This evening I was going to remove the lower plate and grill for sandblasting. It was quite rusty and I'm planning on repainting. As I did that I discovered some nasty damage to a radiator...
It is a small size radiator, lowest to the ground and in front of all the other radiators.
Can anyone tell me what radiator that is? you can see the damage clearly in the pics.

Next to that, a couple of weeks ago I removed all the rubber parts of the bumpers, leaving only the chrome trim. I like the look of the front like that because it gives a shark like feel. You don't see the bumper mounts because the fog lights are mounted right in front of the bolts, underneath the chrome bumper trim. Then I saw two holes on both sides, used for cabling towards the indicators and the fog lights. Today while shopping for parts I discovered 2 indicators that really fit these holes quite well. They are led indicators (I don't know if they're error free, I will test that later). I just had to drill a few holes and adapt a few cables and they could be installed. They are only about 1/2 inch thick so the really look good on the car, and they only cost me $20 for both

I also removed both horns and I will give them a new location next time...

Best regards,

Frederik

 

I could be wrong, but that looks like the engine oil cooler to me. Not something you want to blow out on you when driving down the highway...

 

I agree with Jamey XJ6

It does look like the oil cooler.

I had one go on my Car and was a bit of a nightmare to fix, so I would make sure that it is well protected.

 

Now you made me worried that is what I was thinking, it is sweating oil any tips on how to remove the cooler? Is it easy to remove? How long would it take to remove?

Does anyone know a good salvage parts dealer in UK? In Belgium there are not that much salvage parts dealers...


Greetz

Frederik

 

It is definitely the oil cooler. If you are lucky and the bottom fixings on the cooler (one each side) are bolts rather than studs, to remove it first undo the oil lines on each side. Ensure you use a spanner on each fixing (one on the cooler fitting, one on the pipe). Then pull the bottom of the cooler forward carefully, and then down a bit, which releases the pegs at the bottom of the aircon condenser (the cooler above the oil cooler) from their mating holes in the oil cooler.

If this does not work, then unbolt the cross panel that goes across the top of the radiator (two bolts each side) and ease it up an inch or two. This will allow you to also ease up the higher cooler, which is the aircon evaporator, which is a push fit into fixing holes and rubber bungs in the oil cooler top. Now undo the two smallish bolts (one each side) at the bottom of the oil cooler, that hold it to the body.

Remove cooler and chuck it away! Sadly, from expensive personal experience, you may not be able to buy a second hand oil cooler in anything like a decent state. If not, a new one is around 150 to 180 UKP. Try Grublogger for a second hand one, or any other breaker. If you plan to keep the car, a new one is always a better idea.

The oil cooler to oil pipe fixings are different sizes on different model years, depending if you have the oil bypass system or the full flow system. So you need to know this when ordering a new cooler. If one of the oil cooler pipes exits from the front RHS (UK driver's side) of the sump sandwich plate, then you have the bypass system. If not, not. The bypass system was changed to the full flow in the late 1980s.

I love the bumperless look, and the indicators, where did you find them? The car will run MUCH cooler without the bumper too. The horns are easily moved one to each side, and this ilproves airflow too.

Greg

 

Very useful reply, thank you very much...
There are indeed bolts on both underside of the cooler, hope I'm lucky...

The turn signals I've found in a local shop, there is no brand on it though... They cost 8,8 euro per piece and are led.

If you like them I'm willing to ship them to you... But i remember you are in Belgium from time to time, the shop is in Roeselare : "Euroshop"

Best regards,

Frederik

 

Hi Frederik

It took me TWO WEEKS! to fix my oil cooler but that was because I didn't know what I was doing.

My first mistake was in trying to undo the pipes that go into the oil cooler because the nuts (or unions) are made of steel and the oil cooler is made of aluminum.

Because of this they will almost certainly be corroded together, even if it doesn't look it from the outside.

I put a big spanner on those nuts and as much as I bashed them with a hammer they wouldn't come undone, so I wouldn't bother trying if I were you.

You could carefully give it a go, as you may get lucky but I very much doubt if you would get them undone.

If the spanner slips it could take out your main Rad!

If I were doing this job again, I would cut the pipes off (near the oil cooler) and get the oil cooler out.

Tie the tubes up in the air or the oil might run out all over the place and it will certainly do some of that if/when you cut the pipes, so have something to catch the oil in at the ready.

The UK Manufacturers were OXFORD COOLERS (in oxford) though they may have changed their name so Google them.

UK Price: about £150 when I bought mine.

The new oil pipes will probably cost about the same and the old pipes will unbolt from the engine ok.

(You try this at your own risk) but in order to save money, I didn't use OE pipes with the metal bends.

Instead I went to a place where they make up oil pipes, for things like tractors and JCB's etc.

And got them to make me some oil pipes with the same unions on the end to screw onto the oil cooler (use copper grease when you put them on)

But I decided to do away with the metal bends and route the rubber oil pipes in a way that they wouldn't kink up.

If they do kink it will blow the engine, so whether you want to do this or not is totally at your own risk.

If you get your pipes made up like I did, they will also be able to include metal bends just like on the OE which is obviously the safest way to go.

Even without the metal bends (I decided to risk it!) I haven't had any problems.

And saved myself a fortune on OE pipes.

The choice is yours its up to you and all at your own risk.

If you can afford it the OE pipes with the metal bends is the way to go

Or get some made up with metal bends from people who make up replacement hydraulic pipes for (Tractors/JCB's etc)

Just using pipes like I did, is a little bit risky, so its really up to you which way to go.

But if your Oil Cooler is 'weeping oil' you better get it fixed because it will only get worse and let you down when you least expect it.

 

I will try to loosen them first without giving it to much effort... I will see what happens but it doesn't make me happy...

Some more pics of the turn signals:

greetz Frederik

 

Mant thanks for the offer, I do not need them at the moment, but if I ever decide to ditch the front bumper, a modification I like, something like them would be very smart.

The only problem you may have with LEDs is that the flasher unit may not work as intended because it thinks a bulb is out. It is a feature of the XJS flashers that if a bulb goes out, the dashboard winker repeaters do not flash properly - this is a warning to the driver. I only know this because I chased a non-existent problem for about 2 days on my rebuild before I twigged the problem was an intermittently duff bulb!

I believe a resistor in the circuit equivalent to the bulb resistance will fool the flasher into working properly if this turns out to be a problem, but I am not sure on the values required.

Where will you mount the license plate?

Greg

 

Hi Greg,

I haven't figured out where to place the licence plate yet we'll see, I will take one as small as possible

For the bulbs to led conversion, I haven't tested them yet... I always take the battery out of the car and branch it to a solar charger since I don't drive the car frequently.
I will test them both with an ohm meter, and then fill in the difference with an resistor if necessary... That should work no?

greetz

Frederik

 

Hi Frederik

When I took my old Oil Cooler out the name and address and telephone number of Oxford Coolers was printed on a label on the cooler, unfortunately I chucked it away but you might find a label on yours.

When I had the oil pipes made up by a firm who make hydraulic pipes to order, they were good enough to do them while I waited and only charged me £15 each to make them.

So now that I had them interested in my XJS I also got them to make me up a single hydraulic pipe with the engine union fittings on each end, which I carry around in case of an emergency.

So that in the event I am miles from home and the oil cooler goes (as they sometimes do) hit by a flying stone or something like that.

I can do a roadside repair by connecting the pipe direct and cutting the oil cooler out, which will at least get me home so I can fix it.

I know it must be very tempting to leave it, especially if its only weeping oil but when they go they go big time and you may not even notice it until the oil gauge suddenly drops, which could result in permanent engine damage.

Better to bite the bullet and do it before the Summer IMO.

 

That's so true I know! I already made a few calls to Uk for salvage part and everyone says the same thing : they are so difficult to find because they are impossible to remove me not happy

 

The funny thing with the oil radiator is that you can see that the radiator is all greasy, like it is sweating oil, but the car has been standing in the same spot for 4 days now, and there is not a single drop of oil under the radiator... And I can asure you that there is still plenty of oil in the engine
Could there be visual damage but that the lines are not pierced and it is not leaking? Could it be just dirt from driving on the radiatior?

Just in case I will have to remove the radiator, i've got a plan! I will not start to work on it yet (although I'm very tempted), I've got tons of other things to tackle, but every hour I'm at home I will go to the garage and spray both connections of the tubes to the radiator with plenty of WD40... maybe that will help te release the two parts corroded together...

 

Hi Frederik

You do have some hope of removing those connections to your oil cooler,

No hope and Bob hope! as we say in the UK (I'm being ironic) The only possible chance you would have, is if the previous owner fitted a new oil cooler at some stage and put plenty of grease on the unions before they were connected.

When I tried to get the connections off mine, I had a spanner on the oil cooler nut and another on the union on the Pipe, after which I was bashing those spanners with a great big hammer and they still wouldn't move!

When these sort of unions get corroded together, they may as well be welded and don't want to separate.

Better that WD for this is Vinegar! so you could give that a try.

Also carefully wash the oil cooler with 'Washing Up Liquid' to degrease it, then see if it still weeps oil after that but I think you are almost certainly going to have to replace it.

It was one of the worst jobs I've ever done on a car.

But if it happened again I would chop off the pipes, unbolt the cooler replace it and then fit new pipes.

Having been there and done it, I wouldn't waste my time in trying to get those connections undone.

You may get lucky but I very much doubt it.

 

If you are not sure if it is leaking then get under there and have at it with some Gunk or other degreasing agent; give it a good clean and it will make it much easier to see if there is a leak.

 

If you find it is leaking and can't find one over there let me know. I have a dozen of those laying on the shelf. Pay the shipping and it's yours free of charge. I part out XJS's and throw nothing away! lol
I restore and drive them as well. So addicted to them I have started reproducing parts for them including OEM style spoilers, headliners, plastic piece behind bumper, etc.

 

Alyary, I'm sending you a PM, as I am looking for a price on something for my XJS.

 

Hi Alyary, that is a very kind offer! I will check how much the costs would be! but first I will try to remove them in 2 weeks!

I will keep you posted

Greetz,

Frederik

 

I sent ALYARY a check for some parts. He cashed the check. 2 weeks later, no parts. Will not return calls, texts........etc. but his craigslist ads get updated regularly so I know he's still alive. Name is .............. and seems to have two addresses. One in NC, and one in SC.

He advertises XJS parts on craigslist in that area. Just wanted others to be aware. It's no fun getting burned. I talked to him extensively and felt fine sending a check. Not so much now.

Kind of soured me on my project. Oh well. Just wanted to warn others.

Bill.

 

I'm really sorry to hear about that Bill. Very disappointing when something like that happens. I'd report him to the mods if you haven't already to at least keep him from advertising on here. Hopefully you can still get your project done.