I've talked to an indie transmission specialist locally, and he quoted me a ridiculous re-build price which is just totally beyond the whole value of the XK8...

After reading your posts for the last 2 days, I've had a rethink as to how to proceed.

Rather than purchasing and refitting a secondhand tranny, I've come to realize why not replace the busted A-drum and the upgraded pressure regulating valve in the valve body on my existing tranny, to see if I'm lucky to bring the ZF back to normal? The key to this move would be to convince my Indie mechanic to carry out the replacement for me in his shop. Ordering the strengthened A-drum and the enhanced pressure regulating valve will take a little longer time for them to arrive in Hong Kong.

Stay tuned for the outcome...

 

You may need some other parts like clutch plates and of course a gasket set. Hopefully a couple of members who have been through this process will suggest what to look for and order.

 

Here's an update on the resolution of the problems I had with my sick transmission:

Two weeks ago, I've managed to locate another local transmission rebuild specialist shop (there are so few of them in our tiny market). He was able to convince me over the phone that he has the expertise to take care of my transmission, at less than half the price I've been previously quoted by another "expert". Turned out he started his career as an apprentice with the Rolls Royce distributor and then completed his training with Jaguar Hong Kong; and you can feel his compassion for Jags...

I had to wait 3 days before there is a vacant car-lift in his shop to take on my Jag. He took his time to show me around his shop which is equipped with many specialty machine-tools to rebuild and test transmissions. He also showed me the parts he'd already ordered in to rebuild my tranny which includes the upgraded A-drum and a complete "ZF5HP24 Rebuild Kit" which includes all gaskets, clutch plates, rubber seals, etc. The torque converter will also be "split open" to renew the lock-up clutch plate and then be re-welded. He said he would normally take 7 working-days to complete the whole job so don't rush him.

I'd also left him a rear crankshaft oil seal to replace as a preventive maintenance measure since the tranny was removed. Two days later, he called and said it would also be a good idea to take the opportunity to replace the heater "octopus hoses" while the tranny was off. The propshaft rubber donut also showed cracks due to aging. I ordered them from the UK and they arrived in 3 days, fitting in perfectly with the tranny rebuild schedule. Here's another excellent example where with "caring mechanics" servicing your car, they can really save you big bucks by pointing out the obvious areas to tackle before they hit you big time.

He called yesterday and said the job is done and the test drive was perfect and I can pick her up anytime today. I took her up and over the highest "mountain-pass" locally and couldn't remember the AJ-V8 actually has so much power.

I'm glad the saga is finally over. Thanks for watching, Gents!

 

glad to hear she is back on the road - to many happy motoring miles!

 

Hi All,

Forgot to mention my ZF 5HP24 rebuild comes with a 6-month or 12,000km warranty, whichever comes first, which says it all about the shop's quality of work.

And thanks to sklimii for marking this thread RESOLVED.