I was looking at JLR classic parts today for firewall bulkhead insulation and I noticed that the parts book shows four braces from the shock towers to the top of the firewall. My car only has the outer two, not the inner ones that go to the center point. I do have the plate at the center, but nothing attached to it.
I had a look at some of the photos I have of other car engine bays and they all seem to have all four. I suppose at some point someone has forgotten to refit them. The car doesn't seem to notice their absence, I think I will just have to try and track down and buy them.
Has anyone else had this?

Pete M

 

Got a photo of your engine bay; I never bothered looking for mine.

 

I seem to be missing a pair of inner braces!

 

Looks like it, here's a picture of my car from when I did the valley hose. The braces on the passenger side (it's a LHD car) are already back in...




But then, my car is an early one built in 2003, maybe Jaguar omitted them on later cars?

Best regards,

Thomas

 

Hi Thomas,
Thanks very much for your photo, exactly what I was looking for. The secondary plastic bulkhead behind the engine has cutouts for the braces. Yours shows four cutouts for the braces, but mine only has two. I think you are right, that the inner braces were omitted on later cars.
There is no cutoff for the inner braces in the parts diagram, however the secondary bulkhead does go through three part numbers. It starts off in RHD as C2C30763 then C2C33823 and at VIN H09526 becomes C2C34649. In LHD it is C2C30768, C2C33828 and at VIN H09526, C2C34654.
My VIN is H25812, so I have the last iteration. My bulkhead only has cutouts for two braces, so it looks like the braces were not fitted, and the secondary bulkhead modified to delete the cutouts for the inner braces. The parts diagram is not clear enough to show one way or the other.
I hope that is the mystery solved! Do any members with VINs over H09526 have engine bay photos to share?

Regards
Pete

 

This. Certainly in the uk

 

Thanks for your reply, but what do you mean?
An engine bay pic from an X358 would help to confirm that there are only two firewall braces after VIN H09526.

Pete M

 

My X358 V6 only has 1 brace each side. I feel short-changed.

 

Early cars had all four, later revised cars have 2, I have a 2003 350 and got 4, mt friend has a 2005,designated 356 in the uk and he has 2, also the ribs on the coolers appeared on this year too,