I removed the Top Pump tonight and am ready to install the Limiter Valve. My question is: Should I be using Teflon Tape or any sealer on the joint where the plug is removed and replaced by a short hose? I didn't see any mention of it on Jagrepair.com.

 

Don't think you'll want tape on compression fittings. They 'll leak.

 

A little PTFE paste would be best there, IMO. You may get a seal without it, but couldn't hurt.

No tape! ... as there's always the risk, however slight, of some fragment finding its way into the pump.

 

If you are talking about the LSI Pressure Relief valve it is not necessary to use any type of sealer the hoses are equipped with "O" rings to seal the connections.

Gus
www.jagrepair.com

 

Thanks Gus ... I bought the LSI from you last fall. Got it installed today with no leaks or problems. Your step by step photo guide is a real help. I can't notice any difference at all with the top and latch cyling. Here's to a green showerless summer. Cheers...Jim

 

If you have not yet replaced the two latch hoses you should at least take a look at them and see where you stand.

The lower pressure will buy you some time but those two will still leak near the latch eventually if not already. The original hoses will fall apart from the heat. You will probably avoid the horrible green shower for a long time even while the minor leak is happening.

When I replaced them on my 04 (at 50K) the fittings at the latch were wet from seeping. The casings on the hoses were starting to crumble.

 

Gus are you still sellng the valve, am looking to buy one soon if you are could you give me an idea of cost. thanks walter.

 

You can reach me at gus@jagrepair.com and I will give you all the info you need.

 

I looked at the latch for the heck of it yesterday. Everything is dry and no signs of weeping or dry rot. If you want my own opinion, I think a big part of the issues are heat induced. I'll bet if someone started tracking Top Hose failures, that Southern cars would have a significantly higher failure rate. I'm sure that cars from the deep south, where cars are left sitting in the baking sun where you could cook an egg on the windshied frame have high failure rates.

I was in southern Fla for the winter and looked at several Jags and descided not to by one in the south. Baked Leather, Dashboards sun bleached, and a lot of dry rotted rubber.

 

You are surely correct about this. A couple pieces of evidence ...
- hose failures do not appear to be an issue in cooler-climate locales like the UK.
- when latch hoses fail, it's almost always at the latch end (where it gets much hotter) even though the pump end sees the same peak pressure.

 

If you look through the forums on this, there are still plenty of reports from the UK and Canada about failures. Maybe it happens less often because they don't have as much opportunity to open the roof?

The hoses on mine look perfect at the pump end, so I'm wondering if I should open up the top of the windscreen to examine the hoses there.

 

My impression is that the UK/Canada failure rates are much, much lower than here in the USA. I don't come across many reports at all, though there are surely some.

It could be that this has to do with how often the top is operated, but I think the simpler, more probable explanation is heat. Frequency of use would not explain, for example, the difference between latch and pump ends.

Without some sort of rigorous survey (and I'm not suggesting one!) we're all guessing a bit here.

 

You are correct but those who report failures almost never state their location, mileage, or weather the car is parked outdoors or indoors.

I spend winters in Southern Fla. This year it was 93 in mid march. If you parked in the sun with the top down and exposed the metal covering to the Windshield frame I bet it would be 200 degrees F in that enclosed area. That doesn't happen here in the North East US. We might see one day every 5 years with March Florida temperatures.

Rember also that significantly more XK8 / XKR cars were purchased new in the South and made their way north being pre-baked for their next owner. A dealer 2 miles from me has a 97 XK8 that's been for sale cheap for 3 years with no takers. The only thing on the car that isn't shot is the sheet metal. Every piece of rubber on the car is dry rotted, the Dash is almost white from sun bleaching, leather dry rotted. Someday someone will make the mistake and it will show up as a Northern Green Shower.

I'm really surprised with all of the discussion that someone hasn't collected data.

At any rate, reducing unecessary pressure on the hoses certainly can't harm anything. I live in a moderate North East Climate close to Canada and still installed the Limiter Valve as a precaution.

 

Hi guys . Iam wondering if anyone can answer my question, after speaking to Gus about the lines I believe jag used the higher pressure hose 600 bar on the early 97 models but went to a lower pressure hose 98 on. My 99 is fitted with the 600 bar hose which Gus thought was strange , I wondered if a repair could have been done with old stock. I checked with jag service but they could not tell me anything. Not complaining I think i am lucky. Anyone else found this. Thanks Walter.

 

I am so sorry I have no idea what I was thinking but if your hose has a 303 & 363 stamped on them and they are the ones failing. My previous information was incorrect with the exception of a few 1997 MY cars were equipped with a different hose and if I can find that info I will let you know.

The problem when you get old!

 

Car is 1999 And all hoses rated 600 bar

 

sorry I posted wrong information. I have corrected it.

 

This link should answer most of your questions on the hose failures.

Link Hose Failure Evaluation JagRepair.com - Jaguar Repair Information Resource

Sorry have a lot going on and I am short on time.

 

I just wanted to report that my car was originally a Florida car, but seemed to have been garaged and not driven much. I got it in March 2009, with around 36k miles and quickly put on this kit when it first came out. I'm in a much cooler climate here in southwest Minnesota, but I'm at 95k miles, garage the car, and cycle the top often, with no leaking hoses (I do think one of my rams is starting to leak, but it only seems to happen when I get the car out of winter storage)