I'm sure there is a long list of differences between the two models, but I need a crash course. My '98 XJ8 Landen Plas has lost it's transmission. (gearbox) I have found a lady that has a '98 XJR for sale. She does not know a lot about cars and has to rely on shop repair invoices to tell me about the vehicle. She did send me pics of the car and the shop invoices for the transmission R&R and other repairs. They paid $2500.00 for a rebuilt trans and another $600.00 for the R&R.

The XJR's transmission was rebuilt in Sept.,2013 and they drove it until Dec.,2015 when the engine had problems and now they want no more Jaguar repair bills. The XJR has a little under 115,000 miles on it.

I tried to research this but I'm not coming up with enough info to make a quick decision on the possible purchase. Would it be possible to use this XJR's transmission in my XJ8? Any help and even some basic guidelines on these two models would certainly be appreciated! I have VIN numbers on both vehicles if I need to use that for clarification.

firstchoice

 

It is theoretically possible, but not a practical solution.
The gearboxes are completely different, wiring is different and so on..

You would pay more for the labour of swapping than buying a overhauled box.

Xjr uses Mercedes gearbox, all naturally aspirated versions of the XJ x308 use ZF 5HP24 gearbox.

 

Okay, one big question answered. Mine is a naturally aspirated 1998 XJ8 LDP, so I guess I need the ZF 5HP24 gearbox. Were all the XJR's fitted with superchargers?

Back to square one. (almost. knowledge is always a step forward) But thanks to this forum, I didn't buy something that I couldn't use!

One more question. Was the ZF 5HP24 only used on the '98 XJ8 LDP models? Or are there other years/models that I could use for search options? It sounds like the wiring could be year specific?

firstchoice

 

Yes, all XJR except in the XJ40 and XJS were fitted with superchargers. You can only get away with the 5hp24. Only fitted to the X308 and X100.

 

It was used in all XJ8's/XK8's up to 03' and it should be plug and play whatever year.

Are you going to fit the trans? If so a few points.
Look into a transgo valve kit mentioned in a number of posts on the forum, this should extend the life of the trans when fitted.
Read up on the fill procedure. Ensure the correct fluid and filter are used.

Hope this helps

 

Thanks guys! This information helps tremendously. I was told by the owner of the XJR that her car wasn't fitted with the supercharger, but I'm thinking she probably doesn't know what I'm referring to.

Thanks for the tip on the transgo valve kit, too. And, is there a favored brand/type of fluid for the ZF 5HP24 gearbox?

firstchoice

 

You can also look for an xk8, they also have the same transmission. If it were me I would look for a car that was wrecked or lost an engine. I don't know about your area but in California I can find one almost everyday. If you can't find one in your area I have one from a 97xk8 that was wrecked with a rebuilt transmission. I don't know if it is feasible with shipping cost but send me a PM if interested.