When I first got my XJ40, I had a slight leak from the water pump to water rail hose, which was solved by tightening up the clamp. The hoses still look a bit aged and will need to be replaced. Also, the antifreeze in the expansion tank has quite a bit of floating matter in it, and the last documented coolant change was in 2000!

So I ordered all 12 or so hoses under the hood, including a new genuine Jaguar thermostat and gasket from the dealer. (~$85 Ouch!)

I'm also getting the Jaguar yellow antifreeze from the dealer.

Does a bottle of Bar's Leak need to be added to the system like the manual states? Should I flush the system with clean water, or should I be using a flushing chemical as well? Are the block drain plugs easy to get to, or should I just drain and refill from the radiator?

Any tips on the job?

Thanks,
Nick

 

You can flush with water, yes use the bars. Plugs you can get to, that doesn't mean they will come out easy though.

There is a short about 8inch or less hose that goes under the intake manifold, beast of a job, but be sure you replace it.

 

That short hose was the one that was leaking a little on me. It looks to be a complete bear to replace. The manual says to remove the air filter box, hopefully that, a little soap solution on the inside on the hoses, and a universal joint to tighten the clamps might help out.

I'll be sure to get the Bar's Leaks as well.

Thanks,
Nick

 

You will need to remove a lot of things besides that air filter to do the job right, including backing off the intake manifold. Those bolts need to be torqued correctly when putting back as well.
If that hose goes you'll be stranded or worse...blown motor. So get at it first. After you do that job, mostly everything else on that Jag besides replacing and/or fixing a tranny or engine will be cake. Where are you in Rhode Island?

 

Thanks again. I'm in Cranston, and interestingly enough, the car lived up in the White Mountains for about 8 years. The car was my great aunt's who bought it 2 years old in Florida, and brought it to NH when she owned her Motor Inn up in Twin Mountain, Coos County. She brought it back to RI when she moved back, and she wanted a new Mercedes convertible to replace her summertime Jag. That's where my story with it begins.

Thanks for the info on that hose. It sounds pretty critical! I'll be sure to take my time with it and get it done right.

Nick

 

Hi Nick

FWIW you might consider looking at a thread I had " my Jag let me sit" the initial part was about a no start issue but the same day I fixed it a leak developed under the manifold.

I think not counting the 2 main radiator hoses there are 12 -15 other hoses in the engine and some are really only accessible by pulling the manifold. In my case I also did the 2 pipe gaskets in the block.

I would have to go back and look bit there is a hose kit available that will include all the little hoses for the job and it really looks and sounds worse than it is.

I'm glad I just tackled it all at once as I already had 2 other failures at different times and I should have done this a year ago when the first one went.

The web site is XKS unlimited and they sell a hose kit for just this type of job.

Joe