97 xk8. Are the cam flats in the same position on both sides of the engine? Both lined up the same? I may have found my problem. It goes back to the guy before me.

 

Yes. The cam flats should align with a straight edge placed across the cylinder head on each bank with the crankshaft lock pin in place.

See this post from Paul Pavlik showing the flats as they should align:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...19/#post713091

 

The cam flats line up across when the engine at 45 degrees AFTER TDC.

The cams might be a little off if there is some wear or slack in the timing chain setup.

 

Don't jump to conclusions if they don't line up at first glance.

Make sure the intake cams are both fully retarded, rotated counterclockwise facing the engine. There are rough cast flats in the middle of the cam that you can attach a 1" open end wrench, hopefully, on your '97. On my '99, they line up for the wrench on A bank, but not B bank. I used large channellocks on the rough, round shaft to check B.
rather than rotate it away from the sweet spot.

See if your "binary" VVT actuators spring back to fully retarded, I'm not sure they do in the earlier version. I just posted on my issue where one of my "variable" actuator springs back but not the other.