Greg xjsV12 is right!

I've been trying to bleed these brakes for Two Days! and about to call in a Jag Expert!

Ironically, when I was 'attempting' to bleed the rear brakes to day, I saw that the Rear Calipers had the Bleed Nipples on the top and I remember thinking how much easier it would have been if they were on the bottom!

While xjsV12 is clearly a 'Genius' spotting that, all I feel like doing is to hang my head in Shame!

If I only had time!

 

You're in Shock!

That's nothing, to the way I feel! I honestly don't know whether to laugh or cry!

So perhaps I'll do both!

Criticize me all you want, your 'telling off is accepted and fully justified!'

To start with I'm not a Mechanic and have never needed to be, up until I bought my first XJS.

Which was when I started to realize that so many things can/do, go wrong with these Cars, that unless you have a bottomless pit of money, this is no longer and option and you have to be prepared to get stuck in.

The Book that I have been using is a 'Manual' which is sold by Car Accessory shops and I'm pretty sure you know the one I mean!

And while my Merc is plug and play and almost never goes wrong, the XJS is what I would call the total Polar opposite.

But you are absolutely right! and I will buy a Manual, especially after this Horrendous Frap-up!

 

Hi Norri

XjsV12 is right! and he's almost Certainly solved the Bleeding Problem!

 

Thank Goodness you picked up on that, I just cannot thank you enough for pointing that out!

 

OB,
You are priceless! Good humor! Don't forget, we are here to help.
When your ancient and wise, don't forget to help the newbies! We all started that way!

 

Hi 1800doogie

That was never intended to be the slightest bit funny!

I am so ashamed of myself for this amazing 'frap-up' that I want to hide under the Jag and never come out!

This will be one tale of woe that I won't be regaling down the Pub, so when I swop the Calipers over (again!) I am going to do it at night when no one is looking!

Thank Goodness for XjsV12 he not only saved the day but saved me a fortune, as I was about to call in a Jag expert who usually charges £40 per hour!

Though not sure if that would include the amount of time that he would have spent doubled up with laughter and generally wetting himself, when he looked and saw what I had done!

That was a 'Dog Day Afternoon' where everything went 'TU' apart from the Calipers!

 

I am always ready to help

 

Hi XjsV12

You've certainly earned your quota of 'Brownie Points' with me!

I didn't even give a thought to which way that they ought to be facing, I just picked them up and put them on.

Having done so I was going crackers, as to why I couldn't bleed the Air out, which with the benefit of hindsight was Bl**ding Obvious!

So I am genuinely grateful, you really saved the day!

 

OB,

I'm really pleased that you might be getting close to sorting it. Great spot by xjsv12. I guess none of us thought to look at the pics as we should all have noticed that.

Please don't take my earlier post personally. I'm just so used to the various Jaguar parts and service manuals that I take it for granted that everyone has one. If you do buy one, get the correct one for your model. There is a different one for facelift XJSs. Or you can now buy a combined one which covers everything. Also note that I think only the combined one works on Mac PCs.

Good luck with the bleeding brakes!

Paul

 

Hi Paul

No problem, I know you were only trying to help which was appreciated and I don't take anything personally.

Any idea what the Manual is called, so I don't buy the wrong one?

Rain has stopped play at the moment but as soon as the weather clears up, then thanks to XjsV12 I should be able to get the problem sorted.

 

OB,

Jaguar Heritage seem to be out if stock at the moment of the parts & service manual dvd that covers just the 5.3 cars. However, they do have the new combined one that covers all XJSs and is a compilation of 5 separate dvds that I've got. A huge amount of info on it. You'll become the technical guru of XJSs if you buy it! Available here:

Jaguar Heritage. Jaguar XJ-S, XJR-S and XJS - 1975 to 1996

Paul

 

Blinkin Heck Paul!

Comprehensive or what!

If all goes well tomorrow, I might just treat myself!

 

Update:

Refitted the Calipers, putting them on the Right Way Round this time! and also made and fitted Two new Front Brake Pipes, from the Calipers to the Flexible Hoses.

Then Having Bled the Air out of the System, the Brake Pedal came back and started working! as it should but not for long, for as soon as I started the engine and tried the brakes again, the pedal went down to the floor!

When I checked the new metal Brake Pipes, fluid was dripping out of them where they screwed into the Caliper and also letting in Air, so it looks as though they may need to be given a bit of a 'tweak' with the spanner.

I thought I had screwed them in fairly tight, so what I would really like to know is, if I tighten them up too much could I damage the thread in the Caliper, or am I being a little bit over Cautious?

 

OB, tighten them a touch ( eg 7 minutes of turn MAX ) and see what is does. However be prepared for the trouble to be with the flares. If they are not absolutely perfectly formed the pipes will leak unstoppably. I still think you would be better advised to buy a set from (eg) Ward! My own experience when I rebuilt my car was that I had to buy a £150 Sykes Pickavent flaring tool to make reliable flares when I was redoing the brakelines...

Still and all, it seems you have basically sorted the problem. Congrats

Greg

 

Hi Greg

The DIY flaring tool I'm using seems to leave a lot to be desired, as its hard to get a perfect 'flare' on the pipe.

Some of the Motor Factors near me, used to make the pipes up but seem to have stopped doing it now, because of the risk they might get the blame if someone had an accident.

Unfortunately I couldn't manage to save the original pipes, as they were so welded together with corrosion, that I had to hacksaw them off but at least they didn't leak!

I used this 'kit' to re-pipe the brakes on the Merc which all went well but the Jag is a different animal altogether.

Having said that, I have now found a place which makes hydraulic pipes but they are not open till Monday, so I will have another try at tightening up the pipe fittings tomorrow.

If you were doing this on your own Car, would you have them made up in Steel or Copper? as they can make them out of either material.

As soon as I corrected my 'deliberate' mistake, the Calipers virtually bled themselves and the Pedal came up hard but fluid seems to be getting past the flares but I don't want to over tighten them and mess up the 'threads'

 

OB

Steel or copper does not matter. Hydraulic pipe guys may be unable to make up passenger car brake pipes, different system. I really do suggest you call Ward engineering and they will send you a properly flared set. Tightening 5 minutes of a turn will be OK, but do not expect it to do any good! I mean, OB these are BRAKES, you want them to be 100%.

There are loads of places that do it, google a few, eg (no recommendations just a search result):

Brake Pipes 2 Go

Greg

 

OB I would use copper, it won't rust.

 

Hi Greg

You are absolutely right!

You cannot mess around with brakes and I will order a set from Ward

It's not worth trying to rush these things, 'better to be late than dead on time!'

 

I might just do that Steve, I will have a look at the ones from Ward Engineering.

For a minute I thought you were going to say that I wasn't driving fast enough!

 

OB,

Just go to your nearest jaguar dealer and ask him to order them in for the next day. About £11 each side. Easy.

Paul