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Got a small bit off the parts car to fix a piece of trim that has been broken since I got the car - the seatbelt receptacle.
Even though this was the driver's side belt, the mechanism/trim can be swapped from the passenger side - not the mount though - the mounts are definite right and lefts.
To remove the upper plastic housing (broken) trim, you have to release the lower shroud first. Use one leg of a slim needle nose or similar thin tool to push the nylon locking pins out from the inboard side and lift the shroud over the two now un-expanded fasteners.
The lower shroud will now slide down enough to allow access to the two halves of the upper housing trim.
To get access without removing the belt (which needs a big T50 torx socket!), undo the two philips screws securing the seat bottom and lift the seat squab up out of the way.
The two halves of the upper trim which enclose the mechanism and microswitch can be carefully pried apart, and in my case swapped for the non-broken half from the parts car.
Although my car trim is doeskin, the barley part was a close enough match and much of an improvement over the exposed mechanism I'd been living with for the past 4 years!!
annoying broken trim (seat belt still works though)
I just bought a 89 XJ40 and it needs a couple of things and if you are selling parts please let me know. My parts I could use are; the little push in clip/receiver that holds the drivers sun blind in place (I do not know what to call it), the window wash fluid bottle, and the bottom part of the rear bench seat (I think your car has the same color). I may need other bits, but haven't had the time to go over the car very well yet. Thanks!
I just bought a 89 XJ40 and it needs a couple of things and if you are selling parts please let me know. My parts I could use are; the little push in clip/receiver that holds the drivers sun blind in place (I do not know what to call it), the window wash fluid bottle, and the bottom part of the rear bench seat (I think your car has the same color). I may need other bits, but haven't had the time to go over the car very well yet. Thanks!
The site where the parts car is kept has been through a soil testing summer, with drilling machines boring inspection holes everywhere.
The cars all had to be moved around, which was a big job for my buddy who rents the area to store his (and a bunch of other people's!) - "projects" ..
He finally came to the conclusion that he had "too many cars" and used the summer to thin out the pack by crushing a bunch ..too bad really, as there were some nice motors in the mix and most that remain are other people's fantasies that are definitely not ever going anywhere.
I hadn't been doing much dismantling since the drilling began about a month ago and when I removed the brakes/calipers etc. I had to re-fit the wheels after doing the work so the car could still be moved around.
This week, the drilling crew packed up and I had a chance to get back to it. Up front, only the engine remains in the shell and the interior is totally stripped.
I'm going to remove the exhaust system and various other underbody stuff, so yesterday I got her up off the ground and up on blocks.
I might raise her up even more when I do the front suspension and the rear end, but for now, it's ok and well supported.
The yard is almost desert-like under foot, 100° heat in full sun, dust clouds as soon as you take a step and thousands of lizards scurrying about everywhere. This is in the Pacific Northwest, traditionally a rainforest!
On the one hand, it's a sad picture. I hate for the world to lose another Jaguar.
But on the other hand, it gave me a chuckle. When we would travel through rural areas of the American South, my late father-in-law would joke: "How can you tell a redneck is wealthy? Because he has two cars up on blocks in his front yard."
About your parts car he might joke: "Lookit that thar! A redneck limoozine!"
Ran into a bit of a snag removing the exhaust system.
Apart from the joint from the downpipe to the underbody components, Jaguar exhaust sections are stainless steel with integral clamps welded to each component at the joint.
The clamps use a plain steel bolt and what appears to be a couple of plain iron half-moon spacers. These spacers, at least the one that needs to be removed next to the nut and washer, tend to rust excessively and freeze to the bolt and clamp, making it impossible to release the clamp (even if the nut can be removed successfully).
On my parts car, there are four of these joints. Two behind each rear wheel and two under the car just ahead of the diff.
Undoing the underbody clamps I ran into the first problem. Number one came apart without too much difficulty but on the second clamp the bolt snapped off with the nut.
Try as I might, I couldn't get the half-moon free. I even tried heating it up with MAP gas but it was rusted solid to the remnants of the bolt.
Finally I had to use a BFH and a cold chisel to split the spacer. Believe me, there's no fun involved in swinging a hammer lying on your back in the hot sun! Luckily, my aim was reasonably accurate so I managed to avoid giving my fingers a good whack.
Thinking I'd just run into a "rogue" clamp and the rest would be easier, I moved on to the one behind the driver's side rear wheel. Again, it was very rusty. With some pentrating oil and patience, I removed the nut and washer but just like the last one, the half-moon was frozen and rusted solid to the bolt ...so back at it again next week ...Oh Joy!!
Frozen exhaust clamp after removing nut and washer ..
I'm finishing up an engine swap between two Isuzu Rodeos for a friend. The donor car came from upstate New York where they must salt the roads nine months out of the year because the entire underside was coated in a quarter inch of rust and every fastener was seized. Removing the engine requires disconnecting the front 4WD components, but of course none of the bolts would budge. After attempting to drill out several high-grade bolts I gave up and just sawed through the 4WD mounting brackets with my Milwaukee Sawzall and about a dozen bi-metal blades. If I owned an acetylene torch it would have come in handy.
Fortunately the engine is good with just some cosmetic rust so I just swapped over the oil sump, cam covers and a few other bits from the engine we replaced because it had been run low on oil by the owner's college-student son.
Sounds like you had your work "cut out" for you there, Don!!
Thanks for the encouragement, would be a lot easier if I had power and my big jacks out at the storage field but it's all armstrong stuff out there I'm afraid ...plus I never went for the whole battery powered kit tools thing so I'm firmly fixed to the grid via my various extension cords ...
Hi Lawrence,
Do you still have driver door latch (exterior driver door handle)? Let me know the price including shipping and handling, I am looking for it. Thanks
Removing rear hub carriers ATM - however, there's a brake splash shield back plate attached to the hub carrier with a group of Allen socket head bolts - I don't have a tool to undo these bolts - anyone have an idea what size of Allen wrench fits?
Off the top of my head I don't know what size those Allen screws are, but I would guess they need a wrench in 6mm range. I bought an inexpensive set of male Allen sockets like the ones at these links:
Also, I have found that in a pinch, sometimes a Torx socket or bit will fit snugly in a hex recess. Maybe apply some penetrating oil and tap the screws with a hammer before attempting to loosen them with a Torx bit.
Hey Larry, Those are 8mm bolts. I had to use a socket bit on a big ratchet. But as you may have noticed, the plates are set up so you have to remove the hub from the carrier to get them off. Good luck.
Thanks Jerry, didn't want to spring for a set if I only needed the one size, have plenty of "extra" tools as it is!!!
Looking a a selection today, some were regular and some were "ball-ended" allens ...do they work in offset (45° from plumb) positions? Never seen them before!
Looking a a selection today, some were regular and some were "ball-ended" allens ...do they work in offset (45° from plumb) positions?
They definitely work at a significant angle, but I'm not sure they can grab all the way to 45°. The remaining thickness of the shank above the ball and the tilt of the flats on the ball are the limiting factors. I'll have to measure the angle the next time I have need to use them. I have both metric and SAE/Imperial sets and use them both. I probably use the metric ones at least once or twice in an average month, and frequently during a big project. I only use the Imperial ones maybe once or twice a year.
I just dropped in from the SIII forum to visit. Interesting, to be sure.
Too bad, the "donor" car looks so nice inside and topside. But, as stated, it will keep your "driver" on the road. So, that is a plus.
I was going to mention a cordless Sawzall, but, I see you did that. Some local crooks were using one to steal catalyctic converters from
cars in commuter parking lots. Undercover cops "nailed" the pair!!!
I've a mix of corded and cordless tools. Batteries are a pin to the latter.
You might invest about a "C" note in a small generator. Take it to the lot to power your tools. Mine was Harbor Freight sourced. I've another, a surplus WWII unit. Too big and hard to fire up. But features 110 and 220 volt power.
And, when all else fails, the blue wrench.
I think I have a set of those "swivel: Allens. Very useful. I like Allen heads and have swapped in a few in my 83 XJ wuzza six. Especialy where slot heads existed. I detest them.
Noted Jaguar expert, Dr. Andrachuck is in your neck of the woods.
At this stage of the game I have very little left to disassemble that would require power - I'm trying to preserve the exhaust system so as you can imagine I didn't want to cut any of the pipework.
For the "stuck" clamps I borrowed a cordless grinder with a cut-off wheel and managed to get all four released by slicing the bottom block and giving the clamp a good whack.
Of course the pipes are still rusted together so I still don't have the system removed yet - I'll have another go after I get the final drive shaft/hubs off.
This week I removed the rear shocks/springs and loosened up the rear subframe mounts .. soon I'll be dropping the driveshaft and moving on to the diff ...then there's just the steering rack and front suspension/subframe and the the cylinder head left to do before I call it a day and she goes to the crusher.
So who/where is this noted Jaguar expert, Dr. Andrachuck (and does he/she know anything about 40's?)
<edit> Oh! I see he IS an expert!! - I just googled him - he's a series111 guy from the local Jaguar club.
06-23-2016, 12:14 AM
