Hello,
so I am here going through the troubles I Am finding on my "brand new" xj6 III. I do not know if this one is a real problem or if I am just too much concerned and I could Ignore it. So I am here for asking help.

When the engine is running cold I do not hear any bad noise. Just a very very slight rattling noise from the valve covers.


When the engine is running warm (85C water temperature) the very slight noise is more noticeable. Revving up the engine the noise tends to disappear mixed with the louder engine rumble. This noise is noticeable when the engine is running idle and warm. I Am speaking about the little rattling noise in the video on the driver side of the engine block, the one you can hear on the left side of the engine block, the slight pinging I guess it is normal.


I Am a little bit worried it could be something bad.
The car is running like a charm aside from arm bushings which needs to be replaced in my opinion.
thank you for looking.

 

YES. as your DIY proficiency seems limited, it needs pro attention Find the shop on International in Oakland. Let them listen and render a fix


1. Loose valve clearance. Fussy fix, but quite doable I


2. Errant lifter/s. Not uncommon and can be fixed,


So far, this seems like a great car. but needing of attention. by a pro or accomplished DIY.


On balance, a great find.


Carl

 

Although I never suffered from this syndrome, it is fairly common for the tappet guides in the cylinder head to work loose and contact the cam as it comes round causing a loud noise. This only happens when the engine is hot and the aluminium of the cylinder head has expanded enough. If this is happening, it needs sorting out pretty quickly. Why not take the valve covers off and look. It is not a hard job. Of course one does this when the engine is cold, but there will likely be evidence of the cam hitting the tappet. Kits are available that, with a bit of drilling and use of a thread tap, secure the tappets and stop them rising up for the cams to clout.

This problem has always been a puzzle to me, because the XK engine came out in 1948, yet only for very late engines, (70s & 80s) is this syndrome reported. I never had a problem with my 2.4 Mark 2 or my 1980 XJ6. Maybe it is the cold amd wet of England that makes the difference !!

 

looks like I need a stakedown tappet kit

Stakedown Tappet Kit Info | Coventry West

this is scary...

 

yes, all Series 3 need the stakedown kit at some point as the engine gets into the miles. I had mine done in 1993.

ask around to see who has done it in your area. Inspect the shop in person before you leave the car with any mechanic. Ask for references, if they have happy customers, you can trust them.

 

the one nearby has 5 stars on yelp, a lot of good reviews. it is a English cars mechanic.
I mean should not be a 10 hours job right ?

 

no, it should be around 12 hours, unless the guy is Speedy Gonzalez. Best to call him and ask him what the cost is.

 

The high temps of the modern 'clean' engine causes the tappets to dislodge.
Before catalytic converters and clean air regulations, engines ran cooler.
The clean air regs caused engine temps to climb. A HOT engine can run leaner so that is the new norm.

If the mechanic cannot perform the tappet holdown kit install in several hours, the problem is...........

The person/shop has never done this before....
The person/shop is a PROFITEER...........(hoping you have no idea how easy it is)

I installed DOZENS and DOZENS of holdown kits in the 80s/90s.
There are those that claim that BOTH sides need the kit but I have NEVER seen an intake tappet guide come loose.
I am not saying that it cannot happen but I have never seen it!!!!! The fuel tends to cool the intake side so the temp is likely not as high on that side.

I have not done one in 20 years but if I started at 8 in the morning I would be done by lunch.

3 plates, 6 holes, 1/4" x 20tpi tap and you are done. (keep the drill bit and tap greased and the swarf sticks to the tool, clean often)

I have seen people use a bolt tapped/threaded on each tappet guide installed against each guide instead of the holdown plate kit. It can work but I like the plates better.

Just my experience installing the kits.

bob

 

I wish I Was as good as you, I can't really do this myself... too complicate.
I mean I never done this before...

 

ok so I need a mechanic to do this for me in the Bay Area.
Somebody may recommend me a mechanic who is not a profiteer and that already did this job?
This is not the only job I have to do, looks like arm bushings needs attention.

 

The reason the later engines suffer from bucket guide lifting was due to British Leyland changed the quality of the Aluminium (yeh I'm British) to me it doesn't sound heavy enough for guides lifting, that's not to say it wouldn't be a good idea to have it done. I would be more inclined to think its more like tappet clearance opening up.

 

IMO.....

A tappet guide hitting the cam is much louder. More clackety; not so much clickety.

In the first video I'm not convinced we're hearing anything wrong. Some valve noise is normal plus the injectors make a distinct clicking noise.

These videos don't always come out right. My V12 has no abnormal noises at all when listening in 'in person' but I recorded a couple videos and it sounds like a bucket of bolts in a washing machine on spin cycle.

In the second video I think we're hearing some timing chain noise from a loose chain. But...typically that's worse when cold and quiets down when warm.

The tappet hold-downs are always a good idea but, personally, I wouldn't get too worried at this point. Have an experienced Jag guy listen...using his own two ears, so to speak.

Cheers
DD

 

yes Dough you re right.
The noise in reality (Warm engine) is not really loud.
When the engine is cold the noise is barely noticeable and very difficult to record with any recorder (first video).
I'll get a mechanic to see it.

 

do you have a Jaguar Club in the area? contact them, attend a meet, get advice from other owners.

I purchased my '65 Jaguar S type in the San Francisco-Oakland area and the garage that maintained it did an excellent job, but that was in 2004. It is a Volvo / BMW / Jaguar shop in Oakland.

 

was it called Tim auto repair ?

 

I went to the most reputable Jag mechanic in the bay area, in Oakland. It's called Continental import. He is an elderly man working on jags since decades.
After listening to the video on my phone he said that the stakedown kit may not ned to be installed and he told me the noise does not look so bad as he expected. But just in case it would need to be installed he told me the total cost is $1500. Looks really expensive in my opinion. But I talked to him for 15 minutes and he looked very competent. This shop is not known to be a profiteer, I guess this is the average cost on the Bay Area...

 

yikes!! I paid $600.00 to do mine in 1993.

keep shopping around.

The name of Tim does not ring a bell, and though I have old receipts that came with the car, they are buried in a storage unit, can't get to them, but if I do, I'll let you know.

 

Some reading for info about the XK 6 cylinder engine tappet guide hold down.

Stakedown Tappet Kit Info | Coventry West

What is a stakedown kit for the XJ6 Jaguars?

Jagbits Jaguar Parts: Tappet Hold Down Kit

Jag-lovers XK Engine Tappet Retainer Stakedown FAQ

bob

 

hi Bob,
what is a seized 1962 3.8 liter block core worth? ( no cylinder head but everything else is included !! came off a MK-2 )

 

Sorry, but that sounds nuts to me. Parts are about $30-50 including a drill bit, and even at $100/hr shop rate I just can't see racking up that kind of bill without being taken serious advantage of.
I did the job myself (and I'm no kind of special talent) in about 3 hours, including removing and replacing cam cover. Got the Coventry West kit which specifies a drill bit size for the included self-tapping screws, bought the bit and with a modicum of care and good sense marked and drilled slowly and carefully (perpendicular to the face of the cam cover, tape on the bit to set depth, protected oil passages from swarf) then cleaned carefully and screwed down the plates. Despite advice to the contrary the cam did *not* need to be removed. I'm convinced any fool with fewer than ten thumbs can do this -- I'm proof

Good luck with whatever you decide-- it's well worth doing.

Andrew.