I'm afraid I couldn't confirm that they looked at the car today. I spoke with the owner earlier in the day and they expected to look at it, but by the end of the day I didn't have my answers. They are supposed to call in the morning. I'm completely at fault for not maintaining my coolant level properly. Not reaching operating temp in the given timeframe I thought was likely due to the thermostat not operating properly and I didn't research further beyond reading here on the thermostat housing as a common issue when the thermostat is replaced. I didn't know of or do the burp procedure on the blower and I'm learning my lessons the hard way. My snowball, my wave... This is my timeout to absorb what else I coulda shoulda been doing for routine and preventive maintenance. This is my third Jag. I should know better.

 

I think you'll find this is the most reliable one once you get the bugs sorted out.

I have a feeling I'll be down that way some time later this summer helping my dad who picked this gem up at H/H North last fall and could stop by. Currently it's down down in Solomon's with a sick Perkins 345 that doesn't want to rev above 1800 rpm.


Per Cee Jay's post, they'll need to see how the engine wakes back up and assess its damage. What's the mileage on it?

 

Who's the "they"? This is all on me. Course, my youngest son wants me to leave it to him when I croak so maybe I'll force him to help me do the rebuild next time he visits. Meh, maybe I'll farm out the head work.

Anyway, it has... hard to say exactly how many, as it is used mostly for full-on romps and not so much tooling around town (although I do enjoy doing that once in awhile. heh heh heh). Uh, maybe 200 miles? Of those, probably 50 Really, REALLY hard miles. In short blasts. Included is maybe 40 trips down the strip.... no, that's not right. The first 10-15 were with a different engine (tiny little 429, only made like 500 hp).

 

'They' being the guys working on the OP's engine. You good sir need to know when to say when. I had a '78 T top II with side pipes that we dropped a stock 255 V8 in and it got whomped in the 1/8th mile at an illegal track down in VA by a no exhaust '82 Chevette. Funny as all get out. The early '90's were fun at times. The turned metal dash look in my car is a throwback to those days.

 

I'm at fault for not maintaining the coolant level properly and didn't know of or do the bleed off on the supercharger. The engine is blown and not salvagable. The extreme overheating did it in. I'm waiting to hear on the estimate for a replacement. The car/engine has 118,000 miles.

We live 10 minutes from Herrington Harbour North and keep our sailboat there. Stop down any time, there are some great roads down this way.

 

Drum roll please... the replacement engine will run about $6500, labor and miscellaneous fluids etc. will bring the total to around $9500. At the end of the day I'll have the car back with a young heart. Does that sound reasonable for a quote from a respectable shop (Eurosport Auto Service, Edgewater MD)?

 

I also have a story. Back many years ago when I was a poor student, I was driving a hand-me-down BMW with M30 straight 6 engine. It was winter, and viscous clutch fan failed. I couldn't afford $200 replacement part and didn't know better to just weld it always on. So I drove it whole winter playing with overheating. Shut down at the stop lights. Drive like maniac to get air flow going. I was in and near red zone more than dozen times. I did change oil frequently. By the time summer hit I saved up for a replacement part.

That engine made it to 400K.

 

Price is reasonable for an engine swap, but do get a written diagnosis on what is wrong with your old engine. At least have them do a compression and leak-down tests. Also, for a used engine make sure it comes with some warranty.

Now... this is also an opportunity to do following:

1. Port and polish your supercharger
2. Replace all coolant piping and water pump (so you don't end up with episode 2 of this saga)
3. Consider port and polishing your heads
4. Consider getting new chain and tensiometer
5. Consider new engine mounts

1 & 3 advice is from my racing experiences, this is free power
2., 4., and 5. is from my classic car experience, this is something you will end up doing anyways in a couple years. Much easier with engine out.

 

I like the bay area but don't get to spend much time down there.

What all are they expecting to do during the replacement? What form of replacement engine are you getting, long block, full dressed, etc? Are they replacing coolant hoses that are nearing the end of their life as part of the engine swap? At 118k you are into a pretty heavy maintenance area and I'd hate to see them recommend a swap without updating anything else and have it come apart again. I also wouldn't be afraid at that price point to seek out other quotes.

 

+1 on that. I've never had to go through anything like that but I'm pretty sure I'd be curious about where the replacement comes from and what warranty is being provided.

 

Now for the question.... is that price with you OLD engine returned as a Core, or is that the outright cost? Big difference here, as even your original engine how as-is may very well be worth a few thousand dollars.

 

The engine was well cooked with low cylinder compression. I'll get a printout on Monday and share the details. The replacement engine will come with a 90 day warranty from the salvager. I will know the specifics on the engine by midweek. I have had another estimate for $9000, but they don't have specialized Jag experience. I don't have a lot of options for other places, and I don't have a bit of trust for the Jaguar dealer in Annapolis. The suggestions for additional replacements and work are appreciated. Hoses, belts, mounts, water pump and the timing chain will be new. I'm in it for the long haul and want to do it as right as possible. I've had a good run with my 98 XK8 and have put over 90k miles on it since I bought it 7 years ago. I hope to put many more on this one.

 

I asked and was told the value would be in the weight of the aluminum as scrap. I'll push deeper on Monday. Good question...

 

I would keep the old engine. Considering you are getting a salvage engine I wouldn't think there is a core charge. Lots of good parts left on the old engine.

 

I'll add that if you aren't interested in the old one I'd be more than willing to ride down and pick it up for some cash as I expect I'll be into mine down the road. I don't think we're at that point of the conversation yet though. Lets get yours running first.

As said up thread, make sure they are getting you the correct low compression blower one, not the very common higher compression N/A one. Price for a salvage engine seems very high but I've been out of that game for a while. At $6500 it should be clean, fully dressed and ready to drop in with at least a 90 day / 3k mile warranty. I would at the very least, replace the water pump and the coolant lines. You may be able to get the VIN off the donor vehicle and see what caused it's demise. I'd avoid a frontal impact or flood damage if possible.

Just some thoughts and still hoping for the best.

 

And at the end of dismantling it, the block could make a nice base for a coffee table in the man-cave.

I echo all the comments about checking the provenance of the salvage engine - age, mileage, any other history, what killed the donor car, donor VIN. I had to replace the engine in my XJ-S when the dizzy drive seared and dropped all its bits inside - I managed to find a V12 that was a genuine Jag-reconditioned unit that had done only 8000 miles since being fitted. They were even able to supply proof of that from the original owner, which was most impressive. I doubt you'll get that level of info, but anything you can use to increase your confidence level is a Good Thing - and might pay dividends for resale.

 

Shame- just 2 weeks ago there was a guy salvaging his 2007 near mint XKR because of slight rear end damage.
You could have had an excellent engine transmission and car for $8k

 

The engine is coming from a 2007 XKR certified with 21,000 miles, and warrantied for 90 days. It had been in an accident not affecting the engine area and was written off as not being rebuildable. I will have pictures and VIN. I'm taking a leap of faith with Eurosport and I'll be effusive with either praise or criticism when the job is done. The engine will arrive from Virginia either Friday or Monday. They'll start as soon as they have it. The old core will be available. Thanks for all the suggestions and help. They are all being used.

 

Sorry for coming in late on this, but I would recommend English Auto in Odenton MD. The owners are former Jaguar Master Techs and they did a similar engine swap for me flawlessly a few years ago on an S-Type.

 

Well, one good thing is as they run into problems or concerns you can blast them up here and get pretty quick answers. Makes the whole process go much more confidently.