Hi Everyone!

I have a stupid question. Does anyone know if there is a way to replace the engine mounts on an XJ-6 without removing the engine, or without using a cherry picker? Thanks in advance!!

 

Yes, good question. I would like to know this information also.

 

If you were careful, you might be able to position a jack under the oilpan, with a piece of wood to spread the load and lift the engine enough to change the mounts. Cracking the oil pan would be my worry.

 

Not on an XJ, but I have used an engine support bar to lift the engine in my MGB enough to replace the mounts.

 

Engine cranes/hoists I have known (and used) . . .



Best of the breed (at left) . . . snapped up second-hand and scruffy when I landed my avatar Mk1 in 1868.
But mine was 3 ton rated and I should never have sold it. Made engine R&R a very simple DIY task.
. . . one of life's regrets soon to be reversed.

My later alternative (at right) . . . thinking that hydraulics make for easier work. Huh!!!
The 2 ton rating quickly diminishes to 500Kg or less when the lift arm is extended . . .
. . . and those lower support arms are a real pain to work around under car!

Cheers,

 

Before anyone jumps in . . . I acquired my Mk1 in 1968, not 1868.
It was re-created and certainly unique, but not 150+ years old.

 

There was an engine support bar available for these cars at one time. Each end of the bar had a vertical pillar with spreader at the bottom that sat in the channel where the hood edge went. Central was a chain or something that secured to the engine lift brackets. I made, (cobbled together more like !!), my own, back in the 80s, (I forget what I was doing that needed the engine securing), but it worked pretty well. Of course, if you're going to remove the engine mounts,you'll need to jack up the engine with the engine mount nuts undone. So why are the engine mounts on the subframe and not secured to the car body ? It was a clever ruse to dampen road vibrations passed to the car via the front subframe.

 

The bar I linked above does exactly that...

 

Mine wasn't quite so well made, but did the job ! These things would have been a standard special tool in all Jaguar shops at one time; maybe t hey still are.

 

The HF bar Thorsen linked is fairly well made and would be fine for the XJ slug I'm sure. Early on I made one similar (from Johns Cars plans iirc) from angle iron, it's not as beefy as the HF one. That said, and this is just my humble opinion, but if I were doing engine mounts I wouldn't hesitate to use my floor jack and a suitable piece of wood under the oil sump to change those mounts. The above mentioned HF bar would be a little overkill combined with the floor jack and a lot less money and time/aggravation than a cherry picker. You could probably just pick up enough to tilt and change one side at a time.
After reading Fraser's post I think I made mine like him, from the specs in the Jag service manual at the time (80's).

 

I have that exact bar assy. It was less than $100 e few decades ago when I bought it.

 

Kind of like this one?

https://www.harborfreight.com/1000-l...0aAsZ5EALw_wcB

 

That's the exact same one. It's come in super handy through out the years.

 

Very cool! I think I will give that a go and see if I can change the mounts! Thanks everyone!!