Hi all hope I am in the right forum, apologies if not. I have a chance to buy a 2001 XJ8 with 96k that is literally perfect save for it overheated. The engine starts and runs but has a tick. Compression check shows that 160 on 5 cylinders and 0 on three of the cylinders closest to the firewall. Makes no sense to me even with a blown head gasket or warped head it would have some compression. So what is my approach to fix this if I can get this car for 800 bucks? Is this a pull the engine and rework the heads etc repair or is this an engine replacement?

I can fix anything I just need to know how. Also this engine has had the plastic tensioners replaced.

Thanks Dave

 

My guess would be dropped valve seats. When these engines overheat the valve seat inserts can dislodge from the head. It can be repaired. In my opinion you would be better off finding a replacement engine.

 

The nikasil liners will also be damaged if severely overtemped.
I agree about finding a good-used replacement engine.

bob

 

What a does a valve job on one of these engines run? Any good threads on finding the right replacement engine? Thank you all for you input.

Dave

 

since you have a 2001 i'm guessing it would be a AJ27 so just find a used low mile AJ27 preferably with metal tensioners. You can get a good one from ebay. it would be cheaper to replace it with a used one then to do a valve job, and find out other internal engine parts are destroyed adding to more money.

 

The last set of heads we sent out with dropped seats needed 4 valves also. All said and done was $960.

 

with labor?

 

So my VIN is SAJDA24C81LF----- Options for engines and what to look for?

 

Might I just say....before you go shelling out big dollars, it would pay to have a leak down test followed by a digital camera inspection in the suspected
cylinders via the plug holes....you may be surprised or horrified, depending
on what you will find ;o]
Your model is an AJ27 engine.
You may get away with repairing the present engine which being an American model year 2001 which is actually built in 2000 which means it should have steel liners....unless somebody can correct this.

 

Nikasil was dropped fairly early. I doubt a 2001 has them still. I think they were a 98/99 thing only!?

 

These cars seem to have such little value, $4500 USD. Seems repairing a $1000 car will take you to that price pretty quick with lots of time spent.... What is the benefit?

 

$960 was just what the machine shop charged us to get the 2 cylinder heads completely rebuilt. Then I installed them back on the engine.

 

did you use the timing kit that locks the cylinder heads and flywheel? Is there another way to do this without buying the timing kit?

 

You think wrong. The cut-in date for steel liners was engine number 0008181043, made on August 18, 2000, at 10.43am. A US 2001 model could have been made before this date. The only way to be sure is to check the engine number.

 

Aftermarket timing tool kits are now cheaply available on eBay: 1997-2008 Jaguar V8 Timing Tool Kit 3.2, 3.5, 4.0, 4.2L V8 XJ, XF, XK, S-Type | eBay

 

Thank you White XKR

 

just quirt oil in the cylinders. if you do have a late nikasil compression will come up. As someone already said though I too believe you dropped the back seats. common on over heats when damage is done.

 

I have access to the timing tool kit so yes. There are other ways to pin the flywheel and lock the cams. Just do a search on this forum.

 

That date is for the Supercharged engines with SHRINK FIT liners.

The Normally Aspirated engines with 'Cast-in' Iron Liners was 00821(date) (0148 time).

Shrink-fit liners were tried with ReMan engines first (April 20 2000) and they had problems. The ReMans will have different numbers. The first one was OAJD 0001.

O=2000
A=Autocraft
J=Jaguar
D=Model (A=XK, B=AJ, C=V12, D=V8, E=V6)
0001 = Sequential Numbering

In 2001 the O became 1

I would not assume that all 2001 engines have liners!!! I would even check the ReMans!!!

bob

 

Alot of usefull info in this thread but I think we might be straying from the origional post.

He is looking at buying a car that was overheated with three cylinders with zero compression and a ticking sound. I think the valve seats have dropped and the ticking sound is the valves hitting the loose seats. As motorcarman mentioned there might be cylinder damage. Depending on how hot it got there could be damage to the bearings, and with the dropped seats there is the possibility of a broken valve and the damage to the piston.
I know we are all guessing but he is looking at buying the car and I don't think the seller is going to let him take the engine apart to see how much damage there is.

I'm looking at this thread as if I was going to buy the car. Look at the worst case scenario. That would be engine replacement. If you do the work yourself I would figure about $2000 for engine and other parts needed to do the job.

It also depends if you want this car for yourself or if you plan on fixing it up and reselling. There are too many xj8s out there for $5000 or less to make any money reselling.