Hi everyone thanks for checking my post I've got a 94 xj6 145k I'm working on. So I've got oil leaking onto my exhaust manifold which starts smoking like hell when the car gets warmed up. After taking the heat shield off and hooking everything back up I found the oil to be collecting and running down the exhaust right underneath the first exhaust port closes to the engine bay where the manifold meets the engine. I've checked the cam cover and d seals and looked for a possible run off to that spot but it's all dry. So I toke my finger nail right where the head gasket is underneath the manifold and dug out little flat shards that would break like super thin wood chips which I assume was the gasket. =/ What do you guys think I should do next?

 

You have an XJ40 so its a 4.0 and I doubt its the head gasket. Your description of the leak points to the valve cover gasket, which is higher up. Easy fix by a mechanic or diy. A head gasket would be a way worse experience.

 

Yes it's a 4L I don't really get why they call it a xj40 on here when on the back of the car it says xj6. Anyhow I can assure you it's not coming from the valve/cam cover.. there is absolutely no run off anywhere. I actually have a video of the spot if no one's believes me I will post it on YouTube or something.

 

There have been 8 generations of XJ cars, from 1968-2019. As you can imagine the last shares nothing with the first. Your car is the fourth generation, which was known in the factory by the code name XJ40.

Head gaskets on those engines are normally very robust and not prone to leaks, so that's why the previous poster was encouraging you to look very closely before taking the head off. The upper cam cover on the other hand, is known for leaking.

 

Also if it truly was the cam or valve cover then how would there be fresh oil right where the engine head overhangs the block and connects to the exhaust manifold. I thoroughly cleaned all the crevices and areas started it up and ran it started to smoke. Turned it off let it cool down and that was the only spot where I have fresh oil. So is there anyway to remedy this external oil leak? Or should I just replace all the gaskets?

 

I'm not familiar with the small details of that engine. Your best bet is to ask on the forum for your car, which is here: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/xj40-xj81-25/

 

On the 4.0 engine, At the area of discussion, There is a O-ring in the head gasket that seals a port that sends oil to the head. The rubber seal fails and allows oil to come out seemingly thru the head gasket. Buy your head gasket kit first, examine the area on the new head gasket and you will find your culprit.


Larry Louton.

 

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...i-have-213579/

Cheers
DD

 

Post a pic
I own an XJ40, and an XJS 4.0 so Im familiar with the 4.0

 

Hi
Why don't you post in the forum for your car as you'll get a much better response, I reckon ? This one is for the original XJ series of cars built from 1967-1986. Your car is, as said, an XJ40 model, confusingly called an XJ6 by Jaguar who carried on in this way with a series of completely different saloons until the final XJ saloon stopped production in 2019. The XJ40 cars were totally different to the previous model with no common parts whatsoever.
Correct forum for your car is the XJ40 forum in the Classics section.