I have an April 2007 Jaguar XKR and it's just had an MOT in which they warned me the rubber doughnut on the propshaft is starting to split.

Took it to my local Jaguar H A Fox service shop and they tell me it will require a new propshaft as the doughnut can't be sourced separately. They quoted around £1000 to supply and fit.

This seems a lot of money for a split piece of rubber, not to mention a VERY bad design if it can't be replaced separately (are you listening Mr McCallum).

Does anybody know if I can get this piece of rubber without having to purchase a new propshaft?

Thanks.

 

I have to believe it is available. https://www.google.com/search?q=jagu...tml%3B110%3B83

 

As an FYI I have always wondered why Jag and some other car mfg's went to a 2 piece drive shaft. Some years back when my V12 XJS motor got tired at 100K miles I did a Corvette TPI transplant with a 4 sp auto box. I also replaced the 2 piece drive shaft with a 1 piece aluminum one. It worked great and eliminated all of the hassle of the 2 piece parts. I believe it only cost me $250 at the time.

 

The 'rubber doughnut' or Jurid Coupling has long been a Jaguar favourite. On earlier models it was a replaceable item but, as you have discovered, is not so on the current XK or previous XK8.

The reasoning behind this is the drive shaft has been progressively lightened to the point where it is now not considered a serviceable item.

The arrangement on earlier models is a three legged end section on the drive shaft which bolts through the Jurid:



I haven't examined an XK drive shaft. Does it have a similar separate end section or is the Jurid a moulded part?

If it is separate, there's a chance of finding one of the same dimensions.

Graham

 

Graham, the arrangement that your diagram shows is very common in industrial couplings, if the new set up is similar I'm sure something would be available.

 

Norri,

That diagram is the S-Type but XJ40, X300 and X308 are similar. The design only changed with XK8.

I can't recall reports of Jurid failures on XK8/XKR so this design has been in use since 1996. it could be that milleniumaire is unlucky to have one splitting on his XKR.

It would be a bizarre idea to mould the Jurid onto the drive line but, given that we have even had UJ's with peening instead of circlips, anything is possible.

Graham

 

I'd contact an independent specialist (sorry, I'm down south so I can't give you a Leeds recommendation) and see if they can source and fit a second-hand one. As GGG says, there don't seem to be loads of propshaft failures, so a used one should be fine.

 

The service guy at H A Fox Jaguar suggested I try to source the part separately and they would replace it, which suggests it can be removed from a propshaft. You're right in that they have NEVER seen one fail before, so I'm VERY unlucky. This is especially frustrating as the car is now 7 years old; the first 3 years were covered by a manufacturers warranty, then I took out an extended warranty for the next 3 years (but didn't need to claim anything on this!) and now this happens when I have NO warranty. Grrrr!
I'm trying to contact a place called Eurojags who were recommended by the dealers, but so far I've had no response.
I guess another option is to try to source a second hand propshaft (from a breakers yard?) and then simply remove the rubber doughnut.

 

They are avaliable as separate parts for the S-Type with the 4.2L and they fit the X350 XJ (I changed mine over six months ago using the S-Type ones) since it's the same driveline maybe the S-Type ones will fit the 4.2L X150?

EDIT

Just dug out the invoice, p/n is C2C12747, same part for both ends of the propshaft.

 

Thanks Cambo351, I'll have a chat with the dealers.

 

Back in the late '80s and early '90s when I had a Merkur Scorpio (German Ford), these rubber doughnuts cracked with alarming regularity. I probably replaced mine 4 or 5 times. When Ford no longer stocked the part in the United States, I was forced to improvise. It turned out that the BMW 5 series used the exact same part, and we sourced from them. It is quite possible that the same part is available separately from another model. Also, in the past week, I needed to source rod bearings for a 2010 XKR engine and after speaking to several Jaguar dealerships, my mechanic was told that they could not be ordered separately without ordering a whole engine block! I went online and was able to get them from Merriam Jaguar for $10 apiece (as opposed to about $10K for a new engine). You might give them a try.

 

Back in the early 80s I had a rubber doughnut explode under my Lamborghini at 130 MPH. The rubber came flying out, I could see it bouncing away in the mirror. The two-piece driveline was held together by the bolts but, was now wobbling. In the process of wobbling it cut through the fuel line that ran in the same tunnel and produced gasoline pouring down on the hot exhaust pipes. It was a small miracle that the car did not catch fire. I remember being able to purchase the rubber doughnut separately but, still cost a small fortune, like everything else on an Italian exotic.

 

Pretty lucky for you and the car. This still begs the question I have always had with Jag and Volvo for that matters. Why the 2 piece drive shift when it is a straight line from the transmission to the differential. As mentioned I did a Corvette TPI conversion in a 76 XJS and replaced the drive shaft with a 1 piece balanced aluminum shaft. Worked great and no vibration issues. So why would there be a 2 piece in the XK as it is not a long drive shaft and it can take the torque without a problem.

 

Manual says:

 

I can maybe understand the liability issue with the ability of the shaft to collapse. I guess based on experience I can't buy the alignment statement . I would bet that if someone was to measure and get a custom 1 piece shaft built that it would run equal to or better then the OEM design. Considering you would take out a center bearing assembly and maybe an extra U-joint it would be a simpler design. I also did a similar installation on a 71 XJ-6 and a 1 piece shaft ran better then the 2 piece. I don't see it as an engineering issue. Once again I think the safety concern trumps the 1 piece.

 

By fixing the propshaft in the centre with the UJ aft of that, the forward section will have very little movement, just the rocking of the engine+transmission accommodated by the donut, so you don't need much clearance around it. That may have design benefits.

 

All I can speculate is that a 1-piece driveshaft may have given the factory some vibration frequency issues. Such vibration may become dominant at various RPM speeds with some lengths of 1-pieces shafts. I had the most terrible vibration issues in my GT-class race car when I tried all kinds of 1-piece driveshafts, be that aluminum or steel. Finally, when I went for a 2 piece shaft, problem was solved.

 

Having spoken to the service guy, I got an email from H A Fox Jaguar yesterday saying I could purchase the part for an S Type, but they didn't know if it would fit an XKR. So, they're not telling me anything I don't already know and it appears they won't supply the part and compare it unless I purchase it up front.
Does anyone know if they are the same part? I'm also looking for second hand parts; either a full drive shaft or just the rubber doughnut.

 

They all look the same, but you'll need some hands-on knowledge to get confirmation. Since Jag doesn't seem to supply the XK driveshaft as separate components, there may not even be a part no. for the XK donut. But it's definitely bolted on, not moulded, so it should be replaceable.

 

Mark the bolt positions and return bolts to the same positions. They are part of the
driveshaft balance.