Thanks so much to all for this sound advice. It is much appreciated. I certainly understand and have the expectation that my car will need some TLC and repairs at 80k miles. Your suggestions to look for alternate part sources sounds critical to keeping this maintenance affordable.

To answer a couple of posed questions, on the R&P, shop said there is a visible leak from the housing and fluid was collecting on the underpanel/shield. For the control arms, I think he said bushings were dry rotted and showing cracks, said was likely cheaper to replace in total than to try to just replace the bushings. I had them do rotors and pads and told them to hold on the others items. Though called out by a few, I don't think there's anything wrong with my "trust filter". I'm here asking questions, after all. I can't fault a shop for trying make a living and quoting repairs using warranted parts and labor, unless they are inventing repairs of course.

Love the idea of finding a British Car Club here in Charlotte for a shop/mechanic referral, and would be fun to find some of their events as well. Makes me remember the days owning and wrenching on my MGB years ago. That was an easy and cheap car to work on.

I'm out of town this weekend but will plan to get my pretty girl on some jack stands and try to see for myself what was described, and maybe get another opinion. Feeling more rational and less disappointed in my purchase decision, knowing there are some better options.

 

The XK is a harder and more expensive car to work on, but I find it to be interesting (so far) and a good hobby. I've owned my 2007 w/79K miles for six months and have replaced rear suspension parts (sway bar links and toe-in rods) and several engine coolant hoses plus miscellaneous items. I've spent ~$2K on parts so far but have not installed all of them yet.

I agree with the concept of replacing the suspension parts using quality aftermarket sources instead of trying to replace rubber bushings on the ball joints which may have been subject to dirt entering given the broken rubber.

Maybe you'll be motivated to wrench on the car yourself, after you get under the car and look around; otherwise you can help to fund your local mechanic's RV or boat. Good luck with your choices.

 

Ben:

Here's a very good starting point......all of these clubs will know of Jaguar owners within the club or other Jaguar Car Clubs in your area.

Carolinas Austin-Healey Club-Charlotte
Club Meetings are held the third Monday of each month except the month of December. The meetings are held at the Greystone Restaurant, South Blvd. in Charlotte, NC. The restaurant is in the Park Road Shopping Center. We start at 6:00 P.M. for our meal the meeting starts at 7:00 P.M

http://www.carolinasahc.com/

Metrolina MG Car Club Charlotte
Monthly meetings are held the first Tuesday of every month at PJ's Restaurant 600 Matthews-Mint Hill Road. Dinner is at 6:30 PM and the meeting starts at 7:30 PM

Metrolina MG Car Club - Home

Triad Austin Healy Club Winston-Salem
Club meets on first Monday of every month at the Sagebrush Steakhouse. Kernersville, N.C. 6:30

The Carolina Jaguar Club has the reputation of being the premiere fun-loving crowd of the South. Come visit or join us and see what we're all about! Find out what is happening in the world of Jaguars and other fun-related things. Our event calendar is on the Facebook page and in the Litter Box, our monthly newsletter, which can be read online or printed. You are always welcome to come visit at one of our events before you join. Check us out on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/CarolinaJaguarClub

http://www.jcna.com/users/se21

 

Don't forget Jaguar Clubs of North America (JCNA) there are affiliate clubs all over the States and Canada. Their website is Jaguar Clubs of North America |. They publish a bi-monthly magazine and the regionals have events throughout the year.

 

Update: I've been out of town and busy the past few weekends. The rack and pinion assembly is definitely has a leak, see pic. I wiped down the part a few days ago when it was dripping, but you can still see the remnants of the leak in the pic. Ordered the rebuilt part from the eBay link privided and am waiting for delivery. DAVCHR, many thanks for the reference. Looks like this will actually be rather simple to remove and replace as all bits seem very accessible in this car's configuration. Watched a few youtube videos where bolts and steering linkage were much harder to get to in some other cars.

Not sure about the control arms needing replacement, I still need to check those for play when I get it up on stands and have the wheels off the ground. Yes, it's been 3 weeks since I initially posted but life with kids and other hobbies seem to get in the way of this stuff.

Question... shouldn't I have some sort of undercarriage cover on this car to protect things? My car doesn't have anything other than a panel covering the leading edge, like the first 18 inches or so. Is it missing? There's a little L bracket in the pic that seems like it would be support for an undercarriage cover/panel.



Rack and Pinion unit with leak

 

Yes Ben, you should have a splash shield.

http://www.discountbodyparts.com/cat...44ceebb7626697

 

There is a splash cover. I ended up taking mine back off after the discussion Mandrake and myself were having related to heat and airflow control through the engine bay.

 

Thought so, I guess I'll see if the shop that had it last still has it lying around somewhere. Maybe I'll also let them know that I just ordered a $200 rack and pinion unit (plus $30 refund when I return the core) instead of the $3100 part they quoted me and see how they back-pedal. I'm sure it'll be something related to "reliability of the part" or "shop/part warranty" etc.

 

Ben,
Before you install the rebuilt rack, center it and see if the input shaft has the same orientation as the one you are removing. I am not sure if this is an issue on the XKs. On the XJSs the input shaft is keyed and can be installed in any of four orientations. On two of my three cars the rebuilt rack did not match the original. Fixing it was more complicated than just centering the steering wheel. Especially after the new rack was installed.

 

Many Europeans I know have chosen to return home rather than constantly battle a system that is setup on predatory injustice.

Me on the other hand, I love a good fight and have always said the pilgrim's path is never easy.

One piece of advice. Letting a crook know he is a crook is vital to discouraging him, and perhaps sparing your fellow traveler the hardship.

 

Based on my extensive experience dealing with mechanics myself, I recommend against confrontation. There is nothing to gain there, but substantial downside is possible.

Install it yourself and never mention it unless asked. There is a good chance you will be asked, in that case casually mention costs. Eventually, your indy WILL see your fix and will understand that future quotes will have to be realistic or you will do it yourself.

My indy knows that I can do all the work myself, and the only reason they have my business is that it isn't worth my time to wrench. I have done spite DIY in the past, and message was received loud and clear.

 

what do you mean exactly? I should be centering the steering wheel, and also making sure the rack is rotated to center before connecting the two correct? The rack should be centered out of the car, prior to working it in place. Is that what you mean? Also, will the new rack be marked for dead center or do I have to count the revolutions with vice grips on the input shaft or something and find the center of the revolutions that way? I was optimistically hoping that the male steering spline and the female input shaft on the rack would be grooved or shaped in some way to identify correct insertion. I certainly will appreciate any procedural advice you have as I'll be working off of a couple of generic YouTube videos I've watched and trying to apply them to my car.

Also, the videos I have watched haven't shown this but do I need any Loctite or anti-seize on any of the connection fasteners/bolts? Assuming not.

A little 101 here... Loctite is for vibration and anti-seize for heat, not in play here, correct?

 

Here is a diagram of an XJS rack. I am not sure how similar it is to the XK rack. This advice is from what I learned on servicing three XJSs and may or may not be relevant to XKs. I have never done anything on an XK rack.



I used a small allen wrench in place of their service tool. (Marked with a red arrow in the picture) There is a dimple cut in the rack that you can feel when centered with the tool. If this does not work for the XK rack, try counting turns or measure the length of travel lock to lock and center. You have a little adjustment when doing the alignment, but not a lot.

I would center the wheels and steering wheel before starting the job. On the XJS there is a flat cut into the splined rack input shaft for clearance for the lower column pinch bolt. This allows for only one orientation of the column to rack assembly. If there is a flat on your old rack, note the location. If there is a groove, don't worry about it now. You can assemble it in any orientation. Make sure it is the SAME orientation on the new rack.

If there is a flat, compare the orientation on the old and new rack when they are centered. If they are the same, you are in luck. If not, you have to decide if:
1. you want to send the rack back and get one that is assembled correctly.
2. take the rack apart and assemble it correctly.
3. cut a relief in the rack input shaft to match the original.

I did number 3 as the rack was already installed the first time I noted this problem and did not want to remove the rack.

I skimmed the XK workshop manual and did not see a call out for threadlocker. So I would not use any thread locker or anti-seize here.

Threadlocker is normally for vibration. Anti seize can be for heat, dissimilar materials, stainless steel, or where corrosion is expected. I don't think they are in play here.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes. If/when it gets ugly stop and have a beer. Then go back to it.

 

Thanks for the insight, I will play close attention to your suggestions. My beer fridge is within a few steps of where I'll be doing the work so I'm covered there. I already owe you a beer, might be a six pack at the end of this adventure. 😁

 

Ben Sawyer. I heard good things about Autohaus Lake Norman 704-966-0466

 

If you are going to tackle it yourself go out now and spray the offending hardware down with some JB80 or Aerokroil. Letting the juice soak in a couple days makes stuff come apart much easier. You shouldn't need any anti seize but I suspect you will need a couple good pry bars to pop the rack off the cross member. The rubber bushings will most likely be seized to the steel.

I haven't done the XK yet but the basic procedure is as follows: Car on stands front wheels off. Remove the tie rod nut from the spindle and go buy a consumable replacement as a thread protector. Thread it on the stud and drive the stud out with a big brass hammer or steel hammer and aluminum drift. Getting the tie rod to drop is usually the hardest part. Turn both wheels so the fronts point together for more clearance while wrestling the rack out. Then center the steering wheel and tie it to the brake pedal with some cotton rope. This will eliminate the chance to screw up clock spring orientation in the column. Remove the steering shaft and hose assy. An oil change tray is handy to let the fluid drain into while you take a break. A nitrile glove over the end of the hose keeps dirt out of the lines and oil out of your eyes / ears/ mouth / hair. Next is the rack mounting bolts. Then pry the rack off the alignment studs and drop it to the ground. Once on the ground lay it next to the new rack. Look for differences. Then break the locking nuts loose on the tie rod and wrap some electrical tap around the threads next to the jam nut. Remove the tie rod and mark / wrap some tape around the new rack at same distance up the threads which should keep the toe alignment close enough to drive it for an alignment. Turn the rack lock to lock and reset it in the middle. Mark the bottom of the shaft and housing with a paint pen as well as double checking it once you have it back on the alignment dowels. Installation is reverse order. It might help to have a spare jack stand to hold the passenger side of the rack up while you fight with the steering shaft. You can also use your knee if you're flexible like that. Might need to splay the steering coupling open a little with a stubby screw driver if it doesn't want to slide over the rack as well.

Should be a fun time. Best tips are trust nothing, verify everything. Create no further harm and be patient knowing when to take a break from it. Good luck and it didn't happen unless you have carnage pictures.

 

So apparently the eBay item was incorrect. I double checked and my year/model was listed as compatible but visual comparison prior to removal from the car was obvious to see they were different.

Clear difference in parts was how they attach to the cross member. My car's part has brackets built into the rack. Shipped part seem to require brackets that are more like clamps. Will be in contact with Detroit Axle in the morning. Replacement part with channel that looks like clamp is used.
Bracket built in
Bracket built in

 

Bummer. That is one of the problems associated with DIY. The seller SHOULD take care of shipping the correct one both ways. If they don't want to ebay will make it right.

On the bright side, you don't have to old one out yet.