Engine oil cooler, part two.
#1
01-14-2017, 02:52 PM
Engine oil cooler, part two.
The replacement of the seeping oil cooler on my 2005 being complete, I'll share the following: First, the seeping cooler fitted (MJF type) used on 2003 and 4 (if not many others) was not supposed to be on the car, according to 'the book'. This is a top mount and, due to the 6 rows rather than the 9 that the official cooler has, the bottom of the cooler is well above the impact zone below the the radiator.
So, given that various members have previously advanced the idea that a cooler isn't even essential on the XK8, I decided to stick with the MJF style, and bought from Dave Roache (DCR) in Scotland. He had the best price AND didn't follow the usual UK practice of charging more than the actual FedEx S&H costs.
I couldn't prove that the teardrop-shaped pipe clamping plate wasn't welded in place ahead of time, being as the tear-drop on the MJF is skewed forward, whereas the official model has the clamps pointing at each other. In fact, on my car these clamps are free to swivel, so the orientation wouldn't have mattered, but the piping on the 2003/4 has different Jag part numbers for the supply / return pipes than the 2005, further convincing me that the 'correct' cooler wouldn't fit the piping on the car. That may still be true, if the 2005 style cooler mounts from the bottom, rather than from the top. I haven't seen it mentioned, but it is obvious enough after one has struggled with the Instrumounts in situ, but the whole mounting bar comes off with two bolts, so Duh! : do it on the bench where it is a piece of cake.
By the way, you can save money by buying 'vibration isolators' via eBay. If it says "vibration isolator 8mm studs" and the diameter / height match closely enough, that will work. Also not obvious at the time, but you really do need to stick with the 8 mmm stud type, because the support bracket has captive (welded) 8 mm nuts on the underside.
On the other hand, if you look for 'Instrumount' then you are gong to pay several times as much. I ground a flat half way up so that they would 1) fit in the mounting channel, and 2) provide locking service to hold the rubber still for the top nuts to be tightened.
So, given that various members have previously advanced the idea that a cooler isn't even essential on the XK8, I decided to stick with the MJF style, and bought from Dave Roache (DCR) in Scotland. He had the best price AND didn't follow the usual UK practice of charging more than the actual FedEx S&H costs.
I couldn't prove that the teardrop-shaped pipe clamping plate wasn't welded in place ahead of time, being as the tear-drop on the MJF is skewed forward, whereas the official model has the clamps pointing at each other. In fact, on my car these clamps are free to swivel, so the orientation wouldn't have mattered, but the piping on the 2003/4 has different Jag part numbers for the supply / return pipes than the 2005, further convincing me that the 'correct' cooler wouldn't fit the piping on the car. That may still be true, if the 2005 style cooler mounts from the bottom, rather than from the top. I haven't seen it mentioned, but it is obvious enough after one has struggled with the Instrumounts in situ, but the whole mounting bar comes off with two bolts, so Duh! : do it on the bench where it is a piece of cake.
By the way, you can save money by buying 'vibration isolators' via eBay. If it says "vibration isolator 8mm studs" and the diameter / height match closely enough, that will work. Also not obvious at the time, but you really do need to stick with the 8 mmm stud type, because the support bracket has captive (welded) 8 mm nuts on the underside.
On the other hand, if you look for 'Instrumount' then you are gong to pay several times as much. I ground a flat half way up so that they would 1) fit in the mounting channel, and 2) provide locking service to hold the rubber still for the top nuts to be tightened.