I bought a Jaguar manual but wondering if there is a good write up maybe with pics or possibly a video for a 4.2 head removal. Tips or tricks? Engine is still in car. My valve buckets have popped up and afraid I need to remove the head for press access on the buckets. I have purchased a stake down kit but a couple have already popped up.

 

Sometimes you can just bang the tappet guides back down with a bronze hammer. Just to be 100% clear, though, it isn't the tappets ("buckets") you're worried about. It the tappet guides....the sleeves that the tappets slide up-n-down in.

Not aware, personally, of a video for head removal. Others might know of one.

Removing the head can be a real bitch. It'll be stuck fast on the studs. Using a couple small bottle jacks to push the head off the studs is one popular trick.

Or, for fast-n-dirty, just remove the studs. That's easy enough and the head pops right off, of course. The risk is in breaking a stud. That *really* ruins your day.

Either way, remove the intake manifold before taking the head off the block. It'll be stuck fast onto the head and having the head solidly mounted to the block makes removal easier....as opposed to having the head flopping around on your workbench while you do battle with the manifold.

The service manual explains disconnecting the cam gears and such but we can help if you have questions.

On reassembly you can advance the camshaft timing to improve performance a bit, if you have a mind to.

Cheers
DD

 

FWIW .. I would take a long shot fix. First though, I agree with Doug wholeheartedly ..He gave you the straight goods. ( I inadvertently used both terms ( interchanged them ) Guide and Buckets,,, to be clear Doug is right,.. the bucket rides inside the guide and the guide is pressed into the cylinder head , the guide comes loose from the head (repositions) and makes contact with the cam)
I would try,... ( assuming the Guides are not making contact with the cam at idle with normal engine temp (190 or so) working quickly,..Have the tools ready to do the job. Heat up the head by driving the car for a short vigorous run, get back to the work area, and as quick as possible, remove the cam cover and start to tap the guides home ..may a couple of good heavy shots on a brass drift. Having the head hot will hopefully be just enough to allow the guide to drop down into place - just like heating up a tight fitting sleeve and putting it onto a shaft....heat it up tap it on. In this case, heat it up and tap it down. Same thinking The engine will get a bit hotter when first turned off and coolant stops cooling the head.
When I did this work on my Jag I used the plate style stake down kit - a couple of plates with cut in recesses. But I still had a noise in that area as the guides were loose and would rise up and hit the retainer plate (stake down ) if I were to do it again I would use the set screw method where a hole is drilled that overlaps the edge on the guide and the head material. seems to be a more positive way of doing things. Maybe use 2 screws per guide.

 

Write up on the alternative stakedown method alynmurray was referring to

An alternative XK Stakedown method

http://www.bitcon.no/~gunnar/jaguar/stakedown.html

 

This might help https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...gutted-150650/

Failing that, there ar quite a few very knowledgeable chaps on here that will come to your rescue I'm sure