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The XJR ARB is significantly heavier than the sports ARB. So I'd guess the ARB from the XJR has a thicker wall, resulting is a higher torsional regidity.
I love the way the car now handles. Just need to give the rear ARB new rubbers and all is awesome
I'm starting to feel it's just not worth it to replace interior bulbs. Every single area where I've done so, has either broken or simply doesn't refit without a struggle lol. The damn puddle lamp covers pop in solidly, only to jar a loose on the next door operation.
What did I do to my X308 today? I sold it.... Mechanic said it needed cam chain tensioners replaced & I decided it wasn't worth it. I was away for about 6 weeks & when I got home it was really hard to start. When it did start, there was a lot of smoke from the engine compartment. I turned it off & posted it on eBay for a very low price. I started it a couple times after & it was fine. But it sold & is on its way to Kansas.
To replace it I bought a 2004 XK8....
Fitted the new Uro damper/shock plates this morning. Just about the easiest job you can do on an X308, the most fiddly bit is putting the 10mm nut on the lower of the three studs that hold the power steering pump. The right-hand side one is a complete breeze, Less than 30 minutes for both even taking your time.
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Wow.. That looks like one of the first 'next things' after the timing tensioner replacement on my jag. Replacing the worn shocks and plates will greatly enhance an already decent ride! Have you replaced front/ rear shocks yourself?
Let's see... I disconnected the intercooler pump Monday at work. So while it's been very nice and silent running this whole time, it's amazing how much extra heat that's generated. It runs on average a good 10 degrees warmer under most conditions. I ordered the replacement and it's supposed to be here by this weekend so that'll get swapped then. I can hear there's definitely extra air in the intake under load, so still hunting for whatever that is. Crazy since I can't find anything at all that would allow as much as it's sounding in, gonna smoke test it this weekend with a DIY thing.
I also checked my trans fluid after getting to work this morning with the stuff I ordered. At temp, it's only registering about halfway on the tool. Definitely low. I'm going to top it back off before going home, even though I think it's possibly leaking from the connector. I hate to waste fluid that will drain out when I replace the connector this weekend but I'd rather be safer than sorry.
On the intercooler pump depending on the year it is the same as the heater core pump and in later years I think they went with a Bosch manufacturer that is alot less expensive as a whole unit by a factor of 3 . Your original pump can be rebrushed with part # A33 ( or a 33A ) X 2 X number of pumps with some of the special electric grease ( can't remember the name now ) on the bearings sitting on the auto parts store . This may resolve your motor noise without sourcing a replacement pump . The repair is very easy to do and alot of post on it and you may want to do it on your heater core pump now instead of when it fails in the middle of winter . Mine has 110 K miles and not alot of brush left .
Does anyone know of a brushless option for either of these pumps?
Cleaned out garage and got pics of lots of left over parts.
cleaned out the EGR and TB so I can replace tomorrow. started filling coolant system and hooked up the battery tender. Hopefully get it fired up this weekend.
Topped the trans fluid last night, and that has solved (so far at least) all my shifting irregularities. So now it's time to track down wherever it's leaking from. I'm hoping it's just the seal at the connector, which I've got ready to install this weekend. But nice to not have to worry about it popping out of gear or faulting into a 2nd gear lock on my way to work in the morning lol
Headlight indicator bulb: Recently the green indicator light for the headlights stopped working and according to the workshop manual this is not a replaceable item as they are LED's. Well as it turns out when i took the cluster apart it isn't an LED, its a regular bulb sitting in a holder you can only access by dismantling the cluster. This is the kind of quirkiness that always amuses me about Jaguar. Why use a single bulb mounting style for the cluster when you can use a mixture of plug in bulbs, internally mounted bulbs, and LED's all on the one circuit board to do the same job
Summary of the past couple days:
-overhauled alternator, new brushes and vreg from the old alt (old one died due to slip ring/brush failure). Flickering at idle fixed, now voltage doesn't surge when revving from idle, kind of impressed how steady the voltage holds now.
-washed and waxed. Naturally next day the car gets covered in pollen from the recent warm weather...
-while doing alt, hood closed from a slight gust of wind, scaring the **** out of me while I was lying under the car wrenching. No damage, but it finally motivated me to buy new support struts for the hood and trunk. Hopefully new ones help and it's not just a heavy hood.
-found leaks while working on the alt! One very slow trans fluid leak on line going to rad, and one maybe PS fluid. Hoping for easy O-ring fixes...
I replaced mine when I got my car, and it is really not difficult.
Find a long, thin screwdriver, the longer, the better.
Then position it in your hand such, that if you slide it along the strut, it will catch the little clip at the end of the strut.
Easy to practice on the new strut a few times.
Then you just need some luck, once you catch the clip, push the screwdriver slightly further in, then the strut together with the screw driver can be removed sideways.
I do remember it is easier if you support the trunk lid, and remove the strut from the rear ball already.
Eric, I can understand that getting the old ones off may be "relatively easy", but isn't putting the new ones on the difficult part?
The new ones just click in, something under the clip which you can pull out helps, but is not even necessary.
A pair of thin hands helps too, but really no worry, there are much harder jobs on these cars.
Fitted new ARB endlinks in the rear with PU rings to stop some clinking as well as new bushes to keep the ARB in placr. Mine were all worn. The new upgraded Moog problem solvers on the rear seem a lot less prone to distortion and co. Should now last the life of the car... Well, at least as long as possible.
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