Hello all.
I bought this 2000 XJ8 last May, read up on it, found all the cautionaries on the cam tensioners, decided to check the secondary cam tensioners and replace if necessary so it has sat all summer, waiting for me to get around to it.

Well, I finally got around to it. Ordered a set of cam cover gaskets. Pull the cover off the passengers side. The original tensioner was still there. Since I had to order the parts, I reassembled the cam cover,went to put the new gaskets in, they were the wrong ones and the quality was sub-par. Don't buy the cheapest gasket kits.
Got the parts, this time I ordered the OEM gaskets.
The job took me 8 hours. As previous threads have emphasized, take your time, be methodical. It's a lot of steps to remove and replace. Lots and lots of bolts 40 more or less on each side. Parts cost $186 two secondary cam tensioners and gaskets.

Hardest thing was getting the oil dip stick clear of the cam cover on the drivers side. I opted for drilling a bunch of holes in the bracket and breaking it off like a tab. There was still enough surface area left that with the help of a washer I was able to secure the dip stick when reassembled.
The new gasket set(Mahle) had the wrong cover gasket for the Drivers side, put the original back in. Now I have to keep an eye out for leaks.

The tensioners I removed were in perfect condition. They are much stiffer then the new ones.

Beware the if you flip the cam cover over after removing it above the engine, some of the bolts even though they are, when new, captured with a rubber washer, will fall in places that are a devil to find.

Make sure the cam lobes are clear of the valves,it's easy to do with a flashlight and a socket wrench on the crankshaft pulley. I was not quite there on the driver's side, re-assembly on that side wasn't as easy.

Now I have piece of mind.

Next up is thermostat replacement.

RR

 

Good job! I did this via the ziptie method removing only the exhaust cam and it was much quicker and easier, but sounds like you had a successful result so good on ya.

 

Yep, I also haven't got the foggiest of what they were thinking when they designed a way to attach the dip-stick somehow - that design probably happened after a night in alcohol-coma...
The dip stick on your driver's side is obviously on my passenger side (Australia).
I had the exact same problem with that dip stick and solved that problem exactly as you did:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...e-swap-266724/

 

I used the zip ties, also. I learned the hard way, put them on after the cam lobs are clear of the valve stem not before or you will have to cut them off.

RR