The kit recommended on this board seems to be the EurospareAZ HTK100. On researching I found others with good reviews for considerably less money. ($100-150 v $600).
Does anyone have any experience with the cheaper kits? Am I asking for my engine to blow up?
Also, I gather that the engine is the same as the 200-2006 Lincoln LS. If true, that opens up the field for parts compatibility. Thoughts? It would help ease the mind of my trusted local shop who would do the installation for me.
Examples:
EuropSpares: Eurospare HTK100 Timing Chain Tensioner Kit - Jaguar | 08226016613 W01331895189
Cheap 1: Fits 1997-2001 Jaguar XJ8 XJR XK8 XKR S-Type 4.0L Timing Chain Kit Water Pump | eBay
Cheap 2: Timing Chain Kit Water Pump for 1997-2001 Jaguar XJ8 XJR XK8 XKR S-Type 4.0L | eBay
The cheap ones also include water pump parts.
Thanks...

 

Be careful.
From what I can see, all of the kits you have linked contain the wrong slipper guides.

There was a changeover point from engine # 0108130000 (Aug 13 2001) when the Morse primary chains were introduced. Compare C2A1456 with NCA1998AB (the latter being the correct one for your car) on the Autohausz site on your first link.

I would be very wary of kits that are retailing for $150, especially if that includes chains, sprockets and a water pump.

What mileage has your car covered?

 

Vital advice thank you. I cannot easily find the engine number (and the weather today is so atrocious to go looking much deeper), but it is a MY2000. It has <54K miles. Last 20 years, under 1,500 miles per year. It's a no rust-garage queen.
So, the protected metal work on the car (e.g. chains) are probably in perfect condition.
If true, that and what you say about the slides in the Autohausz $600 kit renders most of it redundant (slides and chains). Particularly if the slides in their kit fit the chains in their kit, but perhaps not the likely-perfectly-fine chains in the car as of right now. So, am I going about this the wrong way? Should I instead buy the following components only for my local shop to fit:
1. The slide you suggest (NCA1998AB). If so Britpart or Eurospare ($6 difference)
Eurospare OEM C2A1456 Timing Chain Guide/Rail - Jaguar or Britpart NCA1998AB, NCA1998ABG Timing Chain Guide/Rail - Jaguar

2. Upper tensioners
OE Supplier C2A1511 Timing Chain Tensioner; Right - Jaguar, Land Rover and OE Supplier C2A1512 Timing Chain Tensioner; Left - Jaguar, Land Rover
3. Upper Timing Cover gasket Eurospare AJ8003699 Timing Cover Gasket; Upper - Jaguar | AJ83699
4. Lower Timing Cover gasket Eurospare NCA2127AC Timing Cover Gasket; Lower - Jaguar
5. Anything else needed?

Thank you again. This is so extremely helpful (and probably will be for other "second wave" enthusiasts like me.

 

At that mileage, and barring an obvious signs of deterioration, I would reuse the existing chains & sprockets unless I could be certain that any replacements were true OEM quality.

There are several other parts you will need - crank seal & bolt, etc. See this thread from Colquan1066, which contains dialogue and a more comprehensive list:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...8/#post1057298

and this post of robot808 gives a closeup of the Morse primary chain:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...0/#post1872720

Your shop will also need the tools to time the engine and to R&R the crankshaft harmonic balancer.

 

Here's main parts you need don't buy chains it's not necessary it's only 54k miles . If you want cheaper then rock auto. You will need timing set tool Amazon 50$

 

Very helpful! So if I buy (or direct my trusty shop guys to) the set of equipment you laid out, plus this: if they don't already have it, they will be good to go?

They are a great shop, just not overly familiar with Jags and openly said so. Every other creation yes, from souped up Japanese sports cars to 60's muscle cars and mommy vans for their daily bread. Trusted them with 10 cars over 24 years...

Thank you again for this "idiots guide" to restoring part of this lovely car.

 

Buy everything and then take the car to the shop
I forgot to update the guide quantity you will need 2 guides from each one . Don't overthink it it's easy if they know what they're doing they don't even need to remove the radiator just the cooling fans . Good luck

 

Moss motors are pretty good at identifying the rights parts by engine number, not the cheapest but good customer service, and they offer aftermarket options for all the expensive bits.

https://mossmotors.com/j8r-002-timin...and-tensioners

Rock auto has a complete kit for just shy of 400 https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...t=5756&jsn=911

and a cheap amazon borescope is great for finding that engine number.

 

Hello,
I am in the middle of replacing all timing compnents on a 98 xk8 with 85,000 miles. I have two other 4.0 V8's, an 01 S type and a 99 xk8 which is currently disabled by playing with deer. I have not had the timing cover off either of those because they showed no concerning symtoms. I bought this 98 last June, hoping it would be our summer car for this year, but that is over now. I bought it in Chicago, test drove it, carefully inspected and drove it 3 1/2 hours north to my home. I was very happy to find it was a very tight driver and quieter than my 99. After an 80 mile drive to retrieve my X type daily driver from my son who had helped us with the move, I heard the rattle, grabbed a screwdriver , then a stethoscope and realized that it was not ready for summer driving. I removed the right bank cam cover and found that the secondarytesioners had been replaced, then reached in to the top of the primary chain to find it was loose enough to slap and cause that thump that I had feared might be rod bearing noise. Of course I realized that I needed remove the timing cover before I could proceed. I found the secondary tensioners and chains satifactory, but the primary guides heavily cracked with plastic bits everywhere. Removing the primary tensioners I found one to be frozen and the other sluggish. I started sourcing parts while I removed the oil pan and pick up for cleaning and did other checks and cosmetics on the rest of the car. At this point I had to decide whether this was going to be parts for the 99 or a restoration. I decided on the latter. The parts were, as expected a slog. I bought.a basic aftermarket kit and gaskets, bolts, damper and associated components separately. Meanwhile I set about detailing the engine bay. Many parts had to be souced from England and others were sought out by some major Jaguar parts suppliers here. My hope of a summer car for this year was fading fast. As I began installation, the first measurable snowfalls began, and I became anxious to get this project out to the barn. Unfortunately, l discovered the problem with fhe fitment of the aftermarket chain guides. I returned the kit at my expense plus a 20% restocking fee. Then sought a kit with the proper guides. I found that all the major parts suppliers' catalogs showed the too long guides. I called one supplier that purports to be a manufacturer, and he said he was familiar with the problem. He said some shops had done modifications, but he didn't know how successful they were, and in any case could not send me a kit because he was unable to get the guides since the pandemic shut down Taiwan. I called another trusted supplier that had helped me with some tough searches and said I needed a kit, but that his was pictured with the long guides. He also said that he knew of the problem. He said he couldn't vouch for accuracy of the photos, but could guarantee that he could send me a kit that would fit with no problem. I received it in a few days and saw immediately that it was a carbon copy of the first except at four times the price. I sent him detailed photos of the impingements at the VVT sprockets and the bolt end. He said he would contact the supplier and seek a solution. A week later I checked back--there was no solution, " they had sold hundreds". I thought of all the XK8's for sale for 2-3 thousand dollars with no engine that I had found searching for parts for my 99. I reached out to three other trusted suppliers that said they knew there was a problem, but none were able to come up with a solution. I decided to try to put akit together by ordering individual parts, perhaps just doing the primaries, but there were no specification or measurements available, and they were all special order and non returnable. What I'm worried about is the compatibility of the chains and the guides, because the widths vary. This thread that I just discovered today has discussed all these issues. I have been in contact with Barratt regarding this, but I have been told there's no solution to the measurement problem since they don't have the parts in stock. Does anybody have an idea how I might proceed?
Thanx for any help.
Rick

 

...out of breath by the time I'd read through the post

Rick, they are available from Heritage:
https://parts.jaguarlandroverclassic...ain-guide.html

and;
https://parts.jaguarlandroverclassic...ner-blade.html

Both are showing as 'in stock' (although the price is a bit lumpy) so they should, in theory, be available either direct or from a dealership.

I know some have used the later guides, but I really wouldn't advise that.
I'm surprised SNG can't oblige, although their US OEM price is way more than Heritage.

Are there no consumer protection laws over there? Any trader trying to charge return postage and a 'restocking' fee for parts sent in error would get short shrift here under the law.

 

Michael, @Silverjag0 's list (upthread) is simple and comprehensive for me to follow. In your opinion, would you second it as having the right parts, especially the lower guides which I am grateful for you identifying as an issue. My goal is to just buy from a complete and proper list and hand it over to my trusted car-shop to fit. Thank you.

 

@rickhefko Yikes!

 

Understood.

As far as I can see, the parts list of silverjag0's looks OK:- provided AutohausAZ sends you the parts depicted in the links for NCA2025AB and NCA1998AB in your order, although they're not OEM so quality unknown.

You will also need the front timing cover gaskets AJ83699 and NCA2127AC, plus some high-temp RTV for the cam cover gaskets where the timing cover meets the cylinder heads. Fit a new crank damper bolt AJ89909.

Depending on how deep you want to dive, it would be worth replacing the crossover pipe AJ85885, the plastic thermostat tower* with an aluminium part, and the bypass hose NCA2213AC.

* There are several aftermarket ones to replace the terminally rubbish OEM biodegradable plastic. Search on AJ82217. I got mine from SNG Barratt.


Your trusted shop may not have encountered the Jaguar engine timing process - particularly if they're used to old skool motors. There are no timing marks or woodruff keys in this setup...


Black Onyx did a very good writeup of the process here:
https://jaguar.blackonyx.net/tech/timingchain.htm

Note it's for an X308 car and the earlier AJ26 motor so the VVT details are different. It's definitely worth a read, but don't be tempted to use a prybar on the flexplate to jam the crank when removing and refitting the harmonic damper - use the proper tool.

 

Thank you so much!

 

Michael & Silverjag,
Sorry I'm slow in response, but I'm in charge of preparing the Thanksgiving meal over here today. I haven't had time to check the web sites you kindly passed on to me, but thanks are in order. Also apoligies for my
long-windedness.

I, too, would like a kit that is suitable, but find too many discrepancies between photos and part numbers. One listing for NCA2025AB (tensioner guide) had a photo of an NCA1998AB (slack side guide) when I pointed this out to the sales rep. he said, "I have to let you go, my calls are backing up". That's why I'm trying to source parts individually, but even part numbers are vague what with asterisks and footnotes and descriptions like 'OEM quality', and 'uprated'. That's not a typo of upgraded, either. I very much appreciate the help I have had over the years from people with more knowledge and experience than I, but in the end, we must make the final decisions ourselves.
Thanx, Rick

 

Michael, Thanks again for directing me to Jaguar Land-Rover Classics. After a hectic day of cooking, I returned to my spreadsheet of price comparisons and found that this source had just initiated a 30% sale! I also received an email announcement from Los Angeles Jaguar where I had been shopping of an 'up to 35% off' Black Friday sale, so back to calculating. I quickly found that the prices I had gotten from them earlier in the week were already discounted, but not as low as Classic's, even with the extra shipping cost.

As mentioned earlier, the secondary tensioners had been updated already, and the car only has 85,000 miles, so I elected to skip that and reinstall them. Off course I don't know if the chains were renewed, but the fact that the thermostat housing had been replaced with aluminum seemed a sign of a thorough job. With any luck the parts will arrive soon enough that it will move to its winter quarters in my barn under its own power. Test driving, transmission servicing and possible top hydraulics replacement will have to wait for spring. Best, Rick

 

Here's a pic I found (I think it's from member BobRoy) comparing the two guides, the top one being for the earlier pre-Morse engines.

 

Thanx, Michael
I ordered the primary chains, guides and tensioners Saturday morning from JLR Classics. At the time, 8:00 AM it was snowing here, and the wind chill was –3⁰ F. Neither my garage nor my barn are heated by anything but sun and electric space heaters which only help if positioned close by and pointed directly at me; thus my hurry to get this done. It was the high cost of the secondary components that led me to keep the old ones. I thought about opting for the very inexpensive after market set(?) but switching them out later is certainly not as involved, as the timing cover doesn't need to come off. It still nags at me though, since I sourced almost all the nearby parts: idler pulleys, water pump, outlet pipe, damper and fixings, and cleaned and painted the other pulleys and bolts that were not worn or damaged. I'll attach a few photos of the fitment problem with the new guides for anyone interested. Many thanks, Rick.


Original and aftermarket guides compared.

Rt. bank, slack side.

Rt. bank overview with aftermarket guide not bolted down.

This is not bolted in, just riding on pin. The rib also interferes with the cover here.

Reinforcing boss and plastic tab prevent bolt from attaching. Bolt (lower) end, Rt bank.

Impingement at left bank vvt sprocket.

Rt. bank just riding on pin, no bolt.

 

Hello Rick , since your engine has upgraded tensioners and guids you don't have to replace anything the chains are made in Japan by tsubaki and it's strong enough to go 150k miles without major signs of wear I'm not sure why you want to replace them , since your car is low mileage and have the upgraded tensioners leave it as is and enjoy your car
​​​maybe if you hit 150k miles then you may think about replacing the chains but personally I wouldn't we have seen old members with high mileage cars without any chains problems

 

Silverjag,
Thanx for the encouragement; I guess I get a little fussy being formerly employed in engineering of various types, but I don't have the income I had back then, and having rescued an xk8 already, know the time and cost commitment is considerable. I just now received message from DHL: delivery expected Dec. 12. We're expected to have wind chills tonight as low as –7⁰F, so the slog contiues. Best, Rick