I have rebuilt many jag V8s and the nikasil engine is much better/stronger I even stroked mine to a 4.2

Re the seats.... Never found it lasted long enough when used on a regular bases

 

I thought my engine was one of the last of the Nikasils, build date 19/07/2000, but i read in an online jaguar article that any cars with an "A" as the first of the last six VIN digits, has a steel lined engine.

If it's true i'm kinda gutted

 

For those who want to know, the my XK8 has an "A" as the first of the 6th, my (2001) XJR does not. Hmmm....

 

Should be "F" on the XJR. I think it went from nnnnnn to Fnnnnn for XJ series.

 

Update- I have most of the engine stuff off and will pull the engine and tranny tomorrow. I have a good used Drivers side head and will take the passenger head to the Machine shop tomorrow or Tuesday to get an estimate. With any luck and time I will be ready to reinstall next weekend and test drive Sunday. Better be worth it.
On a side note, the XK8 engine/trans R&R *seems* to be more difficult than the XJ8... only
took me a single day to remove the XJ8 motor.

 

The factory must have gotten the XK8 wet, installed the engine then left it out in the sun to shrink the engine in... Man that engine bay is TIGHT.

When re-installing should I put the cats on BEFORE or after dropping the engine in?

 

After. The cats aren't terribly difficult to install when the engine is in.

Good luck! Your photo both frightens and inspires me.



.

 

Ok, heads off and sent to the machine shop- only 6 dropped seats- not so bad. If all goes according to plan I should be able to have the long block built by Saturday.

 

Some on this forum highly recommend installing new timing chains if the originals have been dragged over the metal shoe of a broken secondary tensioner. Your call, but with the engine out, new chains and primary guides / tensioners (in addition to secondary) would be an easy job.


.

 

Definitely all guides and tensioners probably chains as well

 

I'm rebuilding a short block, so definitely going through just..about...everything.

 

 

...I *should* be able to drive it to the next OC club meeting.... if all goes as planned.

 

A couple questions:
1. should I move the AJ27 oil pump to the AJ26 short block?
2. How do I make sure the flex plate is on the correct orientation when I switch it over from the AJ27 to the AJ26?

Thanks!

 

Ok, well I am ready to build up the long block still waiting for the heads......

Oil pump fits fine, the dowel hole on the AJ27 flex plate is just a wee bit smaller than the AJ26 crank dowel, but everything lines up on it otherwise very nicely. I am supposed to have the heads this week, so i may have her running this weekend.

 

In the picture of the head surface shown above it looks like the gasket has been seeping for some time towards the exhaust side. Is that the case?

 

Sorry Plums, I didn't take too close of a look as I was headed to the machine shop as fast as possible... I WAS hoping to do a fast turnaround.

 

Ok.

Anyways on second thought, that dark brown area looks like old oil that happened to drain out during removal.

 

DSnyder586,

I bought a 2002 XJ8 with two dropped intake valve seats on passenger side head. I noticed a mark on top the piston that touched the valve. I am hoping no bottom end damage. Shop suggested i replace both heads? Coolant or stop leak had hardend in the middle cylinders water jackets but the front and back cylinder dropped seats not the center? Can someone explain how?

 

Ya- you should replace both heads, as the overheat condition probably heated the other head enough to make the seats "looser". I just grabbed a couple used heads. As for the stop leak issue- wouldn't it be better to pull the engine and check the bottom end out Rather than pay for all the work, only to find out when you drive it that the bottom end is toast?

Also consider a good used engine replacement, as it may be a batter option cost-wise than fixing the existing motor which has been overheated (might cause cylinder wall issues) and could have future problems because of stop leak blocking cooling passages (which might be the cause of the initial overheat?)