I am looking at a 2002 XK8 with about 100,000 miles.. Good service records for most of its life but no mention of updated timing chain tensioners.. What was the serial number cut-off for the changeover to generation 3 metal tensioners???

 

Not sure to be honest. Even though the cutoff was before then, there were left over engines, so you have to look at the engine code to be sure.

I am not sure of the serial cutoff number.

 

Metal tensioners were used from engine# 010813xxx.

 

The engine serial number is the only certain way to make that determination short of pulling a valve cover. The serial number is impossible to read in situ. Your friendly neighborhood dealer is able to extract the engine serial from the Jaguar database using the car's VIN.

RJ237 provided the serial number that decodes to the date of the transition being August 13, 2001. The 010813xxxx is in the format of YYMMDDHHMM.

Look at the assembly date on the driver's 'B' column. If the date is Sept '01 or later there is a high probability that you have the later tensioners . . . but no guarantees. My June '01 manufactured 2002 XK8 had the plastic body tensioners.

 

Thanks! Interesting coincidence that the Carfax report states June 01 is also the production time frame on the car I am looking at....so it is likely plastic huh?

This is one of those cars which has a lot of dealer service history and regular service records listed on car fax for the first 60k miles.. It shows thermostat, water pump, head cover gasket replacement among other noted services, but no mention of timing chain.. I have to assume it needs to be replaced. However there is an independent garage's sticker/service label in the engine bay so I am going to call them to see if they have any records