series 3 xj6 oil leak.....
 

Now i know that jags don't leak, yhey mark their teritory! Buttt... mine is marking her teritory a bit too much. It is coming from the intake side, somewhere under the manifold. Its got a new head gasket and valve cover gaskets. I haven't been able to get under yet and can't see from above clearly. My guess is it coming from around the oil pressure sender/oil filter area.
Any clues or hints for me?
Cheers

Forgot to mention, the leak only happens badly when running and cold. Once she warms up there is only the occasional drip. Also my oil gauge always shows 85 and never varies except when it not running.

Before doing anything else remove and clean the breather screen (and pipe) at the front of the cylinder head. If clogged....they often are...excessive crankcase pressure develops and pushes oil out. As often as not a major oil leak is reduced to a very tolerable level just by cleaning the breather.

That said....

The oil pressure switch (for the warning light) and sending unit (for the gauge) are both known to leak and both are under the intake...as are the oil cooler hoses

Oil gauge reads 85 ?? Are you sure? That's very high. Do you mean coolant temperature gauge?

Cheers
DD

Yip. Oil gauge. It must be faulty or electrical. It shoots up there as soon as the key is on. Engine doesn't have to be running. I have just got a used replacement pressure sender just haven't got under it to change yet.

While you venture underthere for that sender, have a GOOD look at the oil return hose coming off the rear of the oil filter alloy housing. It is abut 40mm long, 1/2" (12.5mm) internal diameter, and held in place by 2 clamps. It by-passes oil back to the sump when the engine is cold (pressure is highest), and dribbles oil back when hotter.

It is a very common leaker on the S2 engines, mainly coz you can see it from above.

The hose goes rock hard over time, and simply leaks.

Changing it is a laugh a minute. You will need to drain the engine oil, and purchase the SPECIFIC GENUINE JAGUAR o/ring for the pipe at the top face of the sump bowl, then consume much alcohol, and go for it.

The hose is simply standard hydraulic hose, and 2 good quality clamps.

Well, as I make my own spirits, THAT is the easy part :-)

AHA, a TRUE Kiwi.

Fun is about to begin.

Now, as I don't have a hoist or a pit, how the heck is anyone supposed to work under one of these beasts?? Jacks and axel stands? or is there any other tricks?

because I don't want to be accidentally crushed by 3,800 lbs. of dead weight when working under the cars, I use a hydraulic jack to raise the front of the car enough to place concrete blocks under each front tire, and jackstands under each lower control arm, as well as keeping the hydraulic jack centered under the front member.

also I make sure the transmission is in PARK, Steering wheel locked, and Emergency Brake fully engaged.

All my work has been done with ramps and jack stands in a very limited space, but the job gets done eventually. No tricks I'm affraid, just good solid stands.
Allow plenty of time to sit on a stool with a strong drink and contemplate your next move.

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a few thoughts from 35k feet
 

Reminds me of the tom and ray from car talk joke about why the english dont build computers.....they can figure out how to get them to leak oil... They also said dont worry when it leaks, worry when it stops leaking 'cause you're out of oil.

Safety... Always put the wheel and tire under the car near the work. A wheel and tire is roughly the thinkness of your head.

here's mine on blocks, underside is high enough to take a nap after a while.

the pic was taken before I placed jackstands.

My first choice is ramps. But, not if one wants to remove a wheel, for obvious reasons.


Next is a pair of good jack stands. and, I leave the trollley jack in place and locked.


And, park brake, park trans position plus a big block on a wheel or two.


The beasts are heavy!!!!


Carl

"Well, as I make my own spirits, THAT is the easy part :-)"

"Allow plenty of time to sit on a stool with a strong drink and contemplate your next move."

Maybe its just me, but I think there is a trend developing

Cheers

Ummmm, nobody is saying that old Jags drive good men to drink.........yet!

Doug, done step one...
 

Thanks Doug for your advise about the breather screen. I removed it to have a look. I discovered that when the head was planed by the PO, the screen was cleaned and new gaskets installed. It was clean and clear, so not the main problem.

I am new to these things, and am a little confused. Is there 2 oil pressure thinggies on the engine. One for the pressure guage and one for the oil light, or are they the same thing??

I havn't been able to get under her yet to have a look. I have attached a photo of the spare pressue thingie that a Jag recycler gave me. Can anyone identify it for me please?

Cheers,
Richard.

Oil pressure gauge and pressure switch lamp are separate. The pressure gauge has two wires, one is for the gauge and one goes to ground. Pressure switch's have a ground wire but oil warning lamps generally don't. If the pressure switch is not grounded the gauge will be inaccurate or erratic. Grounding through the threads is not sufficiently precise for instrumentation.

Thank you. Does it need to be grounded to the gauge or just a general ground? The sender unit i can see from above has 2 pins but only 1 wire attached. My guess is this is why my pressure guage is always reading full pressure when the key is on.

Or it may be as simple as the wrong wires on the wrong senders.

Seen that a couple of hundred times over the years.

The oil gauge sender is a Smiths unit, and is unique to Jaguar. The ohms cale inside is "reverse" to normal gauge sender units, so fits just nicely with the Jaguar mentality, hence the stool to sit on whilst sipping nectar, and contemplating the next move, or whatever.

Jags dont drive us males to drink, its just for medicinal purposes, to calm the nerves, and clear the brain. MY story and I'm sticking it to it.

Just thought i would update. I haven't really done anything to her yet. I put in some stop leak additive to help rejuvenate the seals, and some stop smoke additive to thicken the oil, and topped it up with 15w40 oul. The leak is greatly reduced and stopps all together when at running temperature. My guess is the oil was just way too thin.
Thanks to everyone who gave me tips and input.

Cheers
Richard