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I have a 1985 Jaguar Vanden Plas and have bought a pair of stake down kits. My question is do I have to remove the camshafts to install these kits or can I drill the holes with the camshaft in place?
no, you do not remove the camshafts, you need to be extremely careful drilling and making sure that nothing falls thru the oil holes. Tape everything, carefully isolating the area you are drilling into with rags and masking tape.
[QUOTE=Jose;2001051]no, you do not remove the camshafts, you need to be extremely careful drilling and making sure that nothing falls thru the oil holes. Tape everything, carefully isolating the area you are drilling into with rags and masking tape.[/QUOTE
Jose, I am a bit daunted about doing this stake down job myself. How do I find a mechanic who will do this job? All the mechanics I have taken this problem to say that they won't do it and I should find a machine shop. What do you suggest? Thanks, John
strange with so many Jag shops in California. There is one shop in San Francisco who did it recently for another member here. They charged him $600.00 I beliieve.
then there is Doug up north near Seattle I think.
Can you contact the Jaguar Club of Southern California and ask for help installing the kit?
Someone must know who can do it. It is really an easy job, but there is a lot of labor in keeping the area clean and the disassembly and reassembly of the cam cover / gasket which entails removing other stuff first.
strange with so many Jag shops in California. There is one shop in San Francisco who did it recently for another member here. They charged him $600.00 I beliieve.
then there is Doug up north near Seattle I think.
Can you contact the Jaguar Club of Southern California and ask for help installing the kit?
Someone must know who can do it. It is really an easy job, but there is a lot of labor in keeping the area clean and the disassembly and reassembly of the cam cover / gasket which entails removing other stuff first.
Usually the real "mountain" is less vaunting than the one in one's imagination.
I understand the average mechanic's reluctance to tackle the job. High risk low gain in the business sense.
Caveat:
I've never done this operation.. The good news is that it is alloy, not steel or iron that is to be drilled. Oh, and tapped as well!!
1. Check for an exploded view of the parts involved. It is a guide that should remain fixed and not move, but for who knows why, they get loose and move up and '"kiss" the camshaft!!
2. Determine the safe depth to drill. Mark the bit with a bit of tape. As Jose suggests, close off all openings to keep the swarf out.
I would add to daub the bit with a heavy grease to catch at least some of the swarf.
3. Use a top quality Cobalt bit that is super sharp. Dull bits wander. Sharp ones do not.
4. An average drill driver, corded or not will do just fine.
5. Do not be too lax. Bear down and cut metal. If not, you might make the material harder by a form of heat treat!!
6. Get comfortable, so as to control the drill... Odd positions create issues.
some of the stakedown kits come with self.-drilling bolts, a one way push Into after marking the hole with a punch so the bolt doesn't stray.
does your kit have those bolts with a pointed cutting tip? if yes, it is an even easier job. No drilling, no tapping, just a drill with a socket for the bolt head. And a vacuum cleaner.
When drilling, the drill bit needs to have a STOP gizmo attached so you don't drill too low. This is a ring with a hex screw tightened over the drill bit so it doesn't drill beyond the length of the bolt.
Carl, the idea about adding grease to collect swarf is very good.
Usually the real "mountain" is less vaunting than the one in one's imagination.
I understand the average mechanic's reluctance to tackle the job. High risk low gain in the business sense.
Caveat:
I've never done this operation.. The good news is that it is alloy, not steel or iron that is to be drilled. Oh, and tapped as well!!
1. Check for an exploded view of the parts involved. It is a guide that should remain fixed and not move, but for who knows why, they get loose and move up and '"kiss" the camshaft!!
2. Determine the safe depth to drill. Mark the bit with a bit of tape. As Jose suggests, close off all openings to keep the swarf out.
I would add to daub the bit with a heavy grease to catch at least some of the swarf.
3. Use a top quality Cobalt bit that is super sharp. Dull bits wander. Sharp ones do not.
4. An average drill driver, corded or not will do just fine.
5. Do not be too lax. Bear down and cut metal. If not, you might make the material harder by a form of heat treat!!
6. Get comfortable, so as to control the drill... Odd positions create issues.
here's a picture of the finished installation of the stakedown bracket. I found it today in my pics album.
you can see it is very simple, 2 screws and one bracket pushing down on the tappets. Now that I know what I know, I would not pay $600.00 to get it done.
easier still if your kit has the self drilling screws as shown in this picture.
here's a picture of the finished installation of the stakedown bracket. I found it today in my pics album.
you can see it is very simple, 2 screws and one bracket pushing down on the tappets. Now that I know what I know, I would not pay $600.00 to get it done.
easier still if your kit has the self drilling screws as shown in this picture.
Thanks, Jose. It does look very easy. The warnings about going too deep on the drilling and getting the angle of the drill just right scare me a bit. I will think about attacking this project a little more. Thank you for this great picture. John
12-14-2018, 12:08 PM
