I'm fast getting to the point of having to rebuild my BW66 transmission. It is definitely slipping and I'm nursing it now. I've researched and found this rebuild parts kit: Borg Warner 66 3Sp Jaguar Rover Automatic Transmission Deluxe Rebuild Kit | eBay
Does anyone have familiarity with it?

At the same time it would be prudent for me to replace the Torque Converter: BW T65, T66 Torque Converter - Cobra Transmission
Anyone every dealt with those folks?

I will also look into a solid flex plate. I probably have the riveted on one.

I'm open to any suggestions as to what will make this job go easier.

 

My first suggestion would be to not do it 3 times like I did…

It’s been 20 years, and the car has been mostly in mothballs for that time, so my memories are somewhat sketchy, but there were a couple of things I learned when I rebuilt mine.

A little background- we bought a 1987 specimen in ‘93, after a year long South Florida search for one that was not trashed. It was astounding how poorly kept the cars were, and there were numerous available at the time. We finally found a pristine tungsten/biscuit combo and were happy to pay a somewhat premium price for it. It did turn out to have some typical issues like faulty changeover valves, but in general it ran strong and drove great. Until it wouldn’t go into reverse. We decided to have the local Ft. Lauderdale Jaguar dealer replace the tranny with a “factory rebuilt” one (so-called anyway) figuring the car was worth the investment. A month or so later that unit had the same failure, no reverse. The dealer replaced it under warranty, and the replacement also failed. The third one seemed to do the trick, for a couple of years at least until it failed with the same no reverse. We had that one rebuilt by a transmission shop in Orlando, and it lasted a few years until, you guessed it, no reverse.

By this point, the car was not really being used so it sat for a while until I had some free time and decided to give it a try. Not much to lose considering the track record so far.

I had found a rebuild kit on the auction site, which I don’t believe was as complete as the one linked above. Luckily at this point there were still a few transmission parts vendors in the LA area, so I could obtain additional parts as needed. Sadly, these shops seem to have evaporated. The linked kit does look comprehensive, and considering that obtaining parts might be a little difficult anymore, it is probably a decent choice.

My big takeaways from the experience were, in no particular order:

The factory shop manual for the Series 3 is indispensable for rebuilding the 66. It was surprising just how detailed the transmission overhaul section was.

Unless you have a lift and a transmission jack, just the R&R is tough. With four jackstands and a fabricated cradle for a floor jack, it was do-able, but no fun. A large part of the struggle is the exhaust system.

I also built a cradle out of 2x4’s and plywood to hold the unit on the bench. I cannot imagine trying to do a rebuild while wrestling to keep the tranny in place.

As per the torque convertor, due to the difficulty of the R&R, do any possible preventive work you can think of while you’re in there. I wasn’t aware at the time of a solid vs. riveted flex plate, so the tapping that is now noticeable is probably due to the flexplate.

If my memory is correct, the kickdown cable adjustment is critical, and as appealing as it would be to seal the pan on the bench, the adjustment needs to be done first.

Sealing the pan was never 100% for me, but maybe there are good suggestions out there. I seem to recall using Yamabond…

As I mentioned, my recollection is pretty hazy, but there was one thing that really bit me, and turned out to be the thing that caused me to have to tear into mine 3 times. When the unit went back in the first time, it functioned, but the shift points were off, for no obvious reason. Out it came, and onto the bench for at least a partial disassembly, and couldn’t find anything apparent. Channeling the artistry in profanity of Darren McGavin in A Christmas Story, I re-installed it and still the funky shift points. I’m guessing this was delayed shift points but, 20 years ago, so…

The third time it came out I finally discovered that one of the springs in the valve body was slightly off-center in it’s bore, and would apparently bind slightly as it compressed and foul up the pressures. Carefully re-centered, re-assembled, and re-installed, all was right with the world.

Even though, at the time, I went to the trouble to chase down the originally spec’d Type G fluid, it seems that Type F is considered perfectly adequate.

Sorry for the long-winded reply, but those are the things that have stuck with me, and hopefully they will be of some slight help. The particular irony of all of the travails with the 66 is that, for all of the smirking reputation for Jaguars not being dependable, on our car at least, the one truly un-dependable item has been the Borg-Warner transmission.

Good luck with the project-

 

Hi Bill...
I've been selling my transmissions to a guy in GA for quite a while.. He's a good guy, and backs up his work.
He's south of Atlanta, so not too far from you...
You might consider getting a rebuilt unit from him...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/130479522454
Cheers
David
shop.EverydayXJ.com

 

HJ808 - thank you for your reply. I don't have a Series III Factory Shop Manual, but do have a Series II which is the BW65 transmission. It is the BW66 I'm planning on rebuilding. I don't think there is too much difference between the two. I don't look forward to either the R&R or a rebuild, but really can't afford a professional rebuild or the shipping involved. That may be a big mistake in the long run! I know it's been recommended in the Forum to get a set of wobble sockets to access the top bolts for the R&R process. Don't have those yet. Do have a Harbor Freight low end transmission jack. So that will help. Also found out that the only thing on the XJ6 that is metric is the transmission. Fortunately I do have those tools already.

David B - Thank you for that excellent recommendation. I won't rule it out, but the macho in me may get the better of me.

 

I’m not sure if this is where I originally downloaded this overhaul guide, but the procedure seems pretty well laid out:

https://procarmanuals.com/borg-warne...service-group/

I ran across the manual sometime after having done the work on mine, but figured it’s always good to have info from multiple sources-

 

Thank you. I did find that already. And it seems to be straight out of the Factory Manual. It's basically word for word.

 

I rebuilt the Type 66 on a previous SIII I owned some years ago. Definitely replace the torque converter - if the box is circulating crud from it slowly digesting its innards the converter will be virtually impossible to clean thoroughly. You may ruin your rebuild (don't ask how I know this).
Aside from that they are simple boxes to overhaul and nothing to be scared of; just be methodical and keep everything clean. I think the link posted is the service manual from ATSG, which is the one I have. The kit you show has everything you need - I think Cobra sells them as well.

I second making sure the kickdown adjustment is correct.