Your compression readings of <10 and 0 suggest problem with the valves, not the pistons/cylinders. Even with a bore wash, you would still get some compression if the valves are good.

You can fairly easily replace the heads in situ. The easier way is to lift the heads together with the exhaust manifolds, just disconnect the manifolds from the catalytic converters. Take note of the following:

1. If the reluctors at the ends of the camshafts are different, they can easily be be knocked out and swapped.
2. You will need new head bolts (do not re-use the old bolts); the price of new bolts is now down to about GBP 3 a piece.
3. Check the block deck and the cylinder head faces for flatness - the cumulative out of flat should not be more than 0.1 mm.
4. As you will probably have some out-of-flat (usually you will have some gap in the middle when measuring using a straight edge along the block deck or head faces), do not use the MLS head gaskets but the standard composite gaskets.
5. Make sure that the deck and head surfaces are thoroughly degreased when assembling.

As the heads are very heavy, you will need a kind of crane to lift them up (and lower down the replacement heads). I made my crane from the Ikea shelving left overs and small cargo straps:

 

Wow! An ingenious solution to lifting the heads. I am fortunate (even though I don't have a garage) in that my stepson has a garage business and I can borrow his engine lift. I am doing a blow down test tomorrow, hoping that this will tell me a lot more. I suspect that my compression tester may be out of calibration, I can't imagine how the engine ran with such low compression if it's accurate?

I intend pulling a spark plug from my wife's car and see what the compression is on that, then I will know if the tester is wrecked or not.
Paul

 

Paul I've a pair of standard head gaskets you can have just pm your addy and I'll get them in the post.

 

Paul sent me a PM saying he will be out of town until next week.

 

Huge thanks to Sean B for the offer of the Head Gaskets, I've PM'd him my addy.

Decided to take the engine out anyway over the weekend, the 'lump' is in the garage. I'm going to take the heads off over the next few days and will post my findings, if it's pretty bad in there I'll attach pictures.

Also tomorrow, I'm off to see the other engine offered, it may be worth getting it anyway, I can move it on if not used? A week or so on the engine should see me ready to put it back in, hopefully it will start! Thanks to you all for your input on this.

Have a question: I damaged the vac pipe (accidentally snapped it off getting the engine out) from the side of the induction elbow that goes to the brake servo. How do I fix it, is there a special tool required?
Paul

 

Hi everyone, just a quick catch-up. Had a few bad days with health but much better now. Got the new engine stripped down to do the timing chains, guides, and tensioners, all fitted. I turned the engine over by hand 9 or 10 times to make sure all was correct and it's bang on. I have fitted new thermostat, temp sensor, oil pressure sensor, part-load breather pipe, and new valley water pipes, new seals to induction elbow, new exhaust manifold gaskets, new seals to inlet manifold, and new gaskets for the TB and down-pipes when the engine goes is back in. I've even done one of my detail paint jobs, as usual I like things clean and tidy. I need now to swap the gearbox over to the new engine and it's ready to go in.

When turning it over by hand I did notice the 'sounds' of compression in the engine, something that wasn't there when I turned the old engine over, so feel this is a good thing? I will be putting it back in this coming week and hope to be reporting very soon that I have a solid engine that starts and runs. Wish me luck...
Paul

 

Before attaching the gearbox to the engine, you may wish to consider replacing the rear crankshaft seal (need a special tool for it) and the seal-washer on the oil gallery plug just above the rear crank seal. The gallery plug is notorious for getting loose a bit over time and leaking oil. I just completed this work on my engine as I had quire a bit of engine oil leak coming out from the bottom of the bell housing. You have an opportunity to do it easily; I had to remove the exhaust, the propshaft and the gearbox, working under the car for a 20 min. job on replacing the seals.

 

A special tool is not required to replace the rear seal.

 

Paul, you might have had some bad health's days, but you did more in 14 days than I ever did in 5 years .
Good luck!

 

OK, a question on the rear crankshaft oil seal, as I didn't know this was a potential problem until M Stojanovic mentioned it, I fit my gearbox onto the back of the 'new' engine. The back of the engine is very clean and very dry? RJ237, can you share a bit more like, how do you do it without the 'special tool'? If it's worth it, I will take the gearbox back off while I have the engine hoist. Do I take it everyone agrees I should do this while I can, which is the lesser of the evils, change the seal, or leave it alone while it's clean and dry? When I got the engine I was given a Jaguar Dealer's £0.00 invoice stating it was a 'Jaguar Replaced steel-lined' engine?

Hi Eric, yeah I've had my bad days health-wise recently, maybe all the work I've done is the reason I had the health issues... hahaha

I was planning on new engine and gearbox back in tomorrow for 2 reasons, the health is much better at the moment, and (if you can believe this) the UK weather forecast is sunshine .
Paul

 

I can finally type some good news! I managed to finish installing the 'new' engine today, good battery in and it fired up on the first turn of the key. I do have to say that I think my old engine (even though I used to think it was OK) must have been on its way out for some time, this one sounds so much smoother and quieter, even turning it over I get a much better sense of confidence it's gonna start. After getting it up to temperature, I switched off and had a check of the fluids, all seemed good, so time for a test drive...

It was on with the bonnet (hood) to take her for the first run out in about 6 weeks, and check out the dreaded 50 to 70 rumble, which (after the prop-shaft fix) is where the problems started when the old engine 'died'. Working outside, no lift, just a jack and stands, on the concrete floor, you can imagine why it's taken me so long to get the change over done? But goodness me, soon as I got 2 miles from home onto an open carriageway, it all became worth it! I can't imaging this car ever running any better, even when new... and... the rumble has gone too! Driving the car at these speeds is so much different, I have been used to this rumble since day one of owning the car, now it's so different!

Thanks to...
Not always does everyone get the thanks they deserve, I have to give special thanks to M. Stojanovic for his help with the prop-shaft. He pointed out some things I hadn't read in other threads, and even though they were obvious after he mentioned them, they weren't obvious at first! The 50 - 70 mph rumble seems to be a common problem with our cars, and after doing everything else possible under the car to try and resolve it, plus what I learned from M. Stojanovic, I think it might benefit some others if I add it to my other thread about the pro-shaft https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...roblem-207717/

ericjansen, RJ237, Sean B, have also helped and consistently demonstrate why so many people on this forum appreciate their combined knowledge and input. I realise this sounds like an Oscar thanks speech, but without you people my old engine would still be in the car with me left scratching my head, I cannot thank you enough.
Paul

 

Now, that is some great news in the morning Paul, congratulations!

I guess the biggest thank should go to yourself (and probably your wife ...), especially considering the physical limitations you face from time to time.
Still wonder how you have been able to drive that car at all with the old engine

 

It was good news when it fired up Eric, phew, what a relief!! So much hard work getting down on the floor under the car, only to then get back up because you picked up the wrong size socket! Then back down again to tighten up the... you get the picture? But what a difference now, the extra power, the increased acceleration above that of the old engine, it's almost inexplicable how the old engine ran... but we already asked that question? Anyhow, it seems fine now, though I will take things easy for a while, treat her as a 'pipe and slippers' car 'til I get used to it.

I really must do that write-up on the prop-shaft, as I worked through it with everything I had been advised on, it was easy to see where I had gone wrong before. Now, the smooth power delivery and ride of the car is tremendous. Let you know when I've written the prop-shaft post, maybe I will PM it to you, see what you think before I put it on the Forum? Thanks for your continued interest and advice Eric, always appreciated. I will be heading for Veteran Membership by the time I get this car finished lol.
Paul