Cylinder head gasket blew on the old (98) XKR. Quite surprised as it has only done 65,000 miles and has been well looked after. What was even more surprising was the gasket blew at the 3rd cylinder on the right bank, but the 2nd cylinder was also damaged and close to blowing. Left hand bank was the same, 2nd and 3rd cylinders distorted at the bottom and close to blowing. Is this normal? Do I have an underlying problem, like overheating? When replacing the gasket is it wise to use Jag parts or are after market parts ok?




Damage at bottom of 2nd and 3rd cylinders

 

I have not found aftermarket parts. You can use the later MLS gaskets used on the XJ sedan engines from about (VIN) F44114. The 4.2 engines use the Multi-Layered-Steel gaskets.

bob gauff

 

As above, use the MLS gasket.

The AJ26 used a composition gasket, and tracking posts here it
seems that the AJ26 have more reported blown head gaskets.

It also seems like third cylinder in the bank is the usual culprit.

 

Thanks for your advice. I take it the MLS 4.2 gasket will fit my old 4.0L?

 

According to other posts, yes.

And at least in the UK, the head bolts from LR are cheaper by a
large margin.

 

There's that familiar looking "ding" in the metal gasket ring... was that a factory issue?

I don't see how that would happen naturally.

 

What coolant were you using?

I see a reddish tinge in cylinder 3. Dexcool?

 

I agree with the ding on the metal ring part, LH gasket was the same and hard to see how it could happen naturally. Could the heads have been over tightened and squashed them in towards the cylinder? Took, 5 snap on sockets and 2 pulled shoulder muscles to get them off. Don't know what coolant was but it was red and clean.

 

You can compare with my 2012 and 2014 composite head gasket failures. Now 4.2 MLS gaskets.

 

Red coolant is almost certainly a DEXCOOL equivalent unless it happened to be from Toyota.

The very early AJ26 was still on green conventional and later were spec'd with the yellowish
coolant similar to that used by Mercedes. Those are the spec's which apply to the model
year range in which your vehicle sits.

A DEXCOOL equivalent was spec'd only in later years.

The change in spec coincided with the change to the MLS gasket.

DEXCOOL is known to contain a plasticiser which is not friendly to the
plastic sealing rings and the gasket material itself in composition
head gaskets.

++

 

Plums.
The Jaguar ORANGE COOLANT was introduced with MY 2000 here in the U.S.
The V8 MLS gaskets were introduced around late 2002 MY.
Jaguar used ORANGE COOLANT and composite gaskets for about 3 years.

bob gauff

 

The engine repair manual says that MLS gaskets were introduced from MY2001.

 

That's what I thought too, and from the same source.

Certainly hope so because that's what I have.

 

Well, RED or ORANGE ... you'll agree that the Jaguar ORANGE is a DEXCOOL derivative/variant?

 

Ok, so now I'm confused! What coolant do I use, red or orange?

 

From Engine (0008210148) is supposed to be the MLS.
I don't exactly know what MY that starts with. (late 2001???) My memory missed it by a year?????

Jaguar calls the coolant ORANGE but can be described as red also. (see TSBs)

bob gauff

 

It's been a while, but don't the engine numbers denote a timestamp?

That number would give a cutoff of 2000/08/21 01:48 which would
coincide with start of US MY 2001.

That would happen to be in agreement with the more general statement
that one of the running changes for MY 2001 was a change to the MLS.

The statement would have been in either the engine repair course manual
which you so kindly provided, or one of those technical changes overviews
issued at the start of a model year.

 

Red and orange are usually DEXCOOL types, but colour is not the defining factor.

The specification is the defining factor and will be found on the coolant jug label.

Whatever you do, be sure to fully flush the system before final refill to ensure that
you only have one type of coolant in the engine.

Sorry to add to your confusion.

My inquiries about coolant were simply along the lines of coolant and headgasket
combinations. It is my impression that vehicles with the earlier composition
head gasket seem to suffer head gasket failures more often, and it has been
noted that DEXCOOL is not friendly to composition head gaskets.

All of that my be completely irrelevant to you.

As a personal preference, I use a coolant similar to the yellow coolant,
Valvoline G-05 which is a BASF Glysantin formulation as commonly used
on Mercedes. I had to do a thorough flush at the time the changeover
was done.

++

 

Thanks for everyone's input, engine rebuilt with 4.2 MLS gasket and purring like a little kitten.

 

started a new post here on the x100 board.. 01 xkr head gasket DIY help.. can you guys weigh in on it.. looking to do a single best practices thread on repairing this once and right... bob.. you keep coming up all over the place on these various head gasket threads.. can you bring your expertise to the new thread...

thanks guys