Okay, finally made it through this job. Reset the clearances and got most of them to.014, with a couple at .012 and .013.

Have not really driven this car at all, just been tinkering on it replacing old hoses and addressing little issues all over. We moved to a new place and I decided to drive the car over there.

So I got it started and the engine sounds pretty much the same as far as the clacking, some of it comes and goes- maybe as the tappets rotate.

Engine seems to run okay with a few rpm bands where a vibration is felt (revving in park or neutral). Also, engine does not seem to rev all the way up, it reaches about 4000 or so and won't go any higher.

On the road it seems to do alright but seems like it is low on power, if you floor it and expect a surge of acceleration, the rate of acceleration remains exactly the same. Cruising down the highway if you go full throttle it revs up and seems to downshift, but the speed remains the exact same. Gentle acceleration is the only option it seems.

Then I notice some smoke trailing me in the headlights of the car's behind us, and realize I better check it. So I pull off the highway and the oil light comes on (gauge is not working). Added some oil and the car barely restarts-- seems labored when cranking like maybe the timing is off. Oil light flickers and goes out with enough revs.

I head home, still smoking. Get home and notice my drip trail into the driveway. I had realized the transmission dripped from pan, and bellhousing mainly. Now it was dribbling a constant stream at the bellhousing vent holes as long as the engine was running. Looks like a bad input shaft seal. Exhaust pipes are soaked and causing the smoke.

Given these trans issues and the way it seems to lack power, I am not holding a lot of hope for the transmission. I think it may have a torque converter problem also.

My wife calls this car her white elephant and doesn't seem to mind too much that it is not really a useable car this whole time. Gives me something to do as well. Maybe one day I will get to enjoy driving it instead of reading about other people with working cars.

Now I am researching my trans options and considering the 700R4, 200 4R, zf conversions. I could use a little encouragement too. Feels like the whole tappet guide lock down was a waste since the noise is largely the same. I guess maybe I need to look at the intake side for possible tappet guide issues even though I hear that is rare. I am pretty sure the exhaust side is good but its hard to tell where the noise is coming from.

Enough for now, sorry for the rambling on.

 

HEY, bb,, i use a 700R4 in my 78 XJS, been great trans. 16yrs, also changed final drive ratio 3.73 power lock.
NO probs.
thx ron

 

The tappet lockdown wasn't a waste of time, you found a problem and fixed it. Now you get to move on to the next problem. Are'nt old cars fun?

 

How much does it cost to have this done at an independent shop? At a dealer? Will anyone even know what they're doing?

 

Got a quote from my Jaguar dealership--they said they haven't done these in many years but would be happy to do it for $435 if I provide the parts. Where can I get the kit?

 

True for some, certainly. When I was at Uni in Loughborough near Derby in the late 60s, Rolls-Royce in Derby were developing the RB211 engine for the Lockheed Tristar. These guys got so arrogant they thought they could do anything, and this included making the front fan of carbon fibre composite. Only when the birdstrike test failed did they realise it wasn't going to work !! This little thing bankrupted the company, but they were fortunately rescued by the British Government. They were then able to develop a titanium hollow-blade fan and the engine is still in use, being called the Trent series. There were a lot of RR-sponsored students with worried faces the morning the bankrupcy was announced, I can tell you.

 

Fraser; it seems as tho a lot of engineers have inflated ego, same with japanese.

few yrs back i was involved with Warrenty problem Yanmar diesel engine!!

new engine 10hrs old, was dripping oil from rear main seal, OK i was called in to handle problem!

remove engine from boat, remove oil pan, find crankshaft walking back and forth about .060 thousandths(1/16 "), measure width of crank thrust surfaces, check thrust washers OK to factory spec, HMM , strange here, measure width of thrust surfaces , around 1-1.4MM to wide by factory manual.

well call Yanmar of japan , and explain(try to get your diagnosis across to Japan speaking engineer),..

final answer from them was,absolutly impossible ,could never happen, i was completly mistaken!!

well owner of boat brought it back to USA dealer,and demanded a new engine, took around a month to get new engine, he was pissed,it was middle summer , and Yanmar would not pay for my labor of engine tear down,inspection, only paid engine R&R.

after that i did no more warrenty work for yanmar.

at the time I had close to 45yrs engine technician!!

RON

 

I listed several vendors in one of my previous posts, but ordered from Coventry West.

 

The adjusting shims may be machined using a surface grinder until the desired thickness is achieved. To ensure consistent clearance is maintained as the shim rotates measurements of the shims must be taken with a micrometer at three places: center, off center and edge during the grinding process.

Have you also measured/inspected the camshaft lobes for correct shape, especially on the lobes whose edges may have been striking the guides?

NBCat

 

Nope. I haven't even opened the valve cover yet. I have ordered the stakedown kit, though.

Out of curiosity, why does the clearance need to be exact? Assuming there is a sufficient amount of clearance, why would there be a problem if the clearance isn't exact?

 

http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DW1169-...pr_product_top

Are these bits suitable for drilling the holes for the tappet retaining plate screws?

Also, when drilling the holes, is it necessary to start a pilot hole with a small bit and work your way up to the correct size bit?

 

It is always best to obtain a clearance that's within the middle of the specification. As the camshaft acts on the tappet, the tappet will often rotate changing the clearance. If the clearance is not within the middle of the specification, a ticking noise will be heard that comes and goes as high and low points on the shim face contact the camshaft lobe, a situation I find to be rather irritating!

NBCat

 

I assume you are adding the tappet hold-down plates with the cylinder head still attached to the engine. This procedure is much simpler with the head removed and the holes drilled by a machine shop. Drilling holes into a cylinder head with a hand drill is something not to be taken lightly!

Place the tappet retainers in position and mark the places for the bolt holes with a marker, then use a centre punch to get the drill bit started. Great care must be used to not drill more than required for the bolts to fully tighten so a water jacket is not penetrated while also maintaining the correct angle on the drill so the bolt holes are straight.

You can begin with a smaller drill bit, but be sure the drill and bit are entering the casting straight.

NBCat

 

Well, I figure the worst that could happen is I ruin the head! Seems like even the indie Jag shop wants to charge me $400. (Dealer wants $435 or less with 15% off coupon... hopefully.)

A rebuilt head will cost me maybe $900 (+ $400 core charge) and lots of time!!!

Now that I think about it, maybe I'll just have the dealer do it. But I'm trying to limit my XJ6 "restoration" budget to $200/month and paying $400+ for this would only ensure that I wouldn't be able to do anything else to the car until April!

By the way, I think I understand what you were saying about measuring the tappet guides for machining the plates now. I thought you were talking about machining the plates so that they clearance of the cams and the plates was even.

 

How many miles/kilometres on your engine? What is the overall condition of the cooling system? Is there any rust evident in the overflow tank or on the inside of any of the hoses?

I ask those questions because if the cooling system on the XK engine is neglected and rust allowed to form inside the block, removal of the cylinder head becomes more complicated as one or several of the fourteen studs holding it in place may snap requiring the block also be removed, or in some circumstances, the broken studs removed via the freeze plug holes.

NBCat

 

I don't see any rust in the overflow tank, but it is hard to tell because the overflow tank is opaque (isn't it painted brown?). I imagine it hasn't been neglected because it has apparently been dealer serviced, and it looks like with the exception of the motor oil, all the fluids are new, including brake and transmission fluids.

The engine temp never seems to get up to 90 C, though. Seems like it tops out at maybe 70C. I wonder if this was done intentionally to stop the tappet guides from slipping out.

 

Yes, the overflow is made of brown plastic and will display rust traces around the neck opening and on the inside of the tank, so if you have none, that's a very good thing!

At the risk of drawing the ire of other members, let me say that the English have a perverse sense of humour at times, as illustrated by the use of the 'green' area on the coolant temperature gauge! The fact that your engine runs cooler than 90 C is great; you don't want to see the gauge ever register in that green area, which means overheating! There are many things the terrific XK engine can tolerate, but unfortunately, overheating isn't one of them!

Your car probably has an 82 C thermostat installed so it will run cooler. While this is an advantage for engine life, it can be a problem when an emissions test is done with excess oxides of nitrogen (NOx) possibly being present.

NBCat

 

Good thing I'll never need an emissions test! It's an antique in my state!

 

Hang on a minute ! Isn't there a red area beyond the green bit ? Needle should never get into that

 

Not on my car, I don't think. Just green from 90c and up!