Team XJS,
As I wince from having to go out and purchase a load of imperial size sockets and spanners to get started as a tribute to the British heritage of my XJS todo list, I thought I should ask for a reccomendation for a compression tester and spark plug spanner. AFAIK my compression is good, but it's always hard to tell with cars such as this and I might as well measure it whilst I'm doing the spark plugs.

I looked at Amazon for a compression tester but the sizes that they were quoting for the threads all seemed metric, such as 12 or 15mm, and I know accessing the spark plugs can be a little challenging, so I thought I'd bounce the question off the collective

Best, Norfolk

 

I believe the spark plugs are 14 mm threads and take a regular old 5/8" spark plug socket for removal. If the Jaguar supplied spark plug removal tool (very handy tool) is missing from your tool kit, I find a U-joint and an extension works pretty well to crack them loose. Then, I usually slip a tight fitting piece of rubber hose over the spark plug to thread them out and the new ones back in. Those threads can get a bit long with my hand in tight places.

As far as the compression tester goes, I rented one from Autozone or O'Reillys (can't remember; most parts stores have them in their loaner tool program). Those kits usually have adapters for most spark plug threads including 14 mm.

 

Guess it was explained, Autozone's loan program should have the tester, I also found one on Ebay that works good. bought mine since I have been going over my engine compartment completly, (pics in my photo area and in several post). finding the Jaguar plug tool alone is hard to impossible unless you buy the tool kit, a search on Ebay may turn one up, if you can find one of the "T" handle plug removers it may work

 

Doh, well I looked in the tool kit and there was the factory spark plug spanner. Very useful design as you say, Heflirob. I suppose am officially becoming one of the weekend warriors that posts on-line before RTFM.





...and I ordered this OTC 5605 compression tester from Amazon.





Thanks for the help, you guys rock!

 

Dave, I got lost in your pics. Fantastic browsing and car collection.

You are definitely a Jagman!!!