yes. It plugged the leak but it ran hot as hell from then on

 

It did fix the leak though.......

 

Fixing the symptom not the disease is not a solution.

 

but my leak was in the radiator not the head gasket. Lot less thermal energy in the radiator than around the cylinders. Also the combustion chamber pressure is working against you.

anyhow, I havent used any snake oil type quick fix in a can products since maybe the 80s so maybe theyre better now.

Would like to thank whoever posted those videos of the cylinder heads being removed as I have never seen that before and it was quite interesting to watch it done and see some of the typical issues involved. I learned a lot thanks. Oh yeah I would grab at $800 motor and transmission in a second if I had a need for it.

 

If the head is not flat, then BOTH sides of the head must be machined, otherwise the head will be slightly wedge-shaped. In a head with a separate tappet block carrying the cams, which is bolted to the top side of the head, it is essential that the head surfaces, top and bottom, are parallel, or disaster ensures because the cams will be at an angle to the longitudinal surface of the head.

 

Easy to say when you are not the one paying. It depends whether or not you want to spend $8k fixing a $5k car. Would you spend YOUR money to fix it?

 

Ideally aluminium heads need bending back into shape in an oven rather than any machining.

 

Simply answer - yes - life isn't all about worshiping the god of money - I couldn't care less about how 'you' value things, I couldn't care less about 'money', I don't care for posessions particularly. There is a value in things to some that can't be expressed in a narrow minded concept like money. There are many historic things available to see that simply wouldn't be around if we all thought only in monetary terms like how much could we sell it for. I get it, to each their own. I don't do red neck engineering, never have, never will, you keep to your rules and I'll stick to mine.

 

Coming in late here. With unsolicited opinion

Faced with the same dilemma I'd go for a good used engine in a New York minute, personally. The Jaguar will be back on the road, for my enjoyment, much more quickly and almost certainly much less expensively. Having the Jag down for repairs, un-driveable, is mild torture for me. But I'm accustomed to using old Jags as a daily drivers so my perspective and priorities may not be the same as others'.

Then I'd be very tempted to repair the original engine at my leisure...providing the heads themselves are not toast and mega-dollars are not required. It might well end up being a good engine for another project Jaguar. I'm rubbing my hands just thinking about the possibilities

Cheers
DD

 

The classic dilemma faced by many and, I might add, the impetus for many V8 conversions back in the day

Cheers
DD

 

Yes, but how much would you spend to fix the engine? $1000? $5000 $10000? $25000? Unlimited amount? If, at some point, you'd put a ceiling on the amount, then you're no different than kansanbrit. Only the height of the ceiling is different, I suspect.

I think framing this as "worshiping money" is a bit unfair.

I certainly agree, though, that "cost" and "value" are different but related things. Each of us defines and balances the relationship in our own way.

Cheers
DD

 

Would depend how 'replaceable' an item was how far I'd go, and it is framing things in monetary terms, I don't think it is unfair at all. Is it a fair statement when discussing a vehicle that is 'common' and not exactly rare - sure it is - but I wouldn't waste my time on such a thing, would I spend 10k on our 12 year old Passat B6 - no - because there are plenty around - it is a tool for a job. Preserving an older classic is an entirely different proposition, most of the classics out there in better than average or even better than new have likely had more spent on them than they are 'worth' - it is a value thing - and very hard to explain to one who is fixated on money.

How far I'd go would depend on the circumstance but if the item weren't easily replaced (or irreplaceable) then unlimited. That said the project would need to have some 'significance' be it engineering or rarity - something to make it a value proposition, something to challenge the skills / knowledge / whatever, not only value to me but possibly to future generations. It is true of course that at some point a project is untenable, it is of value only as a donor to keep others going.

Example - aluminium engine block badly corroded internally due to poor maintenance, so much so it became porous and weeped - I 'could' have replaced it for Ł500 to Ł600 with a secondhand unit but then the car wouldn't have 'matching' numbers and a secondhand engine is exactly that - and an unkown quantity. I spent over Ł1k getting the block repaired - ground out and welded - new liner seats and remachining including the block deck. The car as a rsult still has matching numbers, I also buy all kinds of spares when I find them - not because I need them now but in the future I may.

Would I buy a complete engine and tranny for $800 - sure - but it would still get the once over and would be temporary while I fixed the other. Would I put something at risk by doing half a job knowing that there was an issue that could potentially lead to other issues then the answer is no.

I spend what I need to when I need to, I don't consider the money, just doing the work, learning new things, preserving something that would otherwise be lost for me has rewards you can't buy, some would regard me a foolish, opinionated, arrogant - use your own adjective - I'm OK with that.

 

Excuse my culling down of your remarks.

I appreciate your philosophy; perhaps more than you give me credit for. I receive huge personal value and reward for my efforts in driving and maintaining old Jags. I can't put a price on that. I don't begrudge (nor accurately tally) a single dollar spent, as the car repays me in more than equal measure.

But, despite this, if the car was in need of serious repair there will be limits to how much money I can actually afford to spend or how much I am willing to spend. The project may become untenable for me at a much lower expenditure point than it would for you. It appears that you would characterize my decision as being "fixated on money" or "worshiping money". I think that would be an unfair and ungracious (and, frankly, insulting) characterization. If those are adjectives you can live with, fair enough.

Cheers
DD

 

Absolutely agree and understand that - you aren't in that case putting it down to money but a realism based on your circumstances - that I totally understand that, even I must reach that point whilst I have a certain flecibility financially I'm far from being a billionaire, so what you explain isn't monetary terms from my perspective either. It just so happens that I have many more years behind than ahead but I'm now in a position where money simply isn't an issue for me any more. I grew up appreciating old agricultural machinery, victorian engineering where the visual was just as important as the engineering, where things were made to last.

I was in no way attacking or deriding, I was asked if I would spend MY money instead of using a temporary 'permanent' fix - the answer remains absolutely yes -

As for the adjectives I don't take any words personally I ain't so sensitive, besides I know that I can come across as abrasive sometimes, so please don't take it personally either.

 

As we say in the hood,,,, Y'ALL BE BUGGIN...
​​​I would like to help this did fix his car...

My "new" engine... Oh shoot! Look OUT!
lolololololololol 🤣

 

Ummm, I don't think an XJS qualifies as historic or even a classic. I recently bought a totally rust-free 67K 1994 XJS convertible from Texas for $3,000, so why would anyone want to spend a bunch of money fixing one instead of buying another is beyond me - but I'm glad they do as it means more work for me.
A customer of mine recently sold his immaculate 1988 convertible for $15K, together with invoices for a total of $68K spent over the 4 years of ownership. You might know him, I suspect you went to school together.

P.S. Redneck is one word by the way.

 

Just FYI I recently went through the overheating issue with my LS in my XK8....after replacing radiator, hoses, thermostat, water pump and head gaskets....we determined that the water pump was cavitating due to air pocket in the cooling system. The original engine in my jag had a blown head gasket no doubt due to similar problems. Since the engine sits higher than the radiator it must pull water uphill from the radiator to the water pump. We decided it was having difficulty doing this so we installed an electric booster pump where the water exits the radiator to return to the water pump. I'll know in a couple of weeks (it's still in the shop) if this solution works. By the way the heads were warped from the heat so I had them resurfaces while off. I will let you know how this solution works out....cheers!

 

k-seal and flush it out when you’re done. if you have a cracked cylinder it will usually work, head gasket is 50/50

 

Out of interest how much were the heads warped?
How much material did the machine shop remove?

 

I didn't ask how much they were warped but resurfacing fixed the problem.....