I have a 1981 XJ6 and found through compresion testing that cylinder 1 & 2 have 0 psi. I am sure the head gasket is ruptured. Is it possible to replace the head gasket without removal of the engine? Thanks,,,Jerry

 

Yes.

Get a shop manual. :-)

Actual removal of the head can be a stinker...as corrosion holds it fast to the studs. A bottle jack can be used to push the head off of the block.

Or, remove the studs.

Cheers
DD

 

 

Also remove intake before head, its really hard to get off on a bench! Plus adds more weight to an already heavy and awkward to remove object! I used engine hoist to pull head off with i take intact, then wrestled with intake for what seemed like an eternity!!!

 

albjerryg:




Think a bit first. How is the bottom end? Bores and bearings.
And, the transmission? Planning other stuff with the head removed?
complete head job, including a skim? The cause of the busted gasket, found and a fix planned. You think some or all of the studs are corroded and may well bust on cracking the nuts?? Rust and Barr's leak plugging up the radiator and coolant passages in the engine?
Renew the freeze plugs...


Once past that stage, plan the work. Or.....


Carl

 

It looks like from the pictures from Clarke the head was removed without removal of the cam and timing chain. ????Thanks Jerry

 

The cam chain sprockets unbolt from the cams and cable tie the sprockets and chains together.

 

Clarke thanks for the pictures I guess it will become more apparent when I get started. Thanks Jerry

 

If you look carefully at the top of the block in the photos on #7, you'll see slots between some of the bores. If you're engine has these, then you're better off, because this eliminated the cracking between the bores suffered by earlier engines (like I had !!). For these slotted block engines head gasket replacement is a simple job. For the previous long-stud blocks, there was almost certainly cracking between bores that meant just replacing the head gasket was a waste of time and lipped liners needed inserting, hence a full overhaul of the engine was the best option. A lot of US guys then just junked the engine, and lumped the car with a super-reliable US-made V8.

 

Well some good news , I went out to recheck the compression and found that the gauge was not working properly. The little catch that hold the PSI until you read and then press to release PSi was not working. I had checked cylinders 6,5,4,3,2,1. so 1 & 2 were checked last and that is when the little switch went out. back to the slots between he cylinders are they visible with nothing removed from the engine. Thanks Jerry

 

That simple head gasket job turned into a full engine replacement when we broke a stud off. They are still a long stud engine and have the corrosion problem around the stud but not the cracking cylinder problems as much.

No the slots are not visible with the head on. your car being series 3 should have the slots, the later 8L blocks were slotted this way, the earlier 8L blocks in the series 2 had slots further down in bore.

You may find this thread informative, although not too serious.
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...-157830/page2/

Below, the later 8L block.



Early 8L block.



7L block.

 

Thanks Clarke good information. Jerry

 

Dodged a big bullet, huh, 90 mm or bigger!!!!


Bum tools are a ...... I've tossed more than a few...


Carl

 

Yep I need to go out and buy another compression tester this week. Again thanks Jerry