Hi all
after a recent long trip I noticed I had used quite a bit of oil as I already run fairly thick oil I am wondering if its not valve stem seals

I had this before on a Benz 450 SL I owned the mechanic replaced the seals and the oil consumption dropped dramatically

Just thinking out loud as I understand this is a major job being a 24 valve engine

Have any member's done this job yet especially with the head on the car still

I remember reading a post on jag lovers where a guy substituted the original Jag seals for orange seals from a certain mopar model

I was put of doing it then but I think it really needs doing now any one remeber that post or can point me in the direction of the mopar seals apparently they where made from viton so should theoretically never wear out again

Just weighing up costs and feasibility

 

Mmm, dont hear much of this as an issue with the AJ16.

I have had issues with too thick oil causing "flooding" in the camcovers, albeit an 1985 XK 6 cylinder engine, and oil consumption increased obviously. A switch to a thinner oil reduced the consumption significantly. OK, at some later date the engine was dismantled for non related issues, and the valve seals were quite brittle.

The AJ16 engine is quite advanced in that area from that XK engine, so, again, I am not convinced the seals are the whole issue.

How many miles on the beast?.

I run 10W/30 all year in mine and at 205000kms no oil usage between changes, and I average 25000kms per year. Interstate trips at a whim are common.

 

Hi Grant
I was sceptical as well but have had cars with bad stem seals before she doesn't blow smoke when

I purchased the car in 07 it was running 10W40 and the day I bought it I topped it up with a couple litres oil drove it back to QLD spent the next 5 years trying to diagnose the off idle hesitation which was fixed by accident last year

I have been running a thicker oil as it was using the 10W40 pretty quickly got 250,000 k,s on the clock been running a 25W70 oil in it slowed consumption to a manageable level but drove it to Melbourne a month ago and used 2 litres oil there and back the car is over maintained and by a model specialist in Brisbane

Just thinking out loud thought about trying a thinner oil again but from experience when they are using oil like this thinner oil just gets consumed faster
I run sytem cleaners and a few other things doesn't feel underpowered starts and runs sweet first kick just uses a bit of oil its had timing chain and head repairs at 160,000 k,s before my ownership wondering if the shop cut corners and didn't do the stem seals at the time the head was done

 

I have to agree with the short cut theory, sadly it happens too often.

That 25W/70 will be giving the oil pump chain some serious stress, mainly when cold. I would certainly not be using it.

I had a BMW (sons beater) that was a smoker, looooong time ago, and at a $600 car who cares, the cops did, warning only, as it was not really that bad. I read about using ATF (1ltr/10ltr oil sump capacity) for about 1 hour prior to dropping the old oil, DAMN, the gunk that came out was simply scary. Did this a few times over a 12 months period and it slowed it to almost zero.

I use that method now with all my Jags, and have never had an issue, but the internals are CLEAN.

 

Thanks Grant
I have been using the 25W70 oil for years it's very well suited to the Queensland climate

I am also a member of an oil forum and have done a fair bit of research on oils and these modern oils have great pour-ability either way it looks like stem seals and with 24 valves it obviously going to be expensive

Maybe its time to let her go to a new home

Funny getting attached to a car as I am attached to this car

I haven't even done 10,000K,s since this time last year drove it to Melbourne because it has been sitting for months just don't see the point of driving it in bumper to bumper traffic everyday cars like this get boring in everyday traffic either way a bit of a dilemma

Ill ask the mechanic see what he says what he says

When I did the stem seals in my 450SL we just did them on the car didn't even take the heads of

 

Doc, how did you manage that?
Last time I did valve-stem seals (20 years), I needed the valve springs off, which needs a clamp on the valve to get the collets/springs on/off - so I couldn't do that with head on - what's the trick?

 

Used coiled nylon rope in the spark plug hole then carefully crank the engine with a socket on the crank
have also seen it done with spark plug modified to accept air fitting

 

Hi Orville,
Have you tried taking the cam cover off and cleaning out the oil separator. If it has become blocked up and ineffective, then you could be carrying over lots of oil into the intake system.

 

There are 2 ways to do it.
1 Pull the head off and replace the seals on the bench.
2 Replace the seals using compressed air (or the 'rope in the cylinder' trick) to hold the valves closed.

I used to sit like a crossed legged garden gnome on top of the engine to replace the seals when I was at the dealer. Most guys would just pull the head but either way works.

I pulled one cam at a time and reinstalled the head bolts with spacers (Jaguar special tools) to keep the head gasket intact when the air pressure was applied.

I have a valve spring compressor from MAC tools for VW cylinder heads. I made a 'J' hook 'bolt' for the front of the tool and drilled several holes for the spring retainer compressor to get the correct angle on the spring.

Something similar to this will work.

bob gauff

 

Thanks Bob I am 6,3 tall so not likely to be sitting on the engine LOL

The intake is very clean no oil residue either on the throttle body just had it apart to fit iscv

Just calculating the cost as it still has not been repaired after I hit the front gate post last year so at least a couple grand

I love the car maybe its time to pass it on

I have been looking at a 03 XJ4.2 V8 the guy is going back to the UK in 2 weeks so if I can snap it up for the right money and sell mine albeit for less than what its worth I might be able to update for not to much money

I am going to miss my XJR I have done so much to it and learned so much on the way

And Ill still own a Jaguar funny going from the first fully ford Jaguar to probably the last fully ford Jaguar although I had a 91 XJ Sov before the XJR thanks for the input Bob you are a wealth of knowledge as are you to Andy

Makes me not afraid to own another like they say things happen in three,s LOL