Thanks for this. I also rate GM products having had several Australian Chevy's (Holdens) in my formative years, where the sound of horsepower was more important that actual horsepower, and handling was irrelevant! I will give them a go, and if not revert back to the Jaguar manual's specifications. Great link, thank you very much. Cheers Chris

 

Good morning Team,
Just a quick update on the Marelli/Ole Mobek upgrade:
a. Got the Marelli damper on Evil Bay from Taiwan, I'll see what it's like.
b. Got the alternator pulley and multi groove alternator belt from SNG: fits my old Lucas alternator shaft from the Daimler so should fit the Bosch unit on my XJ-S.
Whilst I was at it, I got myself a decent damper puller/installer. Just for our member's advice I rate this Toledo tool (I like Toledo stuff), the damper came off with small pop, job done. I had a practice on an old Series 2 V12 engine I have in the workshop before tackling the XJ-S, having an engine available on a stand has helped me out several times with 'seeing' what I couldn't whilst the engine was in the engine bay.
Got a Mathewson's mug whilst visiting Yorkshire!

 

Wrong Thread apologies!

 

Good afternoon, Team, well after some strange over heating issues/coolant all over the garage floor, I have decided to strip the cooling system down; flush; replace hoses; new viscous coupler; and ensure I have a sealed system. I was posting on another forum but wasn't getting much encouragement. Anyway, inspection of my system has revealed that the Bars Leaks has left greasy sludge in my radiator, overflow tank, and PCV system, and the viscous coupler wasn't viscous enough. I am still trying to source the hoses for the Series 1 V12, SNG have them, Rock Auto unfortunately don't, although they have the hose kit for the Series 3 E-Type which is an identical engine to the 1973 Daimler VDP Double Six, any thoughts? Anyway, just getting the front of the engine apart now to start replacing/dismantling the cooling system. As an aside I also noticed that the ignition wiring in the valley looked a bit crook, so I will do some engine rewiring whilst I have the car apart. I replaced some in my XJ-S and it fixed a multitude of problems.

 

Hi - I have both an Etype V12 and an XJ12 - I cannot directly answer your question whether a Etype hose kit will fit an XJ12. I suspect some of the pipes on the engine itself will be common however the radiator arrangement is different with different plumbing eg - the XJ12 has the overflow at the side of the engine, where the etype has it in the centre. Likewise the radiator is about 12" more forward on the Etype to the XJ12.

By all means get the Etype kit but I think you will need to throw away some of the hoses but use others. I am surprised you cannot find anyone in Australia. Aside from the independants in Melbourne, REPCO might be an option, while they will not have stock in store, they may be able to order for you - same applies with major radiator chains like NATRAD. Oh I have always had a lot of luck just rummaging the radiator hose bin in various Super Cheap stores so take a sample and check - you might find what you want.

Here is a pic of the Etype with the bonnet removed - you can see the differences with respect to the radiator etc.

Garry

PS - bars leak and its equivalent also applies to the E-type - not used it if there are no leaks but have used it where there was. Never had an issue if the coolant is changed when it should and the system flushed - but people get lazy. It is also a lubricant for the water pump.

 

Thank you, Garry, A very useful and informative response: unlike the ones I have been getting at another Jaguar Forum. I can get the hoses from SNG in the UK, but they are much cheaper from Rock Auto USA, unfortunately not for the V12 saloon. They have a ready to go kit for your Series 3 E-Type. Notwithstanding, your advice re searching locally is sound and I will get onto that soonest. Again, many thanks for your response.

 

Good afternoon Team,
Had a long chat with our guru Grant Francis re the options for V12 hoses, and there are many hoses that will fit available from other cars: Mazda, et al. However, David Manners does a set for the Series 1 V12 for GBP 39.99, and a XJ-S V12 set for GBP a similar figure. Although postage cost me GBP79.00 it was a good deal for the confidence that it will fit and is good quality. Many thanks to Grant Francis, Greg Wilkinson, and Jack Weston of DM Jaguar for their help and advice. Great support to us enthusiastic amateurs. More posts to follow as I replace/repair and commission the system.

 

Does anyone have experience of silicone hoses? I've always stayed away from them because of possible sensitivity to abrasion.

As I may have written in previous posts, coolant hoses on a V12 should not be neglected. If one bursts, shutting off the engine immediately may not be quick enough. It happened to me and, a year later, a head gasket failed. Also, changing a hose at the side of a busy highway isn't fun. The one that went on my car was that small one running behind the engine to the heater - after 20 years I still have the scar from burning my arm on the engine.

 

I have a home designed bottom hose consisting of two silcone hoses joined by a cupro-nickel convoluted hose. They are thick, four ply and seem very strong indeed. I do not think that they are less resistant to abraison than a normal hose would be.

 

It was recommended by Jaguar back in the day more for the corrosion inhibitors it contains rather than leak stopping ability. I'm sure good modern coolants make it unnecessary.
I have had minor leak/weep issues on other cars and can highly recommend the products that contain fine copper filings as a short term fix.

 

G'day Greg,
I got in touch with Jack Weston at DMJ, he's looking at some options for me. I have sent him your best regards and copied Grant in on the email.

 

The objection to Barrs Leaks as expressed by the Great Palm, is that it bungs up the passages round the V12 head studs (which run through the water jacket in the heads) rendering the heads very hard to remove.

I am very glad that jack has been able to sort out the hoses for you. He is a great help to us XJS and V12 addicts!

 

Greg - That's useful information, especially as it's an unusual piece of hose. Years ago in a motorway service area in Switzerland, a roadside repair guy stopped to admire my Daimler. One of his main activities was replacing burst hoses. He mentioned that he carried or had rapid access to all the hoses for an XJ12 apart from the bottom hose.

I may well be wrong, but I thought the Bar's Leaks in the V12 was for sealing the wet liners as well as anti-corrosion. My objection (again I may be mistaken) to it is that seems to combine with sediment to cement up the radiator.

 

I do not think so, Hylomar is used by the factory for that purpose. Barrs Leaks was pretty standard and used throughout the UK car manufacturers when they had a bit of a coolant leak!

On this general topic, after many years of grief and effort chasing tiny coolant losses, I discovered Permatex Aviation Form-a-Gasket number 3. Since I started using it on all coolant hose connections I have not lost any! Highly recommended. It is particularly effective on silicone hoses, which while very durable and good IMO, because they are so smooth bored, can be devils to seal with hose clips.
I also use a 13llb cap, not the recommended 15 llb. No loss of cooling efficiency but less pressure in the system.
https://www.permatex.com/products/ga...t-liquid-4-oz/

 

Updates on the Daimler cooling system refurbishment:
a. Radiator was quite badly damaged, and without the Barr's Leaks would have been leaking quite badly;
b. Filler neck assembly was also very corroded, particularly around the hose clip to engine interface; and
c. Transmission oil cooler pipes on the radiator tank were also badly corroded.

So, Barr's Leaks saved the day, or did it? A small leak wouldn't have trashed the engine but would have necessitated an inspection which would have revealed corrosion, and subsequent repair.
Anyone knowing of a source for the filler neck gratefully received. I have already got:
a. EverydayXJ.com from Greg in France; and
b. From DMJ Jack Weston 'Simply Performance' @ GBP 220.00 which seems a tad expensive?
The filler neck from my spare Series 2 V12 is different.
I also bought a standalone Transmission Oil cooler which goes in front of the condenser, as recommended by Grant. The radiator is set to 82-87 C and doesn't really cool the transmission oil significantly, whereas a standalone unit subject to my new viscous coupler fan is going to get the full benefit of ambient air movement: at worst 32-35C.

 

No photos but I was at my indie's shop yesterday and the new radiator has arrived (finally!) so the '92 VDP should be back on the road next week.

She hasn't quite done 160,000 km/100,000 miles and the old radiator was re-cored locally about 6-8 years ago. The cost to re-core it again was about twice the cost of the new radiator.

I have never added Barr's or anything similar to any of the 3 V-12 VDP's I have owned but I ?am convinced that prior use by previous owner's (which in their defense was recommended by Jaguar) has accelerated the demise of their cooling systems. I am also convinced that the less they are driven (and the one currently being brought back to life has been a "summer only car" for the last decade and missed two summers over COVID) the sooner that demise arrives (possibly because being run at temperature forestalls things settling out and congealing?).

 

Thanks for your advice, Ken,
I agree, a regularly running car will exhibit significantly less problems than a Sunday or summer driver. I contacted NATRAD (National Radiators) here in Heatherbrae who are re coring my radiator and have asked them to record/picture the state of the old core after my continual use of Barr's Leaks since I owned the car 1992. It will be interesting to obtain some measurable information on the residue or not. I did notice that my cooling system was exhibiting a fair amount of corrosion (the filler neck tube) and the hoses were a tad contaminated by rusty residue? So unsure if Barr's has contributed to that state but being an oily additive, I doubt it. I am now pulling out the valley pipe to ascertain the state of that for full inspection. Anyway, many thanks for joining in and commenting on your experience.

 

Quick update on the cooling system. I have been looking for a replacement electric fan, which works with the A/C system, as I assumed that the more modern ones were better (more efficient). Well, turns out the straight bladed ones are more efficient than the curved models: move more air per amp. There only detraction is that they are a tad noisier, which doesn't bother me as it masks the annoying ticking of the dashboard clock when travelling at speeds in excess of 100 kph. So I'm sticking with the original, those Jaguar engineers knew what they were doing!
Looking for an option for Optimal Performance filler tube, as we have several stainless steel fabricators here in Heatherbrae, and I will report back on cost/quality as soon as I have one. I'm going to inspect the other fixed water pipes whilst I'm at it to ascertain condition, and get them made as a batch. More soon.

 

If you are thinking of the original OEM 4 blade auxiliary fan of the type used in the XJS V12, then without any doubt at all a modern SPAL fan will move far more air. I strongly suggest you get something modern to replace the OEM one. Straight bladed ot not is up to you!

 

Eggleton, If you find a suitable replacement that is more or less "drop-in", please let us know. I would be interested in an upgrade.