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Good luck, but it’s oil starvation that you need to worry about. Scores in mating bearing surfaces will block lubrication. Any lack of contact area will also lead to higher friction temperatures.
If you’re happy with using a Dremel.... why not. It’s your car.
Also have you looked inside to see if you’ve damaged something else. Plus how to set timing from the zero start point where you are now.
I once rebuilt a leaking Turbo, using a kit, long before but still took it to a specialist shop for checking and testing trueness.
Advise you to do the same .....
The oil starvation came from a time when I rebuilt the engine and failed to apply ep-90 (essentially modern day diff fluid) to the matting surfaces of the camshaft and cylinder head and camshaft caps. I contemplated using an aluminum based epoxy but came to the conclusion that an epoxy would break down after 300 degrees Fahrenheit. I have heard about people welding aluminum on the damaged surfaces then boring it (and working it) back to spec. I do appreciate your comments and hope you stay In tune with the progress of this rebuild. No I have at this point not gone deeper (if you will) into the engine.
This is an image of the (RH) cylinder head matting surface ( improper camshaft install-Failure to lube camshaft matting surface) after repair.
Timing: the triangle has been located and the setting peg (non-existant) has been analyzed as waste of currency. Failure to comply with the proper install guide will result in failure. Proper application will not. Or as reference to Rui EV ( fines are a tax for bad people taxes are a fine for good people)....
I'll be watching...
Guy buying a new car: Inevitably the engine will fail.
Me working on mine: inevitably the engine will fail.
I greatly appreciate your comments. If it were not for you others and myself would not learn.
I commend your spirit for carrying on with a job you started 9 years ago... good on you!
About 18 years ago I got stuck into my first ever engine rebuild on a 1970s Triumph GT6, and predictably I ended up having to get a new reconditioned “crated” engine. As a bit of a hobby DIY car mechanic, I didn’t mind doing it as a learning exercise, and as the original engine had 200,000 miles on it anyway, it wasn’t a real loss.
i’m a bit concerned about the long term durability of your engine considering you tried running it with wrong cams and bad timing. You could have caused damage to your AJ26 interference engine. Whether you can see it or hear it now is questionable. The cost of new engine parts could easily be just as much as a re-conditioned engine.
Just something to consider. As a GDI engine, it’s close tolerance non adjustable work. IMHO I don’t think home DIY to repair parts is going to be easy. With the out of tolerance, dented and damaged parts, Oil starvation, with the scoring I see in your photos, is a real probability esp at the bearing journals.
If you’re happy to carry on “digging in”, and have time and money, I’m sure us Forum members will support you anyway! I, for one, would like to see more of what you’re up to.
If I pull the engine and drop a used one in my son owns a jaguar xk8 2 door convertable meteorite paint with black conv top with over 130,000miles on it.
On the other hand if I replace all damaged parts I'm giving my son a 1998 jaguar xk8 2 door convertable with meteorite paint and black top convertable with 80,000 miles and or less on it. The choice is clear now to me but what do you think?
Interesting question. I would just leave the good engine be.
If I was you I would get 2 quotes.
1. Delivery of a AJ26 reconditioned engine
2. Get a quote from a specialist for your engine rebuild.
While you’re waiting on the quotes, there’s nothing to stop you rebuilding your AJ26 engine and seeing if she runs.
Mileage isn’t a concern esp. with the internal damage (maybe self inflicted) as all engines eventually wear out. Your repaired engine may just wear out a bit faster. At least you’ll know why!
So I went ahead and pulled the cylinder heads. Looks like I've got some bad damage on the pistons and valves... already looking online for another engine. I'll keep this one for a living room table like top gear 😁.
OkieJagDad quote "Looks like I've got some bad damage on the pistons and valves... already looking online for another engine"
Yeah +1 on that, getting a new coffee table (glass topped of course) would be cool. But drain the oil first. LOL.
As the British would say "That engine's buggered!" Definite evidence that the valves had impacted on the pistons.
If you carried on digging, you'll probably find bent valve stems, cylinder wall scoring, piston rod cracks and probably big end damage. Geez! Don't you just love interference engines! As your engine was run with the camshafts "backwards," it's worth checking the air intake route including throttle body and air tunnel, PCV pipes too before installing the new engine.
Let us know what/where/how much this costs for a reconditioned AJ26 engine.
My 1999 XK8 came with an AJ26, but somewhere back in time got switched to a AJ-27 (no idea how - maybe a Nikasil related issue) - sign is that VVTs are vertical in the AJ27. So it's definitely possible to put a later engine on but not sure what the other fit up differences will be - maybe other more learned Forum members can chirp up.
Update!!
