Im ventruing into buying a Series III XJ6, Ive been told gaskets can be a problem at that age, and if it so happens that the one im going after has bad gaskets, what would the cost of repairs be to have the gaskets replaced since i dont trust Steel Seal or any of that crap.

 

Newcastle, I am trying to get my head around what you are trying to put all new gaskets on. If you are talking about all the gaskets on the motor, then you are essentially talking about rebuilding the motor, which then you are looking at probably about $5000 for a shop to do it or around $1500 for you to do it (as you will most likely have the block boiled, replace a few questionable parts, etc). I see you replacing the head gaskets, oil pan gasket, water pump gasket, etc. If you are getting that far into things, I think it is only prudent to just spend a little bit extra and get the motor back to 100%. But, that is my logic in how I do things.

If you just want the gaskets replaced, you can probably plan on paying a shop about $2000 to replace the head gaskets, water pump gasket, and the other associated ones. In short, you will be needing an upper and lower rebuild kit which will have all the gaskets that you are after plus a few extra pieces, but it still going to be cheaper than buying the gaskets individually.

 

I was reffering to headgaskets since i was told that after some age they tend to give out, and Id like to know what i may have to look forward to.

 

If the engine already has head gasket problems, then there may be other implications such as distortion of the sealing faces! This would entail skimming the faces flat. Expensive!!

 

have you done a compression test, is it boiling out smoke blue=oil white=coolant black=excessive fuel. are fluilds mixing such as oil in water or water in oil. smell your water tank does it smell like exhaust. with that said upper gasket sets are fairly inexpensive. the bottom end in these cars are build to last, mine has 144000 mi. and still have cross hatching in the cylinders. pick you up a H.G set from rockauto.com and do the labor your self. it cost 120 for H.G set,150 for the head to be reworked and 70 for the bottom end gaskets.

 

What year Series 3 ? Early cars didn't have the slotted blocks so crack between each bore, and render the engine useless from very frequent head gasket failures unless lipped-liners are installed to replace the non-lipped factory ones. Even with the slotted block you are talking about HGF about 80-100k miles, (probably !). Also the long head studs can corrode badly and if the head gasket has gone, you'd need to replace these. Stainless steel ones are now available from David Manners, I think, but not cheap.

How many miles on the car, and any info on previous work done ? I have rebuilt one of these engines from a bare, but uncracked, block, (I was very lucky to find one !!), and they are a lovely engine to work on.

 

Its a 1985 XJ6 Series III with between 105-120k miles (the guy at the shop was too busy to go look when i called up inquiring)

 

OK one of the last, so has a slotted block, (you'll see them when you lift the head). No cylinder liners to worry about and no cracking, so a head gasket job is relatively straightforward. A huge amount depends on how much care and loving attention the car got before you took it on. If it's been well looked after, then not too much to worry about assuming you can see what work has been done already, because it will need at least some work, believe me.

I would think suspension and brakes especially the rear, unless you see invoices for such work.

 

Yeah, it seems that the question's genesis was in a reputation mode. All Jaguars will blow a head gasket. All Jaguar electrical circuits will go bad. Therefore, Jaguars are bad cars and should be avoided. Logicians call this a false syllogism, as I recall.

Now, the issue in either case is not the cost of the material to fix either, but the labor.
High labor costs have doomed cars of any specie with relatively minor issues. The kid (actually a young adult) next door supplements his income buying them, fixing them and selling them at a profit. Shop labor around here is $125.00 an hour.

Now head gasket issues are found in many engines that combine an alloy head with an iron block. At present, my neighbor has a little Toyota convertible with that malady. Bought cheap. Part cost miniscule. Labor, intense.

OTH, he bought a pristine 92 Cadillac four door with a mere 100,00 miles for a little over a grand. Although, not Cadillac's best effort, a very nice car. Very up to date maintenance had kept it that way. Good car for a quick flip, but the margin is not big.

A guess that shop isn't very interested in a sale if the guy is too busy to go look. Caveat all miles are not equal!! Or. K's either!!

My high mileage 94 Jeep Grand Cherokee at well over 200K is strong, tight and clean. Most of it's miles by PO's were freeway flyer miles!! I have all it's maintenance records.

Jaguars are a ball to own fix and drive, ask the man that owns one!!

Carl

 

Yeah my dad had a Dodge with well over 300k the same year as your Jeep. Guess Chrysler knew what they were doing for a few years lol. Labor here isnt NEARLY as expensive. Expensive around here is 85-90 an hour. Typical is 75-80 and cheap but still reliable can be had at 68 at a reputable shop nearby me. However I believe theyre more American motor oriented, as I only ever see American motors there, with the exception of my Saab I brough there. And it was only 65 with labor to get a number of hoses patched up. So, if i buy this Ja hopefully theyre prepared!