Hi Woznaldo

I would rush to get that AJ6 + ZF box and put it in. I wouldn't think it will upset the car's value too much, in fact might even make it worth more !

The AJ6 was almost the best engine Jaguar ever made, the AJ16 being a wee bit better, (it's virtually an AJ6), but it wasn't made for very long, but the AJ6 was in production from 1986-1994. The later engine had better EFI than the earlier unit.

The XK of 1948 was really geriatric in its final 1980s configuration. Jaguar made a very poor decision in the late 60s to develop a V12. It is a magnificent engine, but it came out just as fuel prices rocketed and did not really sell all that well, so the XK six had to go on and on and on, and was very tired towards the end. Actually the production machinery to make it wasn't just tired, it was exhausted !! When the AJ6 first came out it was fitted into the XJS and was found to be very noisy and clattery. A lot of work had to be done to make it a fit engine for a saloon, so only in 1986 when the XJ40 series came out did it go into a saloon. Yet the V12 was in the old XK saloon from 1973 ! Money too, had a lot to do with it. so the old XK just soldiered on.

Have a read here -

THE JAGUAR AJ6 ENGINE - 3.2, 3.6, AND 4.0 LITRE / AJ6 Engineering

It is still amazing today what Jaguar achieved on 1/20th the budget that Mercedes and BMW had.

 

WD4o is a fine desicant, but a poor rust buster.

Do a Wicki search on WD and see why.

Carl

 

Thanks to all the posters --- been years since I pulled a head off a 4.2. Forgot how much fun it was !!!!? The great thing about internet forums is ---- you are not alone, and virtually nothing is NEW.
This one at the moment is being a real pain in the ***, but it is coming off this weekend.
Thanks again.