head gasket blew today on my 88 today..

anyone have any input on the job or good places to get gasket sets?? So far ive priced a kit to like 150-170 dollars and i KNOW its gonna be a pain, anything in particular you guys know will be difficult?

i will be taking pics.

rly shitty day for me.


if i had the money id definitely put dual electric fans in it after this B$.

 

$150-170 is about the wholesale price. If you need to get your hands on a set locally, contact Ken at the Benz store 800-631-4170

He's on Buford Highway in Chamblee and while he specializes in Mercedes Benz, his supplier should have the parts.

Tell him that you got the number from one of his old Mercedes Benz customers who has since moved to Dallas

He'll probably be able to give you a name to a good machine shop for resurfacing the heads.

Good luck with the repair.

 

just a heads up, you MAY need a head puller to get those heads off. The studs go through the coolant and can corrode and swell.

 

ahaha heads up i get it... thats nice to know. you think thatd be more affected by age or mileage? i haven't run into anything thats been real stuck on my car so far but the coolant is OLD.

 

I dont want to be a "pain in the ****", BUT an '88 Jag is possibly an XJ40, with an AJ6 engine ???????. A little different to the XK engine in here. OR, is it a V12, then in here it belongs.

IF it is a 6cylinder, a move to the XJ40 area by a "freindly Mod" would be nice for the owner.

If it is an AJ6 engine it has "head bolts", NOT studs like the XK, or the V12, and the removal of the head is simplified by that change.

 

OH_OH. I forgot I was in the XJ-S area, Bugga, old age AGAIN.

Sorry guys for confusing all that. I will go have some MORE Merlot and punish myself for that monumental blunder.

But still is it a V12, or a 6 cylinder, might be nice to add to your sig, so we "older" ones dont have to think quite so hard.

The V12 is a PAIN to get the head/s off, but the AJ6 is easier by what I said, having bolts in lieu of studs.

 

its a V12 lol. I didn't say anything because i don't really think of 6s when im talking XJS but yeah. 5.3 liter.


what makes it so difficult? Really not looking forward to the exhaust ..

 

The exhaust isn't fun, but with determination and a thesaurus for new cuss words you can do it. The intakes are a piece of cake, as are the valve covers. The wiring can be nightmarish. Make sure you label everything! Take pic's too, that helps.
If you're lucky, the studs haven't swelled and you'll be able to pull the heads with only a small amount of blood loss.
It can be done.

 

AGREED, as I always think of the REAL engine with the XJ-S, but I have been caught out at times.

As said, the heads and studs grow together, and the heads can be a MONGREL to get off.

My '85, with supposedly impecable Jaguar service records (for what that is really worth) were stuck SOLID. The RH took a week to get off, and the LH took 3 days. All with the correct Jag lifting plate and waaaaaay more force than I would have liked. The engine was out of the car so access was significantly easier.

I tried to use the "up and down" method of working it off, but that did not work for long, and it stuck firm, so pressure applied via the plate and all manner of solvents/brews/etc poured down the sides of the studs eventually got them off.

You will require significant alcohol intake, so if you dont drink now, YOU SOON WILL, and a very extended vocabulary of those "NICE" words will also aid the process.

 

lol everyones making this sound so bad, i hope its not. i plan on taking my dads sprite out of the shop and pulling the jag in there so i can take the hood off and work out of the weather..

hopefully its not locked up like you guys are saying..... What plates are you talking about.


ill make sure to get some yuengling and use my expansive vocabulary to coax everything.
anyone know of extra stuff i shld remove, like the brake booster and master cylinder maybe?

 

ill definitely take pics and attempt some sort of write-up for this. I know most people who would do this job probably don't need a write-up but maybe itd still be helpful and convince some people who are unsure of themselves....

ive done an engine swap before but i havent replaced head gaskets which honestly sounds a little more precise so im kind of unsure....but how else will i learn

 

Check this thread out: Deutsches Museum... Jaguar I think it describes well some of the aggro that it takes to pull the head off.

 

anyone know the difference in the gasket sets? I see some of them have a single piece for the intake manifold and some have individual gaskets for each port.



best price ive found so far on ebay is $191 for a full set. does that sound like too much to anyone?? I have been putting off buying it because i dont wanna spend more money than necessary but...I NEED to get this done.

 

doesn't really matter on the intake gaskets, I used the individual ones, but either would work fine.

 

Are you sure it’s a blown head gasket? Water in the oil, etc? Did you do a compression test? May just be a leak on the water rail.

The above posts are unfortunately true. I had to take a head off of mine a few years ago. It took about a week of to get off – I would do it after work for about an hour or two an evening. Had special pullers made (I live in Norcross if you want to borrow them).

I suggest going to the jag lovers site and downloading the XJS book for all sorts of hints on this and other XJS issues. Check their xjs forum for suggestions on head removal.

Kirby Palm's Jaguar XJ-S Help Book

This is an excellent site. I always check it out when I have a problem. Fortunately for me, I have not had any problems for some time – other than gas mileage...

For parts, I use Coventry West – support your Georgia economy!

Good Luck

David

 

ive checked that book out a bunch of times its really great.


haha YES im positive, was driving it heat went way up, I started to smell anti-freeze, then the oil pressure dropped all the way off. I was literally a mile from the parking lot at work. another half mile i was off the main road and ive i revved i could heard the top end clatter from not being properly oiled. Basically idled into my parking spot and checked it out. coolant sprayed around the back of the left head.

its definitely blown lol.

hey man i really appreciate it, if i do end up needing something to pull the heads ill hit you up. What exactly is it for? Like you can't get the studs out or just can't get the head popped off and don't want to pull on it or what?

thanks again!

 

also anyone have ideas of extra stuff ill need just so i can get it together? obviously the gasket kit, oil, coolant, cleaner, pb blaster, etc.

 

do you need to remove the brake master cylinder and booster to get to the exhaust?

 

No, I removed both of my RH (drivers side) manifolds It is a PITA but can be done with engine in situ.

I had to remove
Air Box
Drop Exhaust Down Pipe
I needed to remove AC idler pulley but if yours is LHD you might need to remove the coolant tank instead.
I think that was all

The nuts are usual Jag very difficult. Just take your time and remember measure twice and cut once (metaphor).

good luck Warren

 

I'm with Grant on this one. My Series 3 Sovereign V12 dropped a valve insert (st/st seat) and the head was a b****** to get off due to galling on the studs.
Find someone who knows what they are doing.