Hi there,

I'm finding it harder and harder to work on the lower area of my engine... As I need a few morr parts, I wanted to work on the engine outside of the car. On my crashed X300 I removed the V block bolts, undid the rear huge bolts, the propshaft from the tranny, the tranny mount and the steering column connection and was able to roll the old engine on subframe out.

As far as I have been able to see, the V12 with subframe would be best taken out from below. 2 large/huge bolts at the front, the brackets for the front stabliser, the rear rubber mounts and undo the tranny bracket and prop and it should be able to be removed from below (pivot car upwards on ramps).

Am I missing something along the lines here? Removing the entire subframe would make my life a lot easier... And I can work in the garage and therefore weather independant...

What size are those huge screws at the front and are there 4 or 3 screws/nuts per side on the rear rubber mounts?

Cheers

Damien

(With some really bad sunburn after working in the sun for 5 hours and forgetting to put sunblocker on)

 

Daim
If only. The fact is that this cannot be done. The engine with the heads on is far too wide to go down between the chassis rails. It has to be lifted out from above, which is how the factory installed it. If the heads come off first, then it might be doable as you envisage. But removing the heads, engine in car, is a complete pain, even if theoretically doable; and considering you have to get it all out and everything disconnected somehow, the extra pain of hauling out the engine with a crane is well worth it. The rear mounts just require the one large nut you can see to be removed to free the subframe at the rear.
Once out, the engine is wonderfully easy to work on.
Greg

 

After looking and measuring, it will/should work, as the engine bay widens up to the front... If pulled out at the same time as the body is lifted up, it will roll out...

I can't be **** to lift that beast out... Did it on my donor car... Took a weekend...

 

If you manage it Daim, I for one will be eternally grateful to know how it can be done. Get stuck in and do it!
Greg

 

As far as I can calculate it should. My plan is to put the rear end on a pair of ramps amd use a hoist to lift the front up. Whislt pulling it up, the engine on subframe will be rolled out. I'll see if I can timelapse the job.

I find it hard to understand, that Jaguar put the engine in from above... That is against all principles of a subframe... If I look at the underside, it would make sense to make the drivetrain and suspension with exhaust on one part and the body on the other. Mount then from below (like a normal marriage).

I guess lifting the front up about 1.3 m (4') (calculated height with frontsprings well unloaded) on an angle should make it possible.

As I removed the engine and tranny from above last time, the heads hit the bulkhead all the time or badly should I say, as the required angle was far too high to do it properly... Engine on it's own I see would also be rather painful... Maybe quickest but painful...

My idea was to also reassemble most of the engine and front parts like altenator and co outside...

 

I have measured it and it looks like you need to remove the intake manifolds and it should be feasible.

 

Agreed that certainly the inlets should be removed first, for all sorts of reasons, whichever way the motor comes out!
Also, Daim, why put the rear on ramps? I think you might need quite an angle of lift to get the engine rolled out forwards as it has to clear the cross member under the rad, and ramps at the rear will make this even more of a lift.
There is a really interesting book all about how the XJS was made with loads of factory assembly photos in it, that comes up on ebay from time to time:
Jaguar XJS - excellent history book by Rivers Fletcher | eBay
Well worth buying it, and it shows how the engine went in, and yes, it does have to be at a crazy angle! As a DIY job, it is "easier" if the subframe is removed first and then the engine hoiked out. getting the sump past the rear edge of the subframe is a nightmare.
Greg

 

Yeah, that was the plan. The intakes are quickly removed... Otherwise your measuring confirmed mine...

@ Greg

It needs a large angle and the rear overhang will not allow such an angle without elevating it. At the same time, I have a few things under the car to do... So it isn't that bad

 

Does anyone know what size the front two screws are? I know they are large but how large exactly?

 

daim
My 29mm spanner worked fine, although they are imperial I am sure. You need two, obviously.
Greg

 

29 mm? I should be able to undo them then...

I know these buggers have a mix of metric and imperial sizes... Really annoying sometimes

Cheers though Greg!

 

Tomorrow is the day I will see if the V12 (less the intakes) will pop out from below with the subframe. I have heard of AJ16 owners being able to do it this way... So we'll see if that mighty block will squeeze through

 

Good luck Daim.
If you were running book on it my bet would be no. To clear rear corners of the heads and water rails past the inner footwell humps it looks as though you need to move engine forward more than radiator support crossmember will allow.
Having said all that, l never was a good gambler.

 

I see no reason why. I will also be filming it all... Just for the archives

 

OK Daim, how did it go, what happened?
Greg

 

All quite well. Just the steering column seems in the way. That is no problem though to remove. As I twisted my back at the same time, I can't carry on today

 

Sorry to hear about the back, get well soon

 

Cheers mate... It is an old war injury... Back then, as I fought against the Romans and they marched into Britain JK... Just overdid it a bit... But that'll be fine again quite soon

 

nothing changes, or does it? watch this space.

 

Tried it 4 different ways and have to admit, you guys were right, I was wrong. Yes, I am manly enough to admit I was wrong...

In the end the engine came out from the top and the subframe from below. Now I can work on both in the garage whilst the car can sit outside without taking up too much space.