My 98 XJ8L, which I've owned since new, now has about 71,000 miles on it. I have never had the cam chain tensioners replaced.

I'm now ready to have them done as preventive maintenance. I've read the write-ups & looked at the photos; I am tempted to try the job myself but I've decided I do not have the skill, tools nor confidence to do the job myself (except in my dreams). I'll have it done at the dealership, I suppose.

Here is my question. Over the past few years, I recall hearing "do the whole 9 yeards: top & bottom tensioners & new cam chain". I also recall hearing "just do the top tensioners; they are the only ones that fail."

My memory may be faulty on the above.

What is the current thought on which components to replace?

Many thanks in advance.

 

If you don't feel confident doing the job yourself, that's fine, but I'd still suggest looking for alternative places to the dealer... They'll rip your $kin off with their prices... And I'd also suggest doing the "whole 9" as well. eBay has entire kits available for ~$500. Most of the good shops should have to tools needed for the job as well. I'm planning on doing this to my 99VDP as it has 140k on it, and I took the valve cover off last weekend, and found that I have the old (plastic) type tensioners, and the secondary chain is riding on metal by now. I figured $500 for the parts, $0~75 for the tool rental, and probably a solid weekend in the garage should do the trick. Good luck with yours...

 

Agree with 'biteme' (wish I had thought of that)

A skilled independent beats the dealer everytime, except for scan-tool jobs...please notice I said 'skilled' - there is some scuttlebutt going around the repair industry that one doesn't need *all* the seting jigs to set the timing, and since many Jags need this repair, several shops are embarking on the project with incomplete tooling and experience. Keep in mind that there is *nothing* keeping the camshafts in time on these engines except proper positioning by the tech - no splines, no keyways, no alignment marks, no taper - nothing.

At 70k.....unless you have crank seal/timing cover leaks, my vote would be to just do the top tensioners - the rest of the system doesn't tend to give trouble, you're not at high mileage, and it reduces the scope of work by 80 percent...no retiming required, the new ones will slip under the top chains easily.

I'd use the money saved, to buy your sweetie a present - a romantic vacation, maybe an upgraded water pump, or metal tstat housing -

 

I agree - the upper tensioners are the main culprits here and the labor required to do just them is significantly less than that for the whole job. It can't hurt anything but your wallet to do the whole job, but the uppers are the ones that truly NEED to be done, before they bite you.

 

If this is an opinion poll I vote for uppers only since I am sure you have religiously maintained the car since new.

 

I did the upper and lower tensioners. The upper ones were trashed, but the lower ones were still in good shape - after 188K miles.

 

I never knew you were such a romantic addict?

 

It is best to do the whole enchilada, but if that would mean delaying the job, then just do the secondary tensioners to get it done ASAP. Mine went at 71K and things got ugly fast after that.

 

I had upper (secondary) tensioners replaced a couple of days ago at roughly 40,500 original miles. Original tensioners appear to have no cracks but I had it done to prevent future problems. Engine now runs like a clock. Jag-tech did an excellent job.
Try to find independent Jaguar technician, dealer will clean your wallet.

burza
1998 Vanden Plas