Ok I'm new here. I wanted a jag but I also want a reliable daily driver. I've driven panther bodies most of my life so I know everything about these motors. Very cheap and very reliable. I currently have a 1975 Oldsmobile 98 that I put a 4.6 motor and tranny into. Very strong and better mpg. So as you can imagine I want to know if anyone has attempted this swap into an xj8. I know the motor is wider than what we would all like. I don't care one bit about wiring, management, ect... that's the easy part for me/us. All I want to know is fitment or kits to get it in there. And yes I will be using a crown vic tranny too. The ford complete drive train can be had for about 400 here. As opposed to a Chevy LS setup. Plus id rather have ford in my jag.
Help!

 

Back in the day, putting American V8s in clapped out Jags was a cottage industry but I have not heard much of that going on in recent years.


There used to be a couple of outfits that sold kits and instructions to pull it off. Try an internet search or look in Hemmings Motor News. Chevys were the preferred lump but to each his own.

 

Thank you for the quick response! I'm aware of the Chevy swaps. My buddy did and LS1 Setup in his jag. However between the 2k kit, and the MAYBE 3k motor, plus more expensive replacement engine and parts I wanted to go with a power plant I already know. Been looking for a setup for about a month tho. The limited jaguar forums is making me wary of the whole thing now. But at the same time, I have a budget, a plan, now I just need guidance.

 

It might be better to post this in the X308 forum, the model prior to this one, as your car is that model series, not the one covered here. I have yet to hear of anybody 'lumping' an X350, as the engines go almost for ever.

Thank goodness for that, as many owners have to spend money on other things like suspension joints and air suspension parts. These things keep them so busy and drain their wallets so fast, they have no time or money to look at engines !!

Sorry, only joking !

 

I don't see the 4.6 being any more reliable than the 4.0 v8. Id source a used 4.o if I needed a motor..Honestly. Besides owning two supercharged jags I also own a supercharged 4.62v and a 4.64v...Just sayin

 

I've moved this thread from the X350 section to the X308 one. Welcome to the forum tmkikk.

LOL

Engine conversion on a '75 Oldsmobile is in no way comparable to a modern Jaguar.

There are no kits. You will have to make EVERYTHING yourself. And then have pretty much none of the electronic stuff functioning.

The jaguarspecialties.com kits for the Chev LS driveline work, only because he developed a CANBUS black-box converter to mate the Chev ECU to the Jag chassis.

 

Years ago, when engines did not last as long. It was cheaper for someone with the knowhow to put in a small block then fix the S6 ... plus it put out more power.

Somethings don't change -- the cooling systems in the old S6 needed to be watched and maintained -- and the head gaskets often needed replacement at some point in the engines life. Both items that would toast the engine if not taken care of ASAP.

With all the electronics -- it's better to source a used 4.0.

 

The Jaguar uses the Bosch CANetwork to manage a large number of intelligent modules scattered around the car. Even the driver's seat module must communicate with the ECM. The folks that created the LXx conversion kit built the computer to manage the car and the engine/transmission. You will have to do the same.

I have done a 2000 Explorer engine/transmission/PCM swap into an older car and can certify that the Ford system is nothing like the Jaguar system. The only remote module I ran into was the transmission's digital range sensor. None of the other Ford modules needed to be handled like the situation with the Jaguar.

Not only is the Ford 4.6L wide, it is very tall. Another issue to consider.

Please let us know how it goes.

Here are a few pages out of the Technical Guide to get started on:

 

It's also a step backward in horsepower. The 2V version fitted to the Crown Vics were 215 to 239 HP, depending on vintage.

 

Having driven a car with the 32 valve version of the 4.6L Ford for over 150k miles I can say that it is more than adequate as a replacement for the 4.0L NA Jaguar engine.

 

The OP is looking at using the 16 valve version. Big difference (100HP) between 16v vs. 32v.

 

I would like to see the plan for dealing with the security system, the AC controls, the dashboard, power steering, and so on. I would expect it will be a fairly straight forward job to make the car crank and go down the road, but after that, to retain any semblance of a passenger cannot be worth it for a one off.

But I can't wait to hear the results proving I am wrong.