dexcool out and fill it with the green coolant. It got me thinking and I can't think of the reason of why not. So is there any reason the Dexcool orange is a must instead of the green coolant?

Also I have something in mine for a more permanent fix to end this trouble for XJ and S type owner that having the same nipple issue. Just wondering if stainless steel will hold up the the electrolysis process or copper is a must?

Thanks.

 

Well got the pump rebrush and test that it work. Have to smack it couple times before it work.



Assembled...



Trying using this method and it failed...



End up just drilling 2 hole at the brush cap there and using those eye glass screwdriver to manipulated the brush.

The pump unit design is genius that it is using magnetic to spin the propeller so if the motor stop working the coolant will still be able to flow thru without jammed shut.

 

You might want to take a look at a mag wheel valve stem. They have two sealing bushes rather than being forced through like the regular rubber items. Install one, take out the valve core and you have a perfect replacement nipple. You'll have to hog out the existing hole a bit to fit the bushes. Bushes and nipples ... hmmm.

 

ebay.

they are non-make specific so you have to find one that fits your application.

 

I just had to replace the radiator on my A3 Audi it was leaking from the core
I spoke to my radiator guy as I wanted to go to the green coolant got a 20 litre drum of it for all my other vehicles his answer was the problem is mixing coolants you can water them down but not cross contaminate

If you flush the whole system properly I don't see why its not possible to change coolant type just have to make sure you really get all the the other coolant out of the system

It turned out to quite a big job on the Audi that's why I just went back to the Audi orange otherwise it was going to cost me more labour to flush the system than buying a couple of bottles to top it up

As for the piece of the header tank breaking of a hydraulic hose supplier should be able to sell you a brass fitting get one with a slightly larger that the hole drill it out run a tap through it then screw it in with some resin I used stag jointing paste on my old XJ40 when the stupid piece broke of the plastic tank on the radiator the brass fitting is still working ten years later about a $10 dollar fix

 

Hi Casper,

I am not an authority on this issue, but I've done a little research because BMW also insists on a particular type of coolant (Blue!). The reasons appear to have something to do with the possible interactions of phosphates, silicates and nitrites with minerals in the water (forming goo) or with internal components of the cooling system. The datasheet at the link below describes some of the properties of Shell Dex-Cool, which makes it clear that in Japan coolant must be silicate free, and in Europe it must be phosphate free.

http://www.mil-specproducts.com/docu...OOL%205050.pdf

Whether these issues will have any real-world consequences for most of us, especially if we use distilled water rather than tap or filtered water, I do not know. Opinions about coolant seem to be as unanimous as opinions about motor oil!

Cheers,

Don

 

Time to update after putting it back yesterday and a road trip of about 400 miles.

Supply I got...





The fixed...







Just see how long this will last before full replacement tank is bought.

 

Looks good Casper

I think you will be pleasantly surprised how long that fix will last especialy using those type of clamps they clamp better than normal screw clamps more even grab

Like I said did a simialr fix to my first Jag a 91 XJ40 Sov still going strong the part that broke on mine was on the radiator side tank so would have needed to buy a new radiator as no one sells tanks for these plastic tanked cars these days throw away items