Does anyone happen to know where i can hire a pair of camshaft locking tools?
I've just tried to buy a pair from the JEC ( hope that reference is not forbidden), but i have a suspicion that the transaction is going to go south due to my not being a member.
I won't find out either way until probably Monday, so i'm trying to find out if there are any other options with regard to getting my mitts on a pair.

 

You can make your own tools from Home Depot supplies. This is not rocket surgery.

Welcome to Jag-lovers - Members Photo Viewing Page

 

There's some other options here https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...s-tools-51211/

 

I think GordoCatCar has a loaner but it would come from the states and shipping might be an issue.

 

Thank you guys.
I think the shipping issue might be a bit of a problem Gus, together with the possibility that GordoCatCar may be a little reluctant to ship his tools abroad.
I realise that they are just metal bars with holes in each end to fix to the block, and that it's possible to make them up.
If i had basic tools aquired over the years, as many do (workroom/shed/garage even. . .ooh i wish) workbench, vice etc, then i would probably have made them up, and by now have considerably more practical skills than i possess.
The absence of these things doesn't help, so i figured i'd try and hire or buy them.
I did have quite a few more tools than i've got once, till someone drilled through the boot lock of a previous car while it was parked downstairs, and stole them.
The absence of privacy, security and space has tended to put me off trying big jobs on cars, or anything else, but i know i can hire the other tools (pulley puller, crankshaft setter etc) i just couldn't find anywhere that was hiring out those locking tools.
My ordwer status for the locking tools at JEC (£132 for a pair) had been changed to pending . . . ooooh
Maybe they'll send them after all.

 

If you are only going to change the upper tensioners you don't need them. Use the tie wrap method. Search my post to see pictures.

 

I may only do the secondary tensioners EZDriver, and i think you are saying why take on extra work if you don't need to.

The problem is that i want to take off the alternator to clean it up, probably with some aluminium polish because it's looking a bit old and grubby. It charges fine.

Plus the crankshaft pulley has to come off to replace the crank seal which is weeping oil, and although i gather it can be done without any need to take off the front cover, my front cover gasket is weeping oil as well.
The front cover leak is not bad, and i could probably leave it, but by the time the cam covers, alternator and crank pulley are off, i'm about as close as i'm ever going to get to the primary chains, so i've got a feeling i'm going to end up replacing them.
Norri's link to p_d_regans post showed that p_d_regan did just the secondaries, but then his primary chains jumped a tooth.
One of his primary chain gudes had quite a big crack in it, and the chains, with a bit of slack possibly from the cracked guide, may have been worn enough to make one of them skip a tooth.
If my secondary tensioners are the old plastic ones, then i think the writing is on the wall to do them all, and the chains.

If the old tensioners are metal, i may take the risk, but i reckon the closer i get to the chains, the more i'll want to change them.

 

You didn't mention what year the car was or how many miles you have on it. If you have a lot of miles you are probably right about doing the whole job. But, depending on mileage taking of the cam covers first before you go to far into the front might be worth while. If you have a lot of miles I would go to it. When I did my uppers the car only had 40K miles and had never been driven hard and I didn't intend to. But, even with that mileage the second generation tensioners were starting to fail. Check the first page of my profile under statics.

EZDriver

 

The year is 2000, and the mileage is showing 70,000, but i think the mileage is considerably more and the cars history was obliterated by the person that sold it to me.
I 'm working on a ball park mileage of 120-130,000.
I see them, the cracks around the cut-outs on the plastic tensioners.

 

I did the whole job, top and bottom using the complete set of hire tools from JEC the cost of hire plus membership was far cheaper than buying them and they are the right tools even have a slightly different kit for supercharged cars as pulley different.

This isn't an advert for JEC but just my experience and what made job doable especially getting the pulley bolt out.

 

Replacing the uppers at this point is a piece of cake. The primaries will give you warning. The uppers go BOOM. But I understand your situation. Good luck with what ever you decide. Hope my post on replacind mine helped.

EZDriver

 

EZDriver i read your post in the FAQ's some weeks ago, and as the person responsible for introducing, or making the zip tie method known to the community, you've saved a lot of people a lot of work.

And i know i'm not the only one that appreciates what you've done.

My dilemma is not knowing the true mileage or service history of my car, and whether to risk just doing the uppers, or to try and do the lot.
I really don't know yet, but the camshaft locking tools work out at about £70 each, so i thought i'd get them just in case, because i'll probably need them at some point.
I couldn't find anywhere that hired them out, although i obviously didn't look well enough, as PaulJ has pointed out. And thank you to PaulJ as well.

The purchase of the camshaft lockers appears to be done now, i received an email today saying my order status is ok.
As to whether to use them sooner, or later, i'll see how it goes.

If it's later i'll be buying zip ties

 

I had the same dilemma do just the top or both. Decided to do it all and pleased I did the top ones had small stress cracks and could have gone anytime and the bottom ones were completely cracked. I hadn't really noticed the engine being noisy but now done it is certainly quieter and fitted upgraded metal tensioners and guides so peace of mind hopefully. Mine had 96000 miles but been well looked after.

If your crankshaft oil seal is leaking you will need the pulley removed which is the hard bit taking the the cover of is simple just a lot of bolts and much easer to replace the seal I reckon.

 

Rocket Science, sure; Brain Surgery, perhaps, but Rocket Surgery?

 

Could the warning you mention be in the form of a ticking noise on start up, that lasts quite a while until the engine is pretty much warmed up EZDriver?
I've noticed a noise from my engine lately, it's not loud, but is definitely noticable if you concentrate on it.

The crank pulley worries me a bit PaulJ, due to the amount of force they can require.
I can only hope that the oil leaking round it from the seal has kept the bolt threads wet and it comes off easy.

Perhaps test point meant brain science.

 

Roadhogg as much as I would like to take credit for coming up with the zip tie idea I didn't. Don't remember who did. All I did was use the technique and document it as well as solve some of the other little acess problems I ran into. I hope the thread helped and gave you a good idea as to what you are getting into.

If I ever do the front end I will document that also. But there are pretty good pictures and documentation around on that . I just don't know where off hand.

Good luck.

 

It's not that bad i have to say that was what worried me. You need a long breaker bar and some scaffold pole and feeling strong. Also need the locking tool.

I see you are in London if that's west then not too far from me and happy to lend my special bit of scaffold pole! and breaker bar. I'll see how I send a PM and then maybe we can talk. if you know PM me.

 

Paul just left click on the name at the top of a post then click on "send a private message" and your on the way.

That scaffold pole and the crankshaft locking tool shouldn't be used at the same time!

 

Thanks for PM instruction the scaffold pole is just to get a bit more leverage on the breaker bar? The locking tool is the big lever that bolts onto the pulley not the small locking plug maybe used wrong term !!

 

Ok, I thought you meant the plug.