You're an evil suspicious man Richard , but you may well be right.

Hands up all those who have seen an exploded oil filter. Nobody?

If you had one one would you just bin it before the owner had a chance to marvel at it? I don't think so.

What's to lose by just screwing on a filter and trying before pulling the sump?

 

Yeah I know Norri, it's just that chucking out the evidence before the customer has seen it is unbelievable.

Not saying that it could not blow up, but I would have thought that the engine would have ground to a halt before that happens.

I really hope that the OP has nothing more than a sticky relief valve.

Maybe even try a run with flushing oil to see if this frees it up before open heart surgery. After all it is just a piston and spring type affair.

Hope all goes well.

 

Mmmmmm, bottle is empty so I read this ALL again.

On the 4ltr, on the side face of the filter block is the 2 oil cooler pipes???, and they have o/rings as a seal??. If the car has NO oil cooler, then there is a cast alloy plate thingy to act as a bypass, and it also has o/rings as seals, and THEY LEAK, and only when the engine is running, and it would look exactly like a filter having a hissy moment.

The oil sender switch unit is still a tad high on my list.

I have had on some occasions the actual seal of the old oil filter stay stuck to the block, and the new filter goes on, coz you can see NOTHING in there, and it will leak eventually with 2 seals in there, sometimes instantly, mostly at some future moment in time.

A flush is a good idea, and I run 1ltr of ATF oil in ALL my cars for 100kms prior to dropping the OLD oil, it is an excellent flushing agent, and I have never had issues with any engine with this method. I would certainly be trying that if it was my engine.

 

I am curious as to why the ATF provides a good flush? I have never heard this recommendation before for any engine. Just wondering???

Also, I would also be mighty skeptical about a mechanic throwing away a blown up oil filter which I have never seen with any engine. Seems like it would be something the mechanic would want to be able to show off.

 

Richard, thanx for your input. Yeah, I was doubtful & Donnie knows it. That's why the tete-a-tete yesterday. I've sort of decided on your latest suggestion...fix the pressure relief valve, then see how it runs. If bad, I'll have the car at home where I can part it out and recover the expense of the repair. If OK, I'll get a more use out of it before selling, parting or whatever other disposal. That does negate my desire to have the body painted, simply too much expense for whatever future the car may have.

 

Grant, I sent your last post to Donnie. He had found the oil cooler line & said it wasn't leaking.

It seems one of his wrench turners initially diagnosed the bottom end as being shot. When he & I started it and listened yesterday, neither of us could hear the telltale knocking one would expect. I have a lot of trust in Donnie that doesn't fully extend to some of his hired help. And I'm sort of in that same boat. You could tell me what parts to change & while I might need a little advice, I can usually accomplish the wrench work pretty well. The diagnosis, not so much. I hope that's my situation now.

 

Also, I would also be mighty skeptical about a mechanic throwing away a blown up oil filter which I have never seen with any engine. Seems like it would be something the mechanic would want to be able to show off.[/QUOTE]

I agree. trophies like that are something any "caring" type mechanic would want to brag about. I had some swollen ones in the shed a while back from non-Jag cars, with rather drastic mods to the oil system for competition purposes, and I simply thought no more of it.

The test one we did in 1966, was a deliberate action, just to prove to us newbies that things can go very wrong very quick if you recon an engine and get the smallest item wrong, the domino effect is very dramatic.

 

[QUOTE=sharay38;503120]Grant, I sent your last post to Donnie. He had found the oil cooler line & said it wasn't leaking.

I have just had a thought.

I DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER, but someone might.

Is the oil cooler on the XJ40 a "full flow" or a "by-pass" system. I am too familiar with the V12 by-pass system, and it has its own gremlins.

IF it is a full flow and the cooler is blocked, then oil pressure will go through the roof, and the oil filter will suffer. There should be a blow off valve somewhere, and the oil filter mounting block would be the most sensible location.

I may be VERY wrong, but it may be worth a look, and would be easier to sort than the sump off????.

 

[QUOTE=cuengineer;502979]I am curious as to why the ATF provides a good flush? I have never heard this recommendation before for any engine. Just wondering???

Maybe an Aussie thing.

I have done it for many years, and NO ill effects. The ATF is a "high detergent" fluid, and the 1 ltr will not have any bad vibes with the engine oil.

If i forget to add it 1 day prior to oil drop, I simply add it and idle the engine for about an hour, then drop the gunge.

I DO NOT like any of the "snake oil" type oil flush products out there, just have a sniff of one, it smells like "white spirit" or similar, ugh. One I smelt was just like diesel fuel smell???.

 

[quote=Grant Francis;503341]I've seen this suggested by Brutal a couple of times as a way to clean out an
engine giving problems. So it's a Texas thing too.

 

[quote=Grant Francis;503337]
Grant, Thanks again! I just sent this to Donnie. He's scheduled to start on it this morning, so he hasn't torn it down as yet. Once again he sends his gratitude for knowledgeable input. One comment he made is that he gets few Jags (true) at his shop, and has been basing some thoughts on his experience with other vehicles, which is quite extensive, including drag racing.

I'll have to make a little field trip about an hour south of here, to score some JD straight from the distillery for you. Interestingly, it's in a dry county, so you can't even sample the goods there. The taste testers have special permits to allow them to even test the goods.

 

OK, now I am getting the picture a tad better.

Have a good JD for me when next down south. I will feel it down here TRUST ME.

I will definately have one (hahaha) for you in Las Vegas next time I visit the family, which is possibly 2013?.

What grade of oil are you running in this car??. Many run 20W/50, which I dont like too much these days. Too heavy.

I have run 15W/40 in all the Jags for many a year, all year round, and now the V12 and the X300 run 10W/40 Synthetic, and NO issues at all. These mineral oils do carbon up and clog things. My AJ16 was quite sad internally when first owned by me, and now after the ATF treatment (many treatments actually) and better quality oils, it is very clean indeed.

After checking the oil cooler circuit, I would drain the oil, look carefully IN the oil for bits that should NOT be there, and replace it with a lighter grade, with a litre of ATF to clean the thing, no harm will come from the ATF, and see if the filter expands again.

I know I carry on a bit, but as I said before, bottom end failures are a RARE thing indeed. Also Jag would NOT have sealed that sump access hole JUST for an oil leak, they are used to them, so obviously the relief valve was either altered, or deemed not an item needing service access in the life of the engine prior to total rebuild at some great distance in the future.

I have been studying the parts book on this issue, I do that sometimes.

The by-pass valve in the rear section of the filter head (EAC2428) "should" blow off and allow oil to return to the sump in the event of the oil filter blocking up, although I do believe you mentioned Donnie cleaning that valve??.

I also believe that IF the relief valve itself jammed, and allowed such a high pressure, the pump would "scream", and would be heard easily, just like a stressed hydraulic pump, and most mechanics would have heard one of them at some stage, especially in the drag car field.

Then my sinister brain kicks in, too many hours under this MONGREL Rover restoration, and I wonder if it was all just a dud filter batch????. You did say he does not see a lot of Jags, so would only buy spares as required??.

I will keep thinking.

 

Grant, Guilty as charged. A few years ago, the oil pressure would read low at a traffic light, even blinking on the warning light occasionally. At the time I was using 10W/40. After reviewing the owners manual, and considering that temperatures in the Nashville area are pretty much within the manual's 20W/50 range year round, tending toward warmer temps most of the year. That seemed to have worked. The pressure would still drop at a traffic light, but only about 1/2 way between "N" and the warning red. Gauge had never gone above mid range.

It's early Thur morning & I haven't gotten an update as yet. I'll keep you posted.

 

NO guilt.

The Jag spec for oil pressure is **psi/kpa@3000rpm, and whatever happens below that is of little consequence. I believe due to the load on the engine being minimal??.

I would be doubting the oil pressure sender unit, as I mentioned previously as a possible cause of gauge fluctuations. I do know the daughters 3.6 XJ40 with ths "bar graph" dash, had an oil gauge that dropped to 2 bars at idle in "D", and when we went to the thinner oil, and a dose of ATF, it only dropped to 3 bars, and ran at 4-5 at anything above idle.

When you got a spare moment, have a read of the website "bobistheoilguy", and I reckon a whole lot of your viscosity questions will be satisfied. I get regularly FLAMED for running 10W/40 in the V12, as all and sundry claim it will spin bearings, crack crankshafts, leak more oil than normal, and so on. That car has taken the spouse and me twice ALL the way around the Australian coast road without any "evil happenings" of any kind. About 15000kms each time.

 

Grant, I will certainly be giving the "ATF Cleansing" when change is due. Of course, on the XJ40, the next change is now-too late for the cleansing. I'll also read up on "bobistheoilguy".

I just spoke with Donnie, who said I must be living right. Please take my description of events with a grain of salt (or a shot of grain), as I can't fully picture what he was telling me to give a more precise description or parts identification.

They previously tried blowing air through the oil cooler, which apparently was clear. Before dropping the suspension and sump, they decided to try compressed air through the block from the same access. This time there was a "pop" sound, and the air then flowed freely. Reassembled, and the engine has been running fine since. He's going to drive it some more today, before releasing it, then he wants me to use if for a week or so & we'll recheck. Once I have a better picture in my mind, I'll try to re-describe what was done.

 

Did you buy lucky white heather?

I hope she behaves during the testing!

 

Thanx Norri. I'm hoping my good fortune continues, too. Over the nearly 12 years we've had her, she's given me a few jolts, all of which turned out to be less dramatic than anticipated when incurred. One time she stalled on I-65 & wouldn't restart. Towed her to Donnie, who discovered the distributor cap was bad. The repair was less expensive than the tow.

Yeah, I'm sold on the reliability of Jaguar.

 

Be interesting to see if anything is visible at your next oil/filter change.

Probably not though.

I too hope that it now continues to run OK.

And if Grant has saved you from an engine tear down or even worse parting out the car, he surely deserves that JD.

 

FAIR BL&*DY DINKUM.

I just luv a plan that ends like this. Proof. without a doubt, just how forgiving these cars are.

It will be OK, it is a Jaguar after all, and British engineering at its best.

Give it a paint job, clean the interior AGAIN, sort out the oil you use, and drive it until 500k miles appears, and rethink what you will replace it with. I will put that JD on another Jag, mmmmm.

Anyway, enough silly ramblings, GLAD ITS FIXED.

Simple cars, with simple problems, for simple owners.

 

Well, my luck didn't completely hold. During the testing, the filter blew out the gasket again, so the sump will have to be dropped. My guess is that the pressure relief valve itself is buggered somewhat, so that will have to be addressed from within. My luck does remain to the extent that the engine isn't fried, so repairing the relief valve should give a few more years service.