Hello and Happy Thanksgiving !
I am finally taking the plunge and am looking at a two owner ( 1st owner- 3 years; 2nd owner - 19 years ) 1998 XK8 with 123,000 miles on it.
I have owned a 1996 XJ6 for 15 years and love the Jaguar brand,
I have read that the early models used a Nikasil cylinder sleeve that is prone to failure. Is there anyway to check this without running a compression check?
If you have any other suggestions/comments I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks

 

That car does have Nikasil, which means it does not have steel sleeves in the cylinders. Instead it has a chemical treatment on the cylinder walls that is supposed to prevent the aluminum cylinder walls from turning to jelly. I'm not a fan of Nikasil engines (one more thing to worry about) but I would not go near this car without a compression check.
If you're OK with the Nikasil issue, other issues to explore are:
1-Have the timing chains, guides, and tensioners been replaced? Both primary and secondary?
2-Have the upper shock mounts been replaced? Any other suspension components like ball joints and wishbone (control arm) bushings?
3-If it's a convertible, have the hydraulic hoses been replaced? You don't want the dreaded "green shower".
4-Has the fuel pump been replaced? If so, how? Did someone cut a hole in the rear shelf or did they remove the fuel tank? Some people don't care, some do.
5-Have ALL of the heater hoses been replaced? The valley hoses, octopus hose, and a few behind that.
6-Does the car come with good maintenance records? It saves a lot of guessing.
These are the big issues as I know them, others may add some that I missed, but at least find out the status of these. Any that weren't done, get ready to do them.

 

Jagfan47

+1 to Stu as he knows his stuff.

As you are a long time Jag owner you know the risks, and your potential XK8 should have a solid maintenance history otherwise you have no idea of the risks you’re taking on. Stu has listed the main weaknesses as our X100 model ages. Plus there’s the plastic trim pieces which are getting harder to find.

I would add that the ZF5HP24 transmission needs consideration esp. ATF fluid change and if they addressed the A Drum weakness (PR valve upgrade or A Drum).

Check the Parking/Emergency Brake (easy DIY drum brake service).

Not sure where you are but getting our car through the local MoT/inspection can sometimes be a challenge, esp emissions, so consider that too.

 

The problem with Nikasil was it was incompatible with the high levels of sulphur in fuel at the time which caused rapid wear to the coating. The sulphur content was removed from European fuel long ago and I think the same applies to the USA.

Many engines were replaced by Jaguar under warranty and "recycled" with steel liners. The assessment was made using a "blow by" test. Evidence shows that Nikasil engines that have lasted this long actually experience less bore wear than standard steel liners. If the vehicle is still running then you can expect the engine to require a rebuild for other reasons than bore wear.

If I was considering buying a 24 year old Jaguar, I'd want to put a code reader on it and do a compression test. In the case of an early V8, I'd also want to see receipts for work done over and above standard servicing.

Graham

 

one other thing that i never see mentioned is to have the vehicle inspected by a very good auto body painter. These people can tell if a car has been painted and where repairs have been made. It is my experience that a significant amount of body repair is not performed properly.

 

Thanks to all of you that have taken the time to respond. The comments have been extremely helpful. All maintenance on this vehicle has been done at a Jag Dealership . The vehicle has been in Florida for its entire life. All maintenance records are available. It is priced at $ 5000.00.
Considering all of that, would take a chance or would you pass and wait for one without the Nikasil lining? That is the only thing that really concerns me.

 

Regular dealership servicing indicates the previous owner(s) showed some diligence in maintenance. but that only attends to routine maintenance and in-service failures. Timing chain tensioners were not treated as service items, nor was the transmission (fluid/filter changes at 10 year max. intervals).

If there is no documentary evidence that the tensioner issues have been addressed, than you must assume that they have not, and treat as a bargaining chip.


General wisdom these days on a Nikasil motor is that if it is still running fine, it will continue to do so. As suggested, a compression check would be helpful.

Nikasil would not be a deal breaker for me.

 

I too have a 1998. Agree with Michael h and others- if nikasei hasn't shown problems by now ignore it.

1998:

Your dash is same color as seats. Wish mine was black, need to wear polarized sunglasses when driving into strong sun or live with reflection in windshield.

FIND OUT IF WATER PUMP has been replaced. New one = $30 and 25 minutes to install, but they shipped with defective ones ( impellers disintegrate).

Look at drivers seat back. Our tendency is to plant butt and slide into position. Problem is that wears out the leather. (Just be aware)

tensioner replacement proof required. Its a $2,000 job. BTW in case it didn't land: THIS IS A MANDATORY FIX!

Eventually you will replace the plastic thermostat tower with aluminum.

see how well steering wheel telescope/tilt buttons work. Not a show stopper we can fix, but good 2 know / negotiate.

I hope you get premium sound, seat heaters, Traction control option (button will say Trac off instead of DSC).

Thats all I can think of specific to 98. Let us know how it goes. Just get ready to put 3 or 4 times as many miles on her than you though - its a blast to drive!!!

John

 

Hi Jagfan 47. Had my 1998 XK8 for 7 years and still has just 103,000 km on clock.
When I look over the many problems with the car I sometimes wonder why I still have it and so does my wife, but logic probably does not apply with Jaguar.
Currently there is a problem with cruise control dropping out on hills about which I'm getting great advice on this forum but problem persists. Also the overflow coolant bottle recently cracked open and was replaced.
The brake light switch has 2 impossibly tiny micro switches in tandem, one activates stop lights and the other cancels cruise control. Replaced twice and I can say this is a very awkward job for a human being as the switch is located out of sight, hard to reach, high up under the brake pedal. Forum posts were a big help.
I replaced the shocks, soon after getting the car but only on suspicion as I thought the ride unnecessarily harsh.
The throttle body sensor packed it in soon after I got the car, and the radiator blocked up as well. All costly repairs.
I fitted an accurate temperature gauge conversion for a better indication of coolant temp; it came from a chap in USA. The Jag gauge is not much better than a simple trouble light and has only 3 positions, ie., cold, "normal" with indicator in dead centre, and hot ( which could be anything from slightly over temp, to boiling with engine about to seize.
Had the chains , tensioners, pump, thermostat and fittings all replaced at 70,000 km. Inspection showed all these items were sound but it was a peace of mind thing, also very costly as expected.
Front wheel bearings wore out last year and were replaced and fortunately borrowed the special removal tool from the local Jag Drivers club.
Good luck,
Alfaguar

 

For me, at least, the more I read about the Nikasil issue, the less it seemed like a big deal on a US car with a good # of miles in it, that is both running & starting great.

As a ‘97 owner about 3-4 years in, my advice is to pay more attention to service things like (in random order): shock mounts, bushings, wheel bearings, timing chain tensioners, top hydraulics upgrade/green shower stuff, have the rear window regulators been rebuilt yet, “sealed for death” transmission fluid changed more than once, ideally transmission main pressure valve upgraded and maybe A-drum replaced too, fuel pump replaced, water pump replaced, electric water pump for heater replaced, coolant tank, hoses (including octopus), & thermostat tower (replace this with aluminum), high pressure power steering hose replaced with updated part yet... Those are what come to mind. Throttle body may have been replaced too. Make sure the headlights don’t have condensation or water damage too. All of them leak slightly but if the shiny stuff inside comes off you can’t really fix that and replacing is pricey.

 

Nikasil is superior to iron liners and will outlast the engine. At 123k you’ll probably already have new cam chain tensioners and valve cover gaskets but always a good idea to check.

My advice is to skip the XK8 all together and just get a XKR. Maybe if you can talk down the price it would make a good throwaway car.

 

Thank you one and all for your sage advise!! Based on your inputs, I have decided to pass on this particular car. I have decided to look for a newer one with fewer miles. In the meantime, still enjoying my '96 XJ6.

Have a safe, wonderful holiday !


1996 XJ6 4.0 Lt.