XJS 5.3 pre he parked for 25 years....
 

Hi guys, I've started work on my dad's old xjs that has been parked up for over 25 years. Thankfully it was dry stored but unfortunately he'd left the parking brake on which was totally seized.....I've now managed to free off the rear brakes (nightmare inboard brakes with lots of rust to contend with) to move it away from the wall to give enough working space around the whole car. I am now concentrate on the engine, finding myself in the middle of trying to get onto the crank pulley bolt, it is a bit of a nightmare with very limited space!!! I've removed the bonnet(for access) and tried to remove the manual fan which is proving harder than expected.....defo think the engine has seized as when removing the 4 x bolts that hold pulley to the water pump the engine was locked with drive belt flexing heavily with engine not budging. The metal fan blades where attached to the viscous by 4 x bolts (removed), the viscous had a single bolt at the front which has also been removed. Scratching my head as to how to remove the viscous/fan assembly as was hoping would come off with the single bolt. Any advise much appreciated and thanks for spending the time to read my post.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...be3050681f.jpg
Sorry this is the only picture i took as wasn't planning on coming on here.

looks like RHD , right hand drive, where you located?
ron

You won’t budge that engine without a good long bar on the crank pully nut. That’s 12 sets of rings to push. Seized or no, it doesn’t just turn over. I’m betting it turns over just fine when asked properly.

Hi ronbros,
Yeah man, you must know these well to tell it's a RHD from such a poor pic....

Based in West Midlands, UK

Hi Jigjag
I'm hoping it goes with a bit of gentle persuasion....tbf I'm finding it a nightmare to get on the crank tho. I won't be able to get back on it for a couple of weeks now as have other commitments but will probably run it through my mind a million times....

There are others here with far more experience with this than mine, but I would think that before you attempt to turn the engine you would be advised to do the following:
Change the oil and filter, after 25 years you don't want that getting back up into the engine.
Remove the spark plugs and pour some Marvel Mystery Oil or similar into each spark plug hole.
Leave the plugs out so you aren't fighting compression while you try to turn the crankshaft.

Good Luck!

That fan hub originally simply slid off the snout of that bearing, once the single bolt was removed. UK dampness, has rusted the 2 together. I use a mixture of ATF (Auto Trans Fluid) and Diesel Fuel, about 50/50, and soak the area giving pain, and WAIT, beer time.

Also that same "brew" is used down the plug holes, and beer o'clock is called again.

Access to that crank bolt is insane, but doable.

BUT

DO NOT, DO NOT rotate that engine Anti-clockwise as looking at the FRONT of the engine. If you do, you run a 90% chance of snapping the $$$$$$ timing chain tensioner boomerang.

Getting that old oil etc out, as mentioned is also a top idea.

Hello Kam

This is coming from a non-jaguar background - but I have had several seized engines over the years.

Remove the spark plugs as per above and I used plan old diesel down the cylinders and have a rest for a while. When you come back - see if you can place something flexible (like a zip tie) down the spark plug hole and see if comes out wet or dry. If dry, then the diesel has soaked down into the sump which is a good thing. If it is wet, then you have found a seized piston. I do realize that access is difficult, but you should be lining up for new spark plugs anyway.

Repeat the process on the suspect pistons, with the bar on the crankshaft as per above once a week until she turns over. All mine eventually came good

Cheers
Steve

Cheers
Steve

Hi guys thanks for the ideas.
Defo gonna get the spark plugs out and give the bores a good soak, even if I find it not seized would do the rings no harm after such a long lay up. Think I'll leave the oil change till after I get the engine turning by hand at least, as any diesel/atf that passes the rings would contaminate the new oil...cant remember the exact oil capacity but sure it around 10.something litres don't fancy doing 2 x oil changes with that amount of oil....me and my dad have said we'd work on it every tuesday our work doesn't clash, however I can't wait that long as that would be 3 Tuesdays away, I'm finishing work early this Friday and heading over there. I'll let you know how I get on and hopefully update some better pics. Thanks again
Kam

Grant Francis you are the man!!!! The fan hub slid off the snout with a little gentle persuasion. After leaving the bores to soak was able to turn the engine manually via crankbolt. I disconnected the fuel pump and cranked engine on the key (spark plugs removed) with the engine turning quickly and also checked for spark which was present.

I was hoping for some oil pressure to build up but the low pressure light stayed on as well as no pressure registering on the dial. I cranked for maximum of 10 seconds and didn't want to crank any more at thoughts of dry crank bearings. Could the oil pump need priming after such a long time not being driven?

I was thinking of removing the oil sender from the vee and feeding oil down to hopefully fill the galleries. Any thoughts???

Thanks guys
Kam

Well done !

Don’t forget to get the oil changed before sending too much of whatever resides in the sump around in the engine.

I do love your engine photo. No fancy bright works, just 50 shades of grey. It almost looks like a b/w photo

The oil pressure will come up once the thing runs.

Thanks guys.

I won't worry too much about the oil pressure then and focus our concentrate on the fuel next time I get to the vehicle.

My dad was like we'll just try it and see if anything leaks.....eeer no I don't think so dad. Under close inspection there was hair line cracks on near enough every rubber fuel line in the engine bay, even the short pipes from the rail to the injectors. We'll have some fun replacing all the lines.

Sorry about the picture quality, there is no power in our garage so working with hand held work lights and had to take a pic with no flash as my phone seemed to blur the shot with the flash turned on....prob just my rubbish picture taking skills tbf.

Hello Kam

Might be good to do a compression test as well with the fuel line disconnected.

That way - if you have even compression, then the motor is good - if the compression is not even, better you know now, rather than later.

It is very rare for the oil light to go out with just cranking in any motor.

On a side note
I would disconnect the fuel line at the outlet side of the fuel pump and energize it (catch the fuel in a tin). Just a easy way to see if your pump is good, and also the condition (cleanliness) of the fuel in the system

Just like any other motor - with spark, compression and fuel, the motor will come alive

Cheers
Steve

Good call Bez74.

Plan of action next visit
1. Oil and filter change
2. Compression test
3. Check fuel from fuel pump (manually probing pump)
4. Investigate electrics controlling pump

Am I correct in thinking unleaded will be ok to use in the pre he 5.3 (registered 1978)? Seems unreal to be able to use unleaded on a motor that is so old. Would it be better to use a fuel additive?

Thanks again guys for your input

Kam

Would love to hear opinions about the fuel as well.

On my older cars of days gone by, I used to put upper cylinder lubrication that drip fed into the fuel line to replace the job that lead use to do.

I have read that the V12 valves were hardened from the start to handle unleaded fuel, but I have also read that later model XJS ping like crazy if they use standard (cheap) unleaded fuel.

So with this - is the better fuel of today good enough to run on yesterday's leaded fuel motor?

Sounds expensive if we get it wrong

Cheers
Steve

These engines runs fine on unleaded as valve seats are hardened, but you need to use premium fuel with high octane.
I use 95 RON on my HE, which as far as I know is 12.5:1
Your preHE will have a lower compression ratio, but I still believe you need to use premium

I have read with interest the posts in this thread - they will be very relevant when I get around to attempting to bring a 1978 XJS 5.3 back to life. Like the one owned by kamxjs, my father in-law's car has not moved from its spot in the garage (or engine turned over) in 27 years. It has done 24,000 miles and he had it from new. Years ago he started putting on a TWR body kit, but stopped halfway through.

The great advice above will be very helpful. No idea when I will get the time to start looking at it, but I hope kamxjs keeps us informed of progress - good luck. I too am also in the the West Midlands, UK!

Photo of engine attached (untouched since it last started)

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.jag...e8940ab86a.jpg

Hello 434

that is a nice engine bay - obviously been stored well so no doubt will be a nice machine

Just a question - it might be the rural Australian in me as we live in a big country - but how do people only get so few kilometers on their cars.

I have always thought that a 0 to 100k car was new
100 to 200k car was for teenagers and early 20 something,
Anything over 200k was classified as the work car.

Any idea why your father parked it? Just curious

Cheers
Steve