Oh, but it tis, for sure!!!


Have fun, well earned!!


Carl

 

Why am I not surprised. It seem I have learned a couple things over the past year. Which, by the way, tomorrow it will be exactly one year since we took possession of the car. I can't say it's been a boring year!

Thank you, Carl, thank you very much.
(';')

 

Just a short note to say the new tires are the automotive equivalent to Sneakers. They are far quieter than the Michelins.

I have the feeling they hold the road better too even though the car sits at least a full inch higher with them on (I wish I had measured before). Husband said that was one of the criteria he used in his search; dry road holding ability. He done good!

You know what that means; I can take corners even faster!!

I want to drive this car for a couple weeks before I have to tear into something else. After that the Club has an Oktoberfest drive we want to attend in mid October. That puts us nearly into November! Might just as well wait until it rains if I wait that long!
(';')

 

This morning I took Wart (2001 Windstar) in for new tires as we have pretty much gone through the others, Winter is coming on and we've already had one good rain.

Husband sent me to COSTCO despite my protests because they had the best price for the tire specs he wanted. So being an obedient wife I did as I was told albeit with deep misgivings.

A very nice man waited on me. First I asked the build date of the tires I was buying, the 11th week of 2014. I was very happy about that and told him so. Then he told me, without my asking, they get tires very often. They aren't allowed to sell any tire over 2 years old. It's very unusual for him to even see a tire in there for sale that was over 18 months old because they don't order more tires than they can sell quickly.

I asked him what if someone bought tires there, took them home for a few years for example, would COSTCO mount the old tires for that person and put them on the car? He said that would be Very strange and was getting very curious by that time why I was asking such unusual questions.

So I told him about buying a car just a year ago, that had brand new Michelin X Radials on, and he stopped me there with, "We haven't sold those for Years! They aren't even made anymore!" I continued my story and he was shaking his head in disbelief!

I had to learn to read people at an early age and he was genuinely truthful.

Then I asked how they do the lug nuts. They start them by hand, then buzz them on with a torque-limited air wrench, and tighten them with a torque wrench that's calibrated every morning and zeroed after each car. I watched one of the other guys working on another car, he didn't know I was there. He did exactly as I had been told they do, and went around all the nuts twice. A different man did the same with my car.

So I have to take back all the bad things I originally said about COSTCO earlier. I have wrongly accused them and questioned their integrity, honesty and business practices. I like those guys and their prices are good and their service is excellent. I probably still won't be taking Nix there because of the spacer issue, but they aren't on my Dirty List any longer and they shouldn't be on anyone else's because of anything I posted in this thread.
(';')

 

Would you mind repeating all that?




Seriously, I leave for a couple of months and return to find the most dramatic account of simple tire replacement known to mankind! I now see what can happen when you kids are left unsupervised.....not that I could have done anything to prevent or help your predicament.

Kudos for clearing up any ill-will toward COSTCO.

Hope the kitty parade was stress-free and made up for the tire fiasco.

 

Hello, Paul and thank you.
I probably should read this from the beginning just to get a sense of the drama you describe. From this side it was pretty thick I can tell you! It should have been simple!

Unfortunately though, NOTHING involving that car is simple let alone stress free. The meet went well and I've reported so in a different thread: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...d-beer-126848/ Since then I haven't had the heart or mental fortitude to even look at anything to do with rolling bits.

The longer I own this car the less respect I have for the guy who sold it to us and faith in his word. So far, the only completely truthful thing he has said about it is that it's a Jaguar. He first listed it on Craig's List as a Series III and got called out on that one. We should have known from that event that he speaks with forked tongue and nothing he said about the car should be taken at face value. We knew going in that everything wasn't as presented but we had NO idea he lied to this extent that we have discovered in the past year.

We know the engine isn't the year he said it was and that may cause us trouble next April at the SMOG cops. He "suggested" in the beginning that we slip a SMOG inspector a 100 bucks to 'look the other way' and sign it off as is. We knew at that time he was less than an honest, law-abiding citizen. I don't mind 'bending' some things, but not when it might get someone else in the soup.

Now there's something wrong with the gas tanks, it only draws from the left tank. The two were plumbed together at the time of conversion in 1986 so they should draw equally. But I usually put 9 or 10 gallons in the left tank and less than 2 gallons in the right tank.

We can't take any long trips with it like that so tomorrow it's going back up on jack stands while we try to figure out how the tanks are plumbed, if there's a stuck back-flow valve or what. We have already taken the trunk/boot apart to find no fuel lines in there at all so this is completely uncharged territory and the books we have are no help, of course.

And again we have a deadline. The Club has a drive to Oktoberfest October 18 at a member's farm in Merced, 225 miles from here and I've already reserved a room. If both tanks worked properly Nix should have a range of at least 350 miles. As it is, I can only count on about half that but it's not always the same!

I really thought we were getting things sorted out so I had a reliable, dependable car I wouldn't be afraid to take anywhere. If that's ever going to be the case it's looking farther and farther off.
(';')

 

Early yesterday morning before we went to work we jacked up Nix and loosened the lug bolts. Husband was home long before I was so he started on the front rims, making them fit correctly on the flanged spacers. It was basically the same operation as the back rims so no pictures are necessary.

The second and third weeks of November are the peak of leaf season in this part of the world. There will be few days off during the week and many long hours carrying that blower, not to mention other responsibilities.

Maybe next week I can get the front hubs off and get started on replacing the lug bolts.
(';')

 

I have not touched this car, other than to take the towels off the fenders for laundering, for 2 weeks.

Every day the dust is a little thicker and will be a little harder to remove. Every day is another day's productivity on the car lost. Every day this box of parts under my desk gets a little bigger.

I worked too long in the rain the other day and got sick for a couple days. Fortunately I didn't miss any work, but I'm so wasted by the time I get home I couldn't care less if aliens beamed the car up and I never saw it again. In fact in some ways that would be a relief.

The weather has turned off so cold and dreary that the lights in the shop don't even want to wake up. I felt that way this very morning. Besides that, if I put on enough clothes to be warm I can't move. It's not like when I dress for work in this weather, mostly I only need to be able to walk and move my arms. I'm not crawling around and under things and reaching into in tight places.

I have 3 Major project threads going which I thought would make the work easier. If I got tired of one project or got stuck, simply change over to another one. I discovered it isn't quite that simple.

I sort of lost momentum and I'm so far behind that I don't even care. I've mentioned I don't do Winter very well and this is the reault. I'll get back to something eventually, I just don't know when. It might be this very afternoon (the sun might come out and it's 80 degrees F too) but I doubt it.
(';')

 

LnrB:


Yeah, I get it. In spite of my advanced years, I do better in heat than cold.


And, as I think you live and work in the Red Bluff area, the change is dramatic. I've been there a couple of times or more in my former profession. Each in he midst of summer. Wow. Once, I took my dear departed and old poodle on a job in very Northern California. Very picturesque way up via 101. Decided to cone back via I5, even if longer and a dip into Oregon!! Ok in the circa Chrysler Cordoba. great cruiser.
Cold AC. Well, at about Red bluff, it was gas up time. Pulled in to a station and the MOPAR was burbling hot!! we stepped out and were greeted by a furnace blast.
Sent wifey and doggie inside and I used the island water hose to cool the Cordoba down. Back into the Corinthian "leather" and Ac and homeward bound.


Wet and messy today. Jag fix figured out and "dummied Up". It cranks and fires.
New relay not here yet. So tomorrow is another day.


Take care and get well. Health is everything!!!


Carl

 

Thank you, Carl,
"They" say the rainy cold is finished for a while. I hope so, maybe I can catch up on my own place out here in the Stix in the next couple days and regain some motivation to face the car.

I grew up in what amounts to a Northern Desert. We're not used to this wet, clammy, dreary muck. I don't like a hot wind either, but this dreary overcast is a life sucker.
(';')

 

Just to make you feel better, it's been dreary, rainy and cold over here and will get worse as we get into full blown winter. No place to work indoors.

But I'm off on holidays to sunnier climes, it will be a shock to the system and aa bigger shock when I get back.

 

Same happens here but in spring and summer. Last week or two has been 33-44c and 80% humidity.(unusually hot for November)
But I just seem to sit on stool in the garage with ice cold beer and look at what needs doing.

I spent a good hour or two today looking at 5000+ led xmas lights,and did nothing with them...another day tomorrow.

Although I do have access to a hoist in the morning and my new front shocks have arrived.

 

Thank you, Clarke,
The sunrise is spectacular this morning! The few clouds in the Eastern sky are pink and turquoise. Dew is heavy of course, but after things dry out a little I will be able to clean up out there.

Then, with no more rain in sight for a few days, I'll be able to do Something on the car! As I have 3 threads active at the moment, I should be able to make progress on some small task.
(';')

 

Thank you, anjum,
Actually, this morning is Much better, and considering your weather Across the Pond, I feel a little silly complaining about ONE STORM SYSTEM!

Enjoy your holiday.
(';')

 

I just noticed Nix's brake fluid reservoir was empty!
I started to fill it, and then I got to wondering where all that fluid went. (?) The reservoir was full when I jacked her up, so I took a look around on the floor.

Hmm......

There are 2 puddles Right under the rear brake calipers, the left one is Way worse, and the front halves of the rotors are wet not damp. I had no idea the seals were in such bad shape. I knew Eventually the brakes would need attention, after all it's probably been nearly 30 years since they had any work done, but still.......

I feel Gutted!

Everything I have read so far (with one notable exception) indicates the IRS must come down from the car to fix this. Husband is still in no condition to help and won't be for a long time if ever; certainly not with anything of this magnitude. (Just to make things more interesting, he has another surgery scheduled for tomorrow at 9am.)

I'm SO disappointed I can't even describe it. I'm about half afraid to even tell him about this latest bombshell. He'll take it a lot harder than I am.

I can probably do quite a lot of the front suspension and I've redone front disc brakes on my other car and my work truck but I wouldn't even know where to begin with the back.

The seals seem OK, there is grease slung about but that's plainly from the U-joints being lubricated too liberally.

I'll just have to leave this for now. I'll work on what I can and deal with it later.
(';')

 

I haven't read every post in this thread, so excuse me if I make stupid remarks.

Has there been done any work on the brakes recently?
Did you determine the source of the leak?

It seems odd for two calipers to start leaking at the same time. However, if there you did work on the rear end, it is more likely that you just didn't tighten the bleeding nippels or break lines.

If the calipers actually are leaking, then yes. You have to remove the rear end. Which i a lot easier than it seems.

release drive shaft, brake line and hand/parking brake cable.
Unbolt radius arm bolts, and 8 bolts both left and right behind the wheels that attach the rear to the car. That's is. Lift the car and the rear assembly is free.

 

Thank you, Wilfred, I haven't mentioned the rear brakes before in this thread, I've been dealing with rims, front alignment and suspension repairs. More recently I've been working on replacing the driver floor and console lighting upgrades.

I have only owned the car a little over a year. As far as I know, the brakes were not touched since major restoration and conversion was done in 1986.

When I noticed the puddles I actually crawled under and looked where the drips are coming from. BOTH rotors are wet on the forward half, there are still drops of brake fluid on the bottoms of BOTH calipers and the reservoir is Empty.

I agree it's strange they BOTH calipers started leaking while the car has been jacked up for 2 months. In fact, I even toyed with the possibility that I did something wrong about that.

I'm glad to know it's easier to drop the IRS than it seems, because it seems like a Horrendous job and I'll doubtless be doing it alone if I ever want to drive the car again.

Thank you for the encouragement.
(';')

 

Edit: I read a bit back, so what I posted here initially doesn't make sense.

 

Yeah, sorta. Still too cold around here for these old bones to do outside tasks. Jaguar sits in the driveway awaiting starter work. Got my Jeep back. so errands done in it.
Daughter has her Passatt back. it is behaving, sans heater!! But, that critter has hot seats!!


As to dropping the IRS, The exhaust has to be disassembled. A PO welded mine. I suppose, I could've used a recip saw and then reconstructed it.


My rear calipers got worse and worse til I decided it was unsafe. I prepped to DIY
it but realized my limits. Rock Auto provide a fine set of calipers and pads at a very good price No cores to deal with either!!


I ended up farming it out. OK, but not quite. Hand brakes messed up.


Elinor: Sorry about Husband's issues. But, even if the physical isn't there, the spiritual backup is!! That is the way of soul mates!!


So, perhaps, you might find a "hired hand" to provide some muscle under your tutelage to drop that IRS and do a complete refurb.


But, finicky, yet doable, the calipers can be changed in situ. Mine were. but with the help of a lift by a pro tech. More than likely his one and only Jag IRS job!!!


Carl

 

I cannot imagine you will gain time by not removing the IRS.

On top of that, with IRS removed, it is a joy to work on the entire rear assembly, while the job otherwise would be a torture in my opinion with all kinds of nuts and bolts you just cant reach or see.... And with the car as high as is shown on the pictures above, I would never do it in situ.